Montgomery, Alabama 36104 - alsde.edu

June 03, 2016

Alabama State Board of Education
Ms. Juliana Teixeira Dean
General Counsel
Alabama State Department of Education
50 North Ripley Street
P.O. Box 302101
Montgomery, Alabama 36104

Dear Ms. Dean,

I am writing to apply for the State Superintendent of Education opening at the Alabama State
Department of Education. As my résumé attests, I have an extensive background with respect to
working in government agency settings as well as in interpreting, applying, monitoring adherence to,
and piloting initiatives under the wide umbrella of federal education law. I have devoted the majority of
my career to promoting academic achievement among at-risk, socioeconomically disadvantaged,
ethnically diverse, adult, and other demographics of specialized and non-traditional student
populations. Over the course of four decades, I have developed singular fluency and expertise in the
provisions and regulations of federal education statutes; programmatic and curricular management;
supervising large teams of personnel; directing multidimensional, long-term, and deadline-oriented
projects; overseeing complex budgets; the intricacies of federal regulatory codes; grant writing,
fundraising, and monetary allocations; the implementation of comprehensive policy agendas; the
imperative of effective ambassadorship in representing the interests of student and community
stakeholders; and the demands specific to the custodianship and realization of an institutional mission.

As a native of a rural region that boasts one of the highest concentrations of the American
Indians within the United States, my understanding of the imperative of successful and efficient public
education is rooted in foundational experience – as is my passion for ensuring that students are
equipped with the comprehensive faculties of critical thinking and intellectual independence necessary
to excel in their respective disciplines of choice. It was exactly such training that made my own
trajectory from family roots in rural poverty and cultural marginalization to a career in academia and
educational policy possible.

After obtaining dual undergraduates degrees in sociology and philosophy at Franklin & Marshall
College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, I helped to administer the daily operations of the pioneering
National Advisory Council on Indian Education in Washington, D. C. During the ensuing six years, I
advocated with senior organization personnel for the inclusion of indigenous perspectives in legislation
developed by Congress and educated tribal leadership across the country on new laws and changes to
existing statutes that would impact the children of their respective sovereign nations. As a native of a
region that boasts one of the highest concentrations of the American Indians within the United States,
my understanding of the importance of investing in and fostering the academic preparation of at-risk
and disadvantaged children is rooted in foundational experience – as is my passion for ensuring that
these students are

DeLaune, Margo Kickingbird
Cover Letter
Page 2 of 2

Subsequently, I completed an Ed.M. at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and aided in
the development of the first Tribal Resource Institute in Business, Engineering, and Sciences summer
program at The Colorado College, a private liberal arts lyceum where I additionally liaised between
the administration and the school's population of Indian students. Later, I reunited with Stuart
Tonemah, one of the directors during my stint at the NACIE, to manage and grow American Indian and
Research Development, Inc., a venture in social entrepreneurship where I created and obtained
financing for a variety of initiatives to sew opportunities for gifted and talented indigenous children in
Oklahoma. My professional forays thereafter included piloting an Upward Bound chapter at Oklahoma
City Community College and serving as the director of a satellite campus of Dyersburg State Community
College in Trenton, Tennessee, experiences that further familiarized me with the demands specific to
pupils facing specialized obstacles in their pursuit of post-secondary education.

For the past 11 years, I have managed over $400 million in federal grant monies as the Title
Programs Director at the Georgia Department of Education, where I oversee local educational agencies
(LEAs) and monitor their compliance with the Title I, Part A component of ESEA, currently reauthorized
as the Every Student Succeeds Act, and collaborate with other Department Divisions including School
Improvement 1003(a) and 1003(g); Title II, Part A – Teacher Quality; Title I, Part D – Neglected and
Delinquent; Title I, Part C – Migrant Education; McKinney-Vento Homeless Children and Youth;
Curriculum and Instruction; and Technology and Communications to meet Department objectives in
fostering improvement in student achievement. As part of my duties, I helm the Title I, Part A
Compliance Unit, which investigates complaints pertaining to and suspected violations of established
federal regulations involving programs that fall under the scope of Title I of the ESEA/ESSA.

I am eager to continue dedicate my energies toward a position that incorporates my diversified
portfolio of skills while also offering opportunities to articulate and cultivate to fruition a defining
organizational vision in partnership with fellow leaders in the field that has comprised the cornerstone
of my vocational trajectory. I am confident that I could contribute a singular perspective to and effective
guidance of the Alabama State Department of Education, and that working as the State Superintendent
with the State Board of Education would prove to be a mutually positive endeavor. I have enclosed a
copy of my résumé to provide you with further insight into my qualifications. I hope to hear from you
soon. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Very best regards,

Margo Kickingbird DeLaune







References for Margo Kickingbird DeLaune

Relationship
Former Supervisor
Name
Clara Keith
Title
Director, Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities
Address

Phone

E-mail

Relationship
Current Supervisee
Name
Dr. Jennifer Davenport
Title
Title I, Part A Program Manager at the Georgia Department of Education
Address

DeLaune, Margo Kickingbird
References Page 2 of 3
Phone

E-mail

Relationship
Former Supervisee
Name
The Honorable Mary Candler
Title
Senior Administrative Law Judge at Oklahoma Corporation Commission’s Western Regional Service
Office
Address
Oklahoma Corporation Commission
2102 N Lincoln Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
Phone

