A successful superintendent must balance the desires of the community, the school board, administrators, school faculty and staff--all while doing what is best for the students. This book, a study based upon the careers of two popular and effective superintendents, explores these intricately related roles, ones which must be played to perfection to be effective. The authors define characteristics of strong leadership--political, educational, and managerial--and discuss the theory implicit in practical decision-making. A highly readable book which offers useful strategies drawn from real-life situations, this is a must-read for any superintendent hoping to improve their effectiveness.
This comprehensive how-to guide for aspiring and new superintendents provides examples and covers the full range of topics from preparation through strategic planning.
This book provides guidelines to Boards of Education and the members of communities to conduct a high-quality, research-based evaluation of their school superintendent. It also includes examples of contemporary practices of evaluating superintendents practiced across the United States. In exploring the important issue of evaluation for the superintendent the complexities and aspects of the process that make it unique are highlighted. Issues addressed include: Existing state policies that require/govern superintendent evaluations & their impact on practice Evaluation models that should be considered for evaluating superintendents The consequences of not having a clear set of policies/procedures Determining the major roles and responsibilities upon which the superintendent's evaluation should be based Documenting the superintendent’s job performance The policy, procedures, and training required for board members to successfully implement a superintendent evaluation system The evaluation process proposed ensures fairness to the superintendent as well as providing accountability to the school district and community. The focus of all evaluations should be on improved performance. Evaluation is a means to an end. The ultimate purpose of superintendent evaluation is improving individual performance in order to ensure quality services and programs to students.
"The goals and challenges for district leaders are constantly changing. Leadership and governance are only parts of the puzzle when other elements such as the NCLB legislation, budgets, standards and assessment, changing demographics, and public engagement are brought into the picture. Today's superintendent needs an effective tool to help steer the school district to success. Drawing on the experiences of nearly 200 superintendents over the past ten years, The Superintendent's Fieldbook offers guidance that can be referenced again and again. Written for current and future superintendents, principals, school board members and teachers, this valuable guide is divided into nine sections--each offering ideas to implement, practical lessons, exercises, and questions for reflective practice. The authors identify seven key "commonplaces" of the successful modern superintendent including: Leading within a governance structure; Understanding and addressing standards and assessment; Considering race, class, and the achievement gap; Developing your schools' principals from building managers to leaders of learning; Exploring collaborations with agencies of government and organizational allies; Engaging your community to construct a shared vision of the future. Vignettes describing real events and situations will help you connect lessons learned to your own district experiences, and help you and your district thrive in the rapidly changing world of education." -- Publisher.
"The authors fill a gap in the literature by providing a practical, experience-based look at how superintendents should approach the most important relationship in their professional lives. Working effectively with school boards is what it is all about, and this book shows you how." -Paul D. Houston, Executive Director, American Association of School Administrators "This book provides practical insights and useful ideas to help district leaders who are serious about keeping the educational interest of children first among their priorities." -Pedro A. Noguera, Professor, New York University "Clearly lays out the important role the superintendent has in leading the district in partnership with the board of education. This book is well worth the time of every current and aspiring superintendent and school board member!" -Anne Bryant, Executive Director, National School Boards Association "This book is a useful tool in building district governance teams. The authors′ collective wisdom provides valuable insight for superintendents and school board members." -Luan B. Rivera, President, California State Boards Association "A wonderful, clear, and jargon-free primer on how to be a successful superintendent. This book is must reading for superintendents and a real plus for school boards." -Dede Alpert, Former California State Senator, Former Member, California State Assembly "An outstanding fieldbook for those interested in down-to-earth strategies for navigating the complexities of providing leadership in school districts." -General Davie, Jr., Retired Superintendent of Schools Foster a strong superintendent-school board relationship centered on quality teaching and learning! Effective Superintendent-School Board Practices helps current and future superintendents and school board members develop an effective governance team that prioritizes quality teaching and learning. Designed for practicing and aspiring superintendents and school board members, this exceptional book relates the everyday experiences and challenges faced by this important district team. Combining 84 years of service as superintendents in urban, rural, and suburban school districts, the authors offer: Real-life vignettes that highlight problems, successes, key points, and useful practices Indispensable information on building relationships, creating a team, managing conflict, and staying focused on the mission and priorities of the district Reflective practice questions and self-assessments throughout This rich resource offers knowledge, skills, and strategies to teach and inspire current and future leaders, based on the experiences of practitioners who have learned what works and what doesn′t, leaving valuable time to focus on student achievement.
"I do not believe I have ever seen a guide that is so practical and current. I particularly liked the advice on communications, celebrations, board relationships, and community involvement. Those are the kinds of interpersonal gestures and activities that go beyond just following a checklist and are critical to the success of new and experienced superintