|
By Elizabeth Millard
In the Spotlight
Richard Valenta makes a difference in Birdville ISD and beyond
 Throughout his career, Richard Valenta has been a man of influence, and not just in the districts where he has served. This administrator’s contributions to the field of education reach far and wide.
As a young teacher and coach in Irving ISD in the 1980s, Valenta served as the director of recruiting services for the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association. During those years, he also worked with Marketcom, a division of the Sports Illustrated advertising and promotions team, interacting with Little League teams to promote football, baseball, basketball and other competitive sports.
“I’ve always enjoyed working with kids, seeing them grow and learn,” says Valenta, who now serves as the director of personnel services for Birdville ISD.
Despite his myriad responsibilities, Valenta still found time to enroll at North Texas State University and earn a master’s degree in secondary education with a minor in exercise physiology and biomechanics. He also took a leadership training course, which — along with some personal circumstances — prompted his transition from teaching and coaching to administration. He stepped up to serve as the assistant principal at Sam Houston Junior High in Irving ISD in 1991.
“Coaching is great, but at the time, I had three children under the age of five, and my wife was growing weary of raising them alone because I was always at games or trainings,” he says. “I decided to get out of coaching and into administration, and it was the best decision I could have made.”
In 1994, Valenta and his family moved to Birdville, where he took a job with the district as an assistant athletic director. Two years later, Birdville ISD’s superintendent, Bob Griggs, asked Valenta to consider serving as the assistant director for personnel services because he thought the job would suit Valenta.
“I really thought it would be the most boring job in the world,” Valenta jokes. “But it turns out that I have the best job in the district. I get to work in every aspect of the district, from finance to recruiting. I really feel like I’m making a difference in the lives our students.”
In 1999, Valenta was promoted to his current position as director of personnel services. But his interest in statewide work has never waned. He is a longtime member of the Texas Association of School Personnel Administrators. In 2001, he accepted an offer to be a district representative for TASPA.
Valenta also has worked with the State Board of Educator Certification and the Texas Education Agency. Valenta recently participated on SBEC’s task force on certification realignment, which resulted in the new K-6 certificate. He also served on an advisory board for the Education Career Alternative Program (ECAP), the first private certification program in Texas.
“What I appreciate most in getting involved with these organizations is the relationships that you make with quality people throughout the state,” Valenta says. “The opportunity to learn from them is invaluable, and you really get to discuss the larger issues.”
By working with administrators from different parts of the state, Valenta says that issues such as teacher certification and curriculum development can be addressed at a higher level, creating more cohesion and support for districts of every size.
Valenta’s influential work has not gone unnoticed. In 2008, TASPA named him School Personnel Administrator of the Year.
“Richard is committed to being a voice in issues that ensure the availability of effective teachers in our profession He is an outstanding human resources administrator, one who has taken leadership roles at the district, regional and state levels,” says Tamira Griffin of Plano ISD, who nominated Valenta for the award. “Every decision he makes, and every piece of advice he provides, is based on what is best for the profession, not what is in his best interest.
“People trust Richard to do the right thing, and he does not disappoint.”
ELIZABETH MILLARD is a freelance journalist who also writes for District Administration, a national magazine for school administrators.
|
