Tales of a Minority Administrator
Increasing administrative diversity is fundamentally beneficial to the district, students, and community. It can also address student diversity and, perhaps, the achievement gap. Ethnicity can only enhance leadership skills and contributions to the well-being of a school community. These leadership qualities will enable minority administrators to succeed in predominantly Caucasian schools.
August 2009
On-the-Job Training for Administrators
Very little can prepare you for the rigors of becoming a school leader. But if veteran administrators and school board members can exercise empathy, patience, and understanding while providing guidance in a positive mentoring environment, a new administrator can be successful.
August 2009
Your First 90 Days on the School Board
Just how do you ‘hit the ground running’ and become as effective a school board member as you can, as quickly as you can? You can make a good start in your first 90 days. That’s when you lay the groundwork for effective board tenure
August 2009
Hire a Change Agent; Prepare for Change
“We want a superintendent who can think out of the box.” Usually, this phrase means that people want change, they want a leader that will produce it, and they will buy into the new vision and march forward. Not exactly. The only person who likes change is a wet baby.
March 2009
Tips for Evaluating Your Superintendent
Accountability is education’s watchword. Charts, graphs, comparables, power standards, and key indicators assess the performance of schools, students, and programs. But what about the superintendent’s performance? Can leadership be reduced to a set of numbers? Certainly, superintendents are accountable. The question is, “For what?”
March 2009
Rebounding from Leadership Crisis
The rule of democracy makes it possible for any candidate, despite personal political agendas, to secure the influential role of a school trustee. In most cases, a vigorous public process keeps the system in check, but in some situations the emergence of special interest “activist” boards can devastate a community.
March 2009
The Benefits of Alternative Licensing
Well-designed alternative licensing programs can offer a strong support structure. With careful planning, the training can be much more potent than most district induction programs. In addition, programs such as these can be used to recruit specific groups of teachers – such as more male teachers or more math teachers – into the profession.
December 2008
A Healthy Partnership
A board can help keep the board-superintendent relationship healthy by making a strong commitment to ongoing management of the relationship with their superintendent, and by reaching agreement with their superintendent on the ingredients of an effective communication strategy. High-impact school boards take responsibility for maintaining productive partnerships with their superintendents.
September 2008
An Interview with Daniel Domenech
Former Fairfax County (Va.) Schools Superintendent Daniel Domenech returns to Washington, D.C., as the new executive director of the nation's largest superintendents association. Known for his hands-on style, Domenech wants to have a bigger seat at the table as Congress continues its work on the revision of No Child Left Behind.
August 2008
Growing the Next Generation of Administrators
Due to the leadership shortage school districts are facing, succession planning is more critical than ever. It involves a proactive process of systematically identifying, developing, retaining, and promoting people with high potential to ensure leadership continuity in key positions. "Growing your own" can save considerable time and money in the long run.
August 2008
Taking Risks for Reform
When ASBJ asked education consultant Deborah Meier to name some failed and successful school reforms of the past three decades, she e-mailed back this short reply: "In fact, the successes have also been the failures." Let's take a look at what has worked, what hasn't, and why.
August 2008
Doing Your Superintendent's Performance Evaluation Right
School boards around the country have taken very practical steps to ensure that the very precious, high-stakes--but oh, so fragile--working relationship with the superintendent remains close, positive, productive, and enduring. Easily the most important step is implementing a well-designed and executed process for evaluating superintendent performance.
July 2008
Crafting a Contract with Your New Superintendent
Superintendent contracts often are much more than a legal document that specifies employment terms. In most cases, they are a symbol of the desired relationship between the board and superintendent, and they are very local in nature.
July 2008
How Can You Support New Principals?
Diversity, reform initiatives, accountability demands, scarce resources, and other changes have put more demands on the principal than ever. We also know that principals are important to the academic success of our students and our schools. But how can we help our principals if we don't support them?
June 2008
Rudy Crew's Lessons Learned From the Miami School Chief
An interview with Miami-Dade County Public Schools' superintendent Rudy Crews, 2008 National Superintendent of the Year.
May 2008
Time Management for Administrators
A principal can enter the building with a set schedule that completely changes before the first cup of coffee is poured. How you manage the day's demands and constraints ultimately will determine your success in the workplace. How can you juggle all of these demands successfully? The answer, in a word, is simple. It's called planning.
March 2008
Newsmaker: Retiring AASA Chief Paul Houston
Paul Houston started his education career as a "wayward English major," became a principal by age 25, and hasn't looked back much since. But, on the eve of his final conference as executive director of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), Houston took some time to reflect on his 40-plus year career in education and the organization he has served since 1994.
