>> My name is Ruben Mills.
I'm the chief executive officer at
New Media Technology Charter School
which is based here in Philadelphia.
So we're 6th through 12, middle
school and high school combination.
We focus on technology, culture, arts
and this year we'll be introducing stem
technology to further our approach.
Because I really enjoy the work that I do,
I work with children each day even there's a
principal on site and two assistant principals.
My job is to focus on instruction, make
sure that our governance is running the way
that it should, that operationally
we're a strong program,
financially that we're strong also.
So it's all about paying the
bills, keeping the lights on,
fundraising, so it varies from day to day.
So when I'm not at the school, I'm at places
like Temple University reaching out to folks
in the college of education
or the college of engineering
to bring tutors and mentors on campus.
I do a lot of fundraising also, networking
with various foundations, writing grants,
and just seeing how many different types of
resources we can bring to the school campus.
So we're a public charter school and we take
students from seven or eight different zip codes
across the city, so my students
come from all over the place.
I have some feeder elementary schools
that feed into my middle school,
and that means we have a very strong
relationship and bond with those principals
to make sure that once those students come
to New Media Technology, they're safe,
they're getting the right education, and
that we are continuing to secure the charter.
Again, we are a public charter school.
We fall under the school district of
Philadelphia, so we abide by the guidelines
of the school district of
Philadelphia but we get
to do things a little bit more
differently and more creatively.
So chief executive officer is at
the very top of the administrative.
I report directly to the board.
And even though I foresee the
school transitioning and changing,
I would like to add more schools to our
portfolio, so right now I'm looking at funding,
talking to the school district about
renewing the charter and in the renewal
of the charter I hope to expand
to more campuses across the city.
So I will continue to be
the chief executive officer.