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I was talking to someone this week who was telling me about nasty social media posts (Facebook and Twitter) which were being written by parents and community members related to school boundary changes in their district.  The superintendent was being vilified over the issue, which had to be addressed to balance the size of the district’s schools.  Some of the comments and questions were appropriate, but many were designed to tear down the superintendent rather than address the issue at hand.  Unfortunately, this is becoming common place in the open forum of social media.  To combat this issue here are …

As superintendents we are faced with having tough conversations on a frequent basis.  The reality is we operate in a political context and serve varying constituencies which rarely agree.    So, the question is how do we succeed in this environment?  Also, what techniques can we use to make the inevitable tough conversation easier? First, we must recognize that tough conversations are typically borne out of conflicting ideas, perceptions, conclusions or behaviors.  It may be that a party does not agree with a decision, or wants you to pursue a certain goal, or is mad at someone and wants you to …

We are all hiring principals, assistant principals and other administrators this time of year.  The individuals selected need to learn not only the nuances of their positions, but also how to successfully navigate a new context.  One of the biggest deficits I have seen with incoming administrators is how they approach the change process, so let’s focus on that issue for today. Most have great new ideas and some want to implement them immediately, without much reflection, planning, or collaboration.  At times they hit a home run with a hastily approached change effort, but more often than not they strike …

Quick note before we start today’s blog.  Congratulations to the winners of the “summer series” book giveaway contest!  Each will receive a free copy of Accelerated Wisdom:  50 Practical Insights for Today’s Superintendent.  Our winners were Katherine Greenich, Superintendent of the Knox County Career Center Schools located in Mount Vernon, OH and Dr. Andrea Kane, Superintendent of the Queen Anne’s County Public Schools in Centreville, MD. In response to my request for “summer series” topics one of our colleagues, Cheryl Jordan, Superintendent of Milpitas Unified School District (Milpitas, CA), posed a question regarding how to coach our cabinet team members …

Prior to getting into today’s blog, I would like to ask for your help.  I want to do a summer series of posts addressing issues of interest to you. If you send me an idea at hcarlsonthesupt@gmail.com, I will enter you into a contest to win a FREE copy of my latest book, “Accelerated WIsdom:  50 Practical Ideas for Today’s Superintendent.”  The FREE books will go to the 5th and 50th person to send me an email with a blog post idea.  If you have an idea please send it by May 10. Ok, now let’s take a look at today’s …

Is your superintendent/cabinet team designed to take action?  Most teams meet on a weekly basis to address issues of concern, review board presentations, consider policy revisions, or to share department updates.  The question is how do you move your team from being discussion oriented to action focused? Author David Allen in his book Getting Things Done:  The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (2015), provides what he calls Core Tips for becoming more organized and effective.  Although Allen’s concepts are designed for individuals, I have adapted his thoughts to be used with the superintendent/cabinet team. To guide your team toward an action …

Focus is difficult.   As superintendents we are pulled multiple directions by a diverse set of constituents.  We know this to be true as individual leaders, but it is also true for the superintendent/cabinet team.  Our teams need methods to stay on track, and the goal of this three part series is to assist your group with some helpful tools to accomplish that task. One way to help the superintendent/cabinet team maintain focus, and prevent key items from falling off our plate, is to develop and maintain an “Organizational Checklist” (click on the “Free Resources!” tab on the blog page and …

I remember a time many years ago when interviewing candidates for a football coaching position we asked “what type of offense do you plan to run?”  The goal behind the question was to hear whether the candidate would speak to a predefined approach, or whether he would indicate that it was dependent upon the abilities of the student athletes on the team.  We were looking for the latter concept.  Leadership and decision making are always situational, meaning the specific scenario we face dictates how we should proceed.  What works in one district might not be successful in another.  Similarly, the …

An item I have written on in the past, both in my books and through AASA’s School Administrator magazine, relates to the concept of equal versus equitable treatment of board members. I have come to believe this is one of the most important issues superintendents can consider as it will have a major impact on superintendent/board relationships. Let me give you a scenario. You have a five member board, which includes a diverse set of members in terms of their jobs, lifestyles and activities. Sound familiar? Among your board members you have a retiree with time on their hands and …

I have been attending the AASA National Conference on Education (NCE) in Los Angeles this week and had the opportunity to talk to lots of people! Here is a bit of what I learned: -“Go to your board members kids’ events as this builds relationships and enhances their view of your visibility” (Shawn Cook, 2019 Arkansas Superintendent of the Year, Lakeside School District, Arkansas) -“Public education is the only profession in the world that influences the future everyday and AASA provides the network necessary to help leaders engage and collaborate to safely check their ideas.” (Kristi Sandvik, Superintendent, Buckeye Elementary …