Scott Rudes has 29 years in education, but this is his first opportunity to serve as an executive director of talent development.
Rudes is now filling that spot at Ector County ISD. He officially started Aug. 1.
“I certainly have spent the majority of my career developing others, especially teachers and leaders, in my various campus leadership positions,” Rudes said.
He has been a concert and band director, a middle school principal for three years and a high school principal for 10.
“My first 17 years were in Tampa, Florida, Hillsborough County, and then the last 11 were in Dallas, so I’m rapidly coming up to the halfway or the over the even out point between Texas and Florida,” Rudes said.
His department serves all the employees and to a large extent ECISD students.
“We ensure that not only is there relevant professional development for everyone that works for ECISD, but also that we have established strong pipelines for employees to be able to achieve their dreams. A lot of our focus is on developing new teachers and retaining those teachers, as well. You’ll see those types of pipelines, but you’ll also see pipelines where we are really focused on the next generation of educational leaders for the district.
“Through those efforts, in the efforts of strategic compensation, we’re really looking to not only grow our employees, but to keep them here in Ector County,” Rudes said.
His immediate plan in his new role is to continue building on the foundation left for him by past ECISD executive directors of Talent Development Ashley Osborne, now at Midland ISD, and Jaime Miller, now at La Joya ISD.
His predecessors in this role started a lot of “fantastic new pipelines.”
“I want to make sure that those continue to be fleshed out, continue to be funded appropriately, continue to achieve the results that they were intended to achieve. Then once we’ve made sure that we’re moving in those right directions, as I mentioned, we believe in Talent Development that we serve all of our employees, so looking at what are the pipelines that we’re missing, especially pipelines that allow some of our employees that work in important ways outside of the classroom are able to grow professionally, whether you work in the maintenance department or the transportation department, or if you work as an administrative assistant, what are your pathways forward? That’s something that we’re taking a strong look at in this department,” Rudes said.
He observed that if you don’t take care of your people and don’t give them a reason to stay, pay doesn’t matter.
“They’ll go where they’re appreciated and so I’ve always made it my mission as a leader to ensure that that’s where we start. We start by showing our appreciation for our employees in big and small ways,” Rudes said.
He added that could mean just recognizing people who are doing a good job.
“Teaching can often be a thankless job. Just recognizing people for the important contributions that they make. That can manifest itself in a lot of ways, whether that’s just a pat on the shoulder, or thank you, or hey you need some release time to go take care of a child; really approaching this from a human perspective. We’re all human beings, and we deserve acknowledgement and grace and compassion. I think that that’s where, when people start feeling valued and appreciated, that goes a long way in keeping them,” Rudes said.
Rudes began his education at Indiana University, finishing at Florida State University with a bachelor’s degree in music education. He earned his master’s and doctorate at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. His master’s is in music education and his doctorate is in educational leadership and research.
“I thought I was going to be a college band director somewhere, but fate interceded and now I’m here working with educators. Education is a bit in the blood. I’m the product of two high school guidance counselors. So if you go back … four generations, you’ll find education educators in my family,” Rudes said.
Saying he was a bit of a weather nerd, Rudes remembers wanting to be a meteorologist in his junior year of high school.
“I got into band in middle school and high school, and then I was drum major of the band. I’d also been doing musicals at church and things like that. I told my parents at the end of my junior of high school that I wanted to be a music educator, and I remember them distinctly looking at me and saying, but honey, there’s so many other things you could do with your life. I remember (the) disappointment I had because something I really loved working with kids, and I really loved teaching,” Rudes said.
He has still kept his hand in music being a church music director for 30-plus years. He plays the piano primarily, but went through college as a bassoonist.
“That really maintains my musical soul, I think it keeps me sane,” Rudes said.
He has three children. His daughter is one of the first female Eagle Scouts in Texas.
Anthony Sorola, associate superintendent Athletics/Human Capital/Operations, is happy to have Rudes on board.
“I am pleased that Ector County ISD identified an Executive Director of Talent Development with the broad experience that Dr. Rudes has. He has served as a fine arts teacher and campus principal at both the middle school and high school levels in an urban setting. Moreover, he has experience as a central office administrator within curriculum and instruction. These experiences coupled with his formal education distinguished him as a candidate. I am confident that his extensive knowledge will nicely complement the skillset of our Executive Director of Human Resources, Dr. Matthew Spivy, to sustain the innovative human capital work that was begun in ECISD four years ago,” Sorola said.
