District 230 Assistant Superintendent blazes trail in HR certification

Consolidated High School District 230 Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Dr. Julia Wheaton recently graduated from the Executive Human Capital Leader in Education (eHCLE) Certification Program through the American Association of School Personnel Administrators. Just 14 individuals were awarded the first-ever eHCLE Certification on December 1 at AASPA’s
Human Capital Leadership Summit in Tucson, AZ.

The eHCLE Certification Program is a new professional development opportunity for accomplished human capital leaders serving in education organizations.Through a ten-month cohort model, participants receive intensive support from peers and subject-matter experts in areas of human capital management and complete an independent project to drive improvement in their organization.

The program involved coursework, research, and a final project study in human capital leadership that began in February 2023 and ended with a presentation at the Summit last week. Wheaton’s presentation, Using Staff Engagement Tools with a Focus on Stay Interviews to Support and StrengthenYour Strategic Planning, was based on the research completed regarding the district’s Strategic Plan Goal #10 - Staff Engagement from the 2022-2023 school year.

"The eHCLE program has been a transformational experience for the individuals who have completed this program. The projects presented this week show innovation in human capital leadership and how dedicated these individuals are to the service of the personnel they serve in their district and/or organization in the interest of students." said AASPA Executive Director Kelly Coash-Johnson.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to work with this incredible group of leaders. Each of
these HR trailblazers has shown that prioritizing people makes a powerful difference for
organizations. We’re excited to see the impact they will continue to have on their districts, staff, students, and on the field at large.” said Naima Khandaker, VP of Strategy for Experience Management Institute, who assisted in the facilitation of the eHCLE Certification Program.

In addition to eHCLE Certification, AASPA also offers pHCLE (Professional Human Capital Leader in Education) Certification and a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Micro-credential. Currently over 500 human capital leaders hold a pHCLE Certification.

The American Association of School Personnel Administrators is an international organization that provides leadership in promoting effective human resource practices within education. Headquartered in Overland Park, Kan., AASPA hosts various regional professional development opportunities throughout the year in addition to providing other valuable benefits to its 3,000+ members. AASPA is directly involved in efforts to address the national educator shortage, and will be hosting their third National Educator Shortage Summit in February of 2024. This event convenes P-20 stakeholders from various educational, governmental and non-profit organizations in a collaborative environment to address the challenges of building and retaining a national teacher force. You can learn more about AASPA’s involvement by visiting www.edshortage.org. More information about AASPA can be found at www.aaspa.org.