Prescott College ASK Career Network
Mentor Biography

Adele Ohs, Sacramento, CA
Program Consultant:  CA Dept. of Education

Professional Biography:
Adele began teaching high school English in a large, public high school in Southern California. After three years, she began a split assignment as classroom teacher/English and Language Arts Coordinator and added coaching teachers a year later. From there she began coaching and providing professional development full time. After several years, Adele began working for the CA Department of Education (CDE) in the Title I Division, coordinating and supporting schools & districts in planning to meet compliance goals. Most recently, she has retired from the CDE and am an independent consultant working on a federally- funded project for the Calif. CC.

Work Description:
Adele collaborates directly with Calif. CC and CDE personnel to develop and write for the Quality Schooling Framework. This has involved research into the best available evidence for quality schooling indicators and practices, writing and recording video presentations to describe a quality schooling system for educational leaders, developing processes and protocols for creating and posting the Framework, supporting CDE in creating a culture of cross-department collaboration. Seewww.cde.ca.gov/qs

How do you spend most of your time at your job?
As a consultant for the Calif. Comprehensive Center (CC), Adele is contracted to work on specific projects. The current project she is consulting on is the development of a framework for educational leaders in CA to aid in planning, implementing, and aligning resources to effectively impact student learning. The current landscape in CA has been turbulent due to the adoption of Common Core State Standards, the implementation of new statewide assessments and a new funding formula for public schools. The Framework provides an overview to the element of a quality schooling experience in CA public schools. Adele's job is to collaborate with California Department of Education staff to fully develop and populate the framework website. See www.cde.ca.gov/qs

What are you most proud of in regard to your career history? 
Adele has had the opportunity to collaborate with, mentor, and train educational leaders in key positions in many counties throughout California. The most meaningful collaboration for her, though short lived, was bringing together leaders from county offices in rural, sparsely populated counties to address challenges due their lack of resources. The group met electronically--by conference call and by WebEx for a year-long discussion for sharing and networking strategies to support one another in meeting state and federal compliance requirements.

What roadblocks did you encounter along your journey to find the right career? 
Adele's career trajectory began late in life. She was middle aged when she began teaching and approaching retirement age when she finished her Master's degree at Prescott College. Adele's life experiences supported a launching pad for her teaching career. The most frustrating aspects of her career were the political machinations involved with working for a large public agency.

Prescott College ASK Network Q & A
Q: Please list your current employer:
A: California Comprehensive Center at WestEd
Q: Please list your occupational industry:
A: Govt/Politics
Education
Q: Please list your current position:
A: Program Consultant
Q: Please provide a work description:
A: work to train staff of under performing schools and districts in reforms to improve student achievement
Q: Please provide a listing of the UG School(s) you attended:
A: Sacramento City College, University of Utah, Chapman University
Q: Please list your major(s)/concentration(s):
A: English/Theatre Arts
Q: What was your UG year of graduation?
A: 1968
Q: Please list any professional organizations or board affiliations:
A: ASCD