E-mail

Relationship
Former Supervisor
Name
Dr. Kay Patterson
Title
Vice President

DeLaune, Margo Kickingbird
References Page 3 of 3
Address
Dyersburg State Community College
1510 Lake Road
Dyersburg, TN 38024
Phone

E-Mail

Relationship
Present Colleague
Name
Sandra Moore
Title
Federal Programs Coordinator, Henry County Schools
Address
Henry County Schools
33 N. Zack Hinton Parkway
McDonough, GA 30253
Phone

E-mail





May 31, 2016

Alabama State Department of Education
50 North Ripley Street
P.O. Box 30121
Montgomery, Alabama 30164

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing on behalf of Margo Kickingbird DeLaune, with whom I worked in close and
continuous partnership for the past ten years in the Title Programs Division at the Georgia
Department of Education. As the Director of the Division, Margo served as my immediate
supervisor, providing assiduous and effective guidance to evolving staffs numbering between 17
and 40. Together, we collaborated on a wide-ranging spectrum of responsibilities including
overseeing the distribution of over $500 million in federal grant monies every year; monitoring
the compliance of the state’s public schools to federal codes and regulations; and steering the
Division through an array of policy initiatives.

Margo is unquestionably devoted to her professional duties. She is extremely well versed
in the complexities of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) as well as
other federal educational statutes; adept at communicating the subtleties and nuances of such
legislation to fellow academic professionals and laity alike; building consensus among
stakeholders; and managing the development and execution of multidimensional,
comprehensive, and directional projects.

I have the utmost confidence that the next organization to which Margo transitions will
benefit greatly from her talents and passion. I offer my recommendation without qualms or
conditions, and I am eager to see what institution will avail itself of her vision, expertise,
creativity, and leadership. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at

.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Davenport

May 13, 2016

Alabama State Board of Education
Alabama State Department of Education
50 North Ripley Street
P.O. Box 302101
Montgomery, Alabama 36104

Dear Sirs and Mesdames,

I have known Margo DeLaune since I hired her as the Title I, Part A Program Manager at

the Georgia Department of Education in 2004. Over the course of the ensuing twelve years and

for the duration of our continuing professional association, Ms. DeLaune has distinguished

herself as a capable and conscientious employee of and leader at the Department. Now the

Title Programs Director, Ms. DeLaune has proven herself adept at integrating a consistently

increasing volume and expanding breadth of responsibilities to her portfolio.

Ms. DeLaune arrived at the Department boasting considerable experience in conceiving,

developing, and implementing non-profit initiatives that promoted academic achievement and

educational excellence among diverse demographics of disadvantaged youth. She was

additionally well acquainted with federal education law and working with legislative bodies

thanks to a six-year stint in Washington, D. C. This background has served her well over the past

decade as she has refined her expertise in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of

1965, managed almost $500 million in federal grant monies per year, and provided guidance,

monitoring, and technical direction to the state’s local educational agencies.

As Ms. DeLaune seeks new challenges around which to orient her career, I am happy to

recommend her without reservation. She is extremely dedicated to her job; skilled at navigating

the multifaceted demands of her position; effective at communicating statutory and regulatory

complexities; adept at brand ambassadorship and liaising with stakeholders; nonpareil at

planning and executing long-term projects; adroit at overseeing a large staff of approximately

40; and dynamic when collaborating with personnel from other Divisions at the Department.

I have the utmost confidence that Ms. DeLaune will excel at the Alabama State

Superintendent position – and/or any in which she is required to conceptualize vision and

strategy for an organization within the context of federal education. Should you need to

contact me, I can be reached at .

Sincerely,
Clara Keith

May 18, 2016

Alabama State Board of Education
50 North Ripley Street
P.O. Box 302101
Montgomery, Alabama 36104

Dear Sir or Madame:

I have had the pleasure of counting Margo DeLaune among my professional network for
over two decades. During the course of our acquaintance, Margo has demonstrated unwavering
dedication to building infrastructures that bolster academic achievement among at-risk,
disadvantaged, and ethnically diverse youth. For the length of our direct collaboration at the
Oklahoma City Community College office of Upward Bound, she maintained the highest standards
of performance for both herself and the staff (which included a roster of full-time counselors as well
as the faculty who taught in the program’s annual six-week summer enrichment college simulations)
operating under her supervision as she guided nine classes of students – many of whom became the
first members of their family to attend university – in their pursuit of post-secondary education.

Prior to her tenure at OKCCC, Margo established a lengthy and impressive record of
advocacy for indigenous children, who, of course, represent one of the most historically
disenfranchised and marginalized demographics vis-à-vis educational opportunity. Such experience
ensured that her directorship of the campus’s Federal TRiO Programs was defined by proficiency in
programmatic development; expertise in federal statutes and regulations; and model leadership.

As Margo explores new outlets by which to continue her life’s work, I have no doubt that
she will distinguish herself in whatever role she chooses. I thus recommend her enthusiastically for
any and all positions that require skilled executive and/or managerial stewardship as well as a
transformational perspective with respect to the arena of education. I am confident that Alabama
could find no stronger candidate for its State Superintendent vacancy. Should you need to contact
me, I can be reached at

Sincerely,

The Honorable Mary Candler
Senior Administrative Law Judge
Oklahoma Corporation Commission
Western Regional Service Office
2101 North Lincoln Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73105