Callender's position with CISD changes

By Lisa Magers/CISD Community Services

June 29, 2009 05:01 pm

— Dr. Darlene Callender, who has overseen Cleburne ISD’s department of curriculum and instruction since August, has been given a new title of assistant superintendent of special programs.
“We are splitting the responsibilities currently under the job title of assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction,” said Superintendent Dr. Ronny Beard. “Dr. Callender will assume a new title of assistant superintendent of special programs.
“The state and federal programs that will now be under Dr. Callender’s supervision are not only a primary funding source for the district, but are also the area that was found to be out of compliance with state and federal guidelines during the Texas Education Agency audit. It is imperative we staff this area with knowledgeable and qualified people. Dr. Callender is very knowledgeable about these programs and, because of her experience, will add a level of security.”
Under her new job description, Callender will take on many of the responsibilities of Janet Walker, former executive director of instruction and student support, who recently resigned from the District to oversee federal and state program compliance at Everman ISD.
“Many of Dr. Callender’s responsibilities in her new role will deal with the supervision of state and federal grant programs, thus we will not fill Janet Walker’s vacated position,” Beard said.
An additional district-level executive director position of curriculum and assessment has been vacant since December after the resignation of Judy Senter, who left Cleburne to coordinate the instructional program at Brazosport ISD.
“Once an assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction is selected,” Beard said, “We will immediately interview and fill the remaining vacancy created by Judy Senter’s resignation.”
Callender came to CISD from Dripping Springs, where she was assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. She has served in public education for 27 years, including 10 in administration as curriculum director in Decatur ISD and Mabank ISD, and as assistant superintendent with Dripping Springs.
Her campus-level administrative experiences include assistant principal with Cypress-Fairbanks ISD and a principal’s position at Spring Branch ISD.
A native of Fort Worth, she began her educational career as a teacher in Houston ISD and also taught in Alief ISD and Cypress-Fairbanks ISD.
“It is critical that we stay in compliance with federal and state programs,” Callender said. “And this change will help the district ensure this. The multi-faceted roles of central office personnel in a district this large create the need for staff to specialize in those programs that bring large amounts of funding to the district. This will enable us to better serve our students, and that should be our primary focus.”