February 2008
Preparing New School Administrators for Success
Today's school leaders face increased demands to raise the academic bar while closing the achievement gap. There is a greater focus on more collaborative leadership, more demands for community involvement, and a greater need for data-driven decision making and the use of technology. Montgomery County Public Schools' Leadership Development Program for new middle and high school assistant principals provides leaders with the tools to meet these challenges.
February 2008
Finding and Keeping School Adminstrators
Once they realized that the best way to find and keep qualified building-level administrators was to grow them themselves, the Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES created their Leadership Institute with four goals in mind: identify entry-level school leaders from educators within their schools and region; give candidates a chance to learn about educational leadership; offer them incentives to pursue graduate programs for administration certification; and provide them with paid internships.
February 2008
Finding New School Employees in Cyberspace
The latest recruitment tools on the Web can help you automate initial contacts with prospective employees, find "A" list candidates, and much, much more.
December 2007
My 'Book Buddy'
Tutoring a kindergartener in reading teaches a superintendent some valuable lessons.
November 2007
Proficiency for All?
A superintendent reflects on how he learned to stop complaining and love NCLB.
November 2007
Resisters in Our Midst
Dealing with reform saboteurs
October 2007
Leadership and Learning
As superintendents are being asked to take more responsibility for improving academic achievement, what is necessary to be successful?
September 2007
Newsmaker: Paul Vallas
During a wide-ranging interview with Associate Editor Joetta Sack-Min, Paul Vallas discusses the end of his tenure in Philadelphia, what it was like to work under political “master” Richard Daley in Chicago, and the opportunities to make a difference as New Orleans continues its struggle to recover from Hurricane Katrina.
August 2007
The Catalyst
As school board members, your performance sets the tone and, ultimately, the public's perception of your district.
August 2007
Gathering Intelligence
New board members and administrators must have the right information and know how to use it.
August 2007
Make Me a Match
Search consultants can help school boards delve more deeply into the talent pool for school leaders.
August 2007
The Search for Character
What are you looking for in a superintendent? Your ultimate action can sometimes uncover your motives.
August 2007
Anything But Ordinary
Principals can’t be taught humility, compassion, or concern for others. These things simply emerge as they come face to face with the reality of their students’ lives. At times, the sad stories involving many of my students raged on in my mind like a ceaseless battle. Once cannot hear them and remain unchanged.
July 2007
Where We Teach
If a sizable number of teachers in America’s urban schools question whether their students can succeed—no matter how good the instruction—what does that tell you? That these teachers are burned out? That their expectations for children are shamefully low? Or are they simply reporting the harsh reality of what it means to teach in a big-city school serving a largely poor, at-risk population? A new survey examines how urban teachers and administrators feel about their students’ chances for success.
June 2007
Newsmaker: Krista Parent
When Krista Parent started teaching 23 years ago in Cottage Grove, Ore., she didn't think she would spend her entire career in the South Lane School District. And during a grueling period that saw five superintendents in 20 months and a board member sue the district, Parent didn't believe the top job was for her. Today, there’s no question about who is in charge. In March, Parent was named National Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators.
May 2007
A Chance for Change
The great irony of our time is that the brutal reality of poor instruction is seldom addressed or even mentioned at school board meetings. It isn’t written about in the education section of newspapers or honestly discussed at faculty or central office meetings. It works silently to cripple every well-meant improvement initiative. There is a fairly simple way out. We can turn the tide immediately by instituting the most effective, widely recognized structure for guaranteeing effective teaching and coherent curriculum: professional learning communities.
April 2007
A Dynamic Duo
An increase in the student population is the reason most cited for initiating a co-principalship. Parents, teachers, and community members expect to be able to talk to the principal, see a lead administrator at extracurricular activities, and have someone available in the building when important issues arise. As the student population increases, the principal’s role just becomes too much for one person. Why not consider two?
April 2007
Practitioners and Practice
Comedian Paul Reiser has a routine in which he explores Americans’ inordinate faith in "them" and what "they" say. There is an ill-founded assumption in public schools that some people somewhere else—"they"—are sorting out the big issues while the administrators and practitioners tend to the daily business of running schools. Yet, the absence of strategic thinking is hindering the breakthrough solutions and innovations that are necessary for public schools to remain viable.
