Blake Haygood

Plan meetings, agendas, important topics for discussion, share resources, create an infrastructure of support and camaraderie between district leaders along the I-35 corridor and beyond.

Support the health and growth of the organization by being an informed and active member of the Board. Boldly share my perspectives as a district leader, community advocate, and parent regarding the potential direction, range, and scope of support provided by the organization. Maintain fiduciary responsibility and approach decisions with the primary goal of ensuring stability within the organization while also affirming its values and mission.

Facilitate clear communications and participate in decision-making in monthly meetings with the rest of the Board. Learning the role of Board Chair for the organization, from budget to meeting responsibilities, to collaboration with parent organization goals.

• Evaluate, adapt, create, and improve on identification and assessment practices, service design, curriculum and instruction, professional learning, and outreach practices to ensure fidelity of services per the Texas State Plan for Gifted/Talented Students
• Work with a small team to coordinate 144 GT Advocates across 113 K-12 campuses
• Support meeting Javits Grant deadlines and requirements ($2.9 million federal grant)
• Develop and share family/community outreach presentations, lead professional learning for teachers, counselors, administrators, and district personnel
• Communicate and partner with families, communities, businesses, programs, and institutions to promote and expand services and support for gifted learners
• Collaborate with state and national leaders to remain at the forefront of gifted education

One of three positions created through a Javits Grant to improve diversity, equity, and access for gifted learners by reevaluating and expanding the identification process, growing teacher efficacy, knowledge, and skills surrounding GT education, and developing curriculum and professional development to meet those goals.

  Advanced Academics and Gifted & Talented

• Oversee training of all teachers on GT Foundations in Nature & Needs, Social-Emotional Aspects, Identification & Assessment, Differentiation, and Creativity & Instructional Strategies
• Coordinate with the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented and Regions XIII & XX to provide training for district personnel
• Ensure elementary and Advanced Academics courses are meeting the needs of all gifted and twice-exceptional learners
• Manage the district GT budget for testing, field trips, AP textbooks, teacher training, showcases, and STEAM resources directly supporting GT learners
• Ensure AP and UT OnRamps teachers rotate through in-district professional learning and Summer Institutes
• Coordinate GT Pull Out teachers in K-5, and GT Advisory teachers in grades 6-8
• Facilitate enrichment opportunities, camps, and clubs like Camp Invention, UIL A+ Academics, GT Showcases, and GT Competitions

Curriculum Design

• Develop textbooks and a comprehensive and differentiated curriculum for all subjects, K-12
• Lead teams to write approximately 10 units per grade level per subject in K-5, about 2,000 units in the core classes alone, with 3 weeks worth of lessons per unit on average, totaling about 30,000 lessons in the core classes
• Create resources in secondary, supplemented with OER and custom-made cK-12 Flexbooks and interactive iBooks

Precalculus, Geometry, UIL Math Coach

From Remediation to AP Calculus

8th Grade Math, Algebra 1/1R, TAKS, Math Models

• A broad variety of ability and achievement tests
• Open Educational Resources
• In depth knowledge of various GT support programs and organizations
• K-12 Common Core and Texas Standards (TEKS)
• Web development software (GoHighLevel/Wordpress)
• Office suites/productivity/data processing software
• OpenAI, Gemini, and other AI
• Data Management Software (OnDataSuite, 5Lab, Frontline)
• TEA Programming (VSN, Gateway, etc.)
• Asynchronous platforms

• TAGT Advocate for the Gifted
• Keynote Speaker, Region 13 Advancing Academics Conference
• Keynote Speaker, Round Rock ISD GT Family Conference
• Ed Fund Grant Winner, Camp Invention
• TEA TEKS Guides Development
• GT Support Web Designer
• ePub/iBook Creation
• District Textbook Committee Lead
• TEA Instructional Materials Quality Evaluation
• GCPASS – College/Career Readiness Collaborator
• Mentor Grant Action Research Committee
• Multimedia Content Creator and Copyright Expert