Category: Uncategorized

A number of years ago an article in the American School Board Journal labeled the superintendency as “the toughest job in America” (Carr, 2003).  Is that true?  At times it can be and since the article changes in accountability, state and federal regulation, state funding, and the recognition of social and emotional issues (vaping, school violence, bullying…etc.) have made the position even more challenging.  Why is the superintendency so tough, and what New Year’s resolutions can we put in place to make the job easier in 2020? The job is tough, I believe, because it is highly political.  Specifically, superintendents …

In the center of my living room this morning sits our Christmas tree.  It draws my attention as I see lights blinking, colorful decorations affixed to the branches, and most importantly ornaments made over the years by our children.  It is fun to focus on our children’s handiwork and to realize how powerful this visual reminder is for me as a father. I have come to believe in the power of visual reminders and the impact they have on us as superintendents and as leaders.  Visual reminders stimulate our emotions and often serve as an anchor in our lives bringing …

I was blessed this past week to be invited to attend the AASA Superintendent of the Year Forum in Washington D.C.   It was an amazing opportunity to learn from some of the nation’s best superintendents in addition to a number of high quality presenters providing information on topics from school finance to promoting equity in our schools.  In this week’s post I am outlining 10 takeaways I gleaned from this informative event. 1.  The difference between the top funded state based upon estimated per student state and local funding, after adjusting for cost of living, poverty and other factors and …

Intriguing question…  Leaders face many challenges over the course of their career, but I believe there is one which is common to us all.  Further, I believe this challenge can go unnoticed and has the potential to rob us of our true potential.  So, what is this challenge?  Let’s take a look in today’s post. I believe your greatest leadership challenge is yourself!  More specifically, it’s your thoughts.  Superintendents often face conflict, shifting politics, and complex issues which can lead one to constantly be on alert and consumed in thought.  In the back of our minds we are continually thinking …

Disciplines, in this context, are habits or patterns of behavior.  As such they require conscious effort to develop and maintain, but normally become easier once part of our daily actions.  Today’s post focuses on 3 disciplines which we typically know and understand, but often have trouble mastering.  Although there are numerous disciplines which district leaders might individually focus upon, I believe these three can produce a high impact for those willing to put in the effort.   Are You Listening, or Just Waiting to Speak? I think it is natural for our minds to prepare a response when listening to someone, …

In most states the legislature will start their session sometime in January.  Thus, as superintendent, you have about three months left to make sure your legislators know your district and understand the unique challenges you face.  We work in a time period when legislative action is evermore polarized and as superintendent you must be prepared to defend your district from legislation which may have a negative impact on your school community. I believe boards are increasingly expecting superintendents to be involved in the legislative process; therefore to be viewed as effective we must be informed and knowledgeable.  As this is …

I remember while completing my doctorate we studied the “Johari Window”, which is a tool designed to help us understand how we are perceived by others.  The tool, which is broken into quadrants, points out there are portions of our life which we know and understand, but others do too.  We also have parts of our life which we know, but is unseen to others.  Finally, we all have “blind spots”; areas where others know things about us, but we are unaware of what they see.  Is there a way for us to gain insight into these blind spots for …

I was asked recently “What do you do when a board member shouts others down, or rolls their eyes when someone is speaking, or displays other destructive behaviors?”  I indicated that situations like this can be challenging, but must be handled quickly as they can divide your board.  As superintendent you may feel you are in the middle, attempting to stay neutral, yet trying figure out how to respond. Hopefully you have not experienced this type of behavior on your board, but you should be prepared as it can happen when people get frustrated or when new personalities join the …

What is one of the first things superintendents should discuss with their board members?  Interestingly, it is how to handle complaints and concerns.  Complaints and concerns literally start on day one, therefore, as superintendents, we must prepare our board members for this challenge.  I am not saying that board members deal with constant haranguing from the community or staff members, but I guarantee you the sharing of complaints and concerns is common place today.  As this is the case, the logical question is how can we teach board members handle these situations appropriately?  The answer lies in providing board members …

The summer series focus this year explores the challenge of navigating the superintendent/school board relationship.  Over the course of the next few blog posts we will dive into this topic and look at tools and techniques to manage this vital and ever evolving dynamic.  It is the superintendent/school board relationship which makes or breaks us in our role.  It changes with each tough decision we make in which the board must support us, and also every time a new board member is elected.  To get started, let’s begin by discussing the “leading” v. “doing” dilemma.  Observing school boards operate over …