March 2007
The Compassionate Leader
With all the recent research and discussion about competency, change leadership, communities of learning, commitment, and collaboration, we must not ignore a leader's need for the essential ingredient: compassion. In our push for academic excellence, we must not take the heart and soul out of our schools.
March 2007
What I Wish I Had Known
After almost 20 years as a superintendent, I was tired and looking for a new challenge. So, I took early retirement and an assistant professor’s job at a private, urban university, in charge of a graduate program for teachers. I thought I had a lot to teach others, but it turned out I had much more to learn.
March 2007
Look Back, Look Ahead
To ensure a smooth transition in leadership, boards should take time to study where the district has been—and where it hopes to go. One way to avoid making the wrong choice is by commissioning what's known as a transition case study—a timely and focused look at where the district has been in the past decade and where it hopes to be going.
March 2007
Mastering Online Education
The number of online programs at postsecondary schools has exploded in the past few years, with enrollment reaching 2.35 million nationwide. Today, almost two-thirds of colleges and universities that offer face-to-face courses also are providing graduate courses online. More teachers and administrators are taking courses via the Internet. But do these advanced courses give them what they need to succeed?
March 2007
A Precious But Fragile Bond
What is at the very top of the list of factors that influence the educational and administrative performance of every school district? The answer is simple. It’s the most precious but always-fragile professional marriage between the school board and its chief executive officer, the superintendent. When this precious bond is allowed to become badly frayed, your school system is in for real trouble. The cost of a ruptured board-superintendent partnership can be awesome.
March 2007
The Tech-Savvy Leader
In school districts, you must be a quick study, watch changing and evolving trends, and have a clearly defined picture of success to be at the top of your game. Here are lists of Edtech Leaders to Watch, Top-Ranked Digital School Boards, Top Tech Tools, and Most Helpful School Technology Reading Materials to help.
February 2007
Who Evaluates Whom?
Employee evaluation is one of a school administrator’s most important jobs. Evaluations put employees on notice that they are accountable for their work, and establishing an effective evaluation system is one way public school leaders demonstrate accountability to the public. In the era of No Child Left Behind, high-stakes testing, and requirements for highly qualified personnel, documenting how employees perform is increasingly necessary. This three-part performance appraisal system is clear, comprehensive, and consistent.
December 2006
Breaking the Hiring Barrier
Qualified minority candidates are out there—why aren’t they hired as superintendents? There are African-Americans in the pipeline, but while white candidates can take positions in both white and minority districts, the reality is that African-American candidates are rarely considered for positions in nonminority districts.
June 2006
Overlooked Leaders
Women constitute the other half of the talent pool, so why aren’t they better represented in the superintendency? Sad to say, gender, racial, and ethnic bias are alive and well in America. What does all this mean for school boards? We believe the most important lesson is to recognize that the issue is a matter of social justice. Board members should learn how to recognize policies and practices that are gender biased and should remove or change them.
June 2006
Links in the Chain
The problem of board members becoming inappropriately involved in matters best handled elsewhere is not limited to a particular size or type of district. It’s a temptation for board members everywhere. Your role as a school board member is always clouded by the emotional needs of the people around you. The public views you as its elected official and partner in solving problems.
May 2006
Working Together
It goes without saying that a good working relationship between the school board and the superintendent is key to a school district’s success. But does your district or state have policies that outline how to achieve that, and have you taken the steps to make those policies work? Connecticut’s board-superintendent governance statement provides a road map for success.
May 2006
Shaping School District Culture
School districts don’t have to adopt the "duck and cover" model for school change. It is possible to create a district culture in which continuous improvement and meaningful change can occur. The five keys to unlocking this kind of culture are: create a trusting environment; establish a shared vision; create a collaborative culture; expect high expectations; and imbed continuous improvement and support.
March 2006
Helping New Teachers and Principals
As all of us in the education community are painfully aware, the attrition rates of new teachers and principals are higher than those of any other profession—a sad trend considering most of these young educators enter the profession brimming with passion, optimism, and a desire to serve. Camden, N.J. is successfully tackling this issue by building an environment in which students excel, teachers inspire, and the community connects.
September 2005
Assessing School Leaders
When I was appointed to a vacant seat on my school board, I had visions of grandeur. In short, I walked into the job with the confidence voiced by the Spartan general Leonidas at Thermopylae: They have the numbers; we, the heights. Like Leonidas, my vision evaporated at the second board meeting, when I was required to assess the superintendent's performance.
October 2005
Management Matters
What is the superintendent's primary role? Ask school board members, and most will say it is leadership. Few will cite management as the primary responsibility. We want our superintendents to be visionary leaders, but chances for reform are slim if they're not good managers, too.
October 2005
According to Plan
“Nail down what the board expects from you in the first year—and get it in writing.” That was the advice I was given when I became superintendent. But what the board said it wanted had little to do with the strategic plan that had been in place for six years. The solution was to transform the plan into a practical document that reflected both short-term goals and our vision for the future. Here’s the story of how we did it.
August 2005
Climate Control
Little research has been published on the link between teacher morale and student achievement; the two major studies—one from the United States and one from Britain—were released decades ago. Common sense tells you, however, that supported and contented teachers will do a better job than their dissatisfied colleagues. Here are 10 things you can do to make your schools great places to work.
June 2005
The Big Paycheck
The Executive Educator's Guide to superintendent salaries and compensation. Imagine this scenario: Your board is looking to hire a dynamic, accomplished superintendent to lead your district. But in trying to balance the demands of the marketplace with the expectations of your staff and community, you know it will be tough to meet the superintendent’s salary and compensation demands. Does this sound familiar? The answer is probably yes.
February 2005
Career Chargers
Educators talk a lot about continuing education for teachers these days, and rightly so. But what about superintendents? Where do the people who are most directly responsible for the district's success get the kind of ongoing professional development and renewal they need? Professional development, renewal, networking—call it what you will, but superintendents need it, too.
November 2004
A Sense Of Purpose
Professional development can give superintendents an opportunity for reflection and renewal. With a superintendent shortage looming in many states, higher education institutions and other agencies now are offering programs that are tailored to the long-term development of district executives.
November 2004
Learning and Leading
School administrators must design and monitor professional development for teachers and other staff members in the district. But often it is difficult for administrators and building-level leaders to find meaningful activities that contribute to their own learning—and time to pursue them.Self-directed learning is the hallmark of this leadership program.
November 2004
Supporting School Leaders
We hear a great deal these days about the high rate of teacher turnover. Less well publicized is the anticipated shortage of school administrators. Recruiting, hiring, and—most important—retaining the best leaders seem to be constant tasks for school boards. Providing mentoring for new administrators can make the difference. Mentor programs for novice administrators help school leaders do a better job—and stay in their positions longer.
August 2004
The Human Touch
More schools are turning to new communications technology to reach parents and taxpayers—often replacing more personal and traditional communications techniques in the process. But schools need to begin asking, “When it comes to communications, is new always better?” What today’s new communications methods seem to offer in ease and efficiency, they often lack in the human touch essential to good relationship building.
February 2004
Little Things Mean a Lot
All too often, communication between parents and schools is already difficult. It usually occurs on negative ground, and school officials frequently play an essential, but often thankless, role of being the dispensers of bad news. Schools should make every effort to contact parents with good news in as many contexts as possible. Parents will perceive that the school is fair and that administrators do recognize good things when they happen.
February 2004
The Trouble with Pay for Performance
Merit pay for school administrators? Most educators are either for it or against it—few take a neutral stance. People might accept the theory behind pay for performance, but when it comes to implementing such a plan, a line is usually drawn in the sand. On one side are school board members and superintendents, and on the other are rank-and-file administrators and supervisors.
November 2003
Burned Out
For school administrators, stress and frustration can spell the end of a career. Burnout is an accumulation of things that start to snowball, leaving you with a growing feeling of helplessness, a fear that the tasks are insurmountable. You believe that no matter what happens, you can't win. Burnout is a growing problem for school-level and central office administrators. Ultimately, it's a problem for school boards, who must fill positions that become empty when a burnout victim leaves to start over—in another district or another career.
April 2003
Winging It
Ask school boards what they want in a superintendent, and they’ll inevitably say they’re looking for someone who is good at planning. Our firm helps many school boards in their search for a school leader, and we often hear board members say, “We want a superintendent who can implement our strategic plans and get results.” We seldom hear anyone say, “We want a person who can improvise.” And that’s too bad. Like jazz musicians, the best school leaders can improvise with skill.
February 2003
Letters You Shouldn’t Send
As readers of the late, great Executive Educator magazine know, Nicolo Machiavelli was my ancestor. But it is not widely known he had principals—and, by extension, other school administrators—in mind when he composed The Prince. “Prince” was originally “Principal,” but it got changed over the years. You know, like Shakespeare. When I was a principal, I knew there were a few bad people out there. I moved swiftly and decisively against those who were not only my enemies but the enemies of the students.
February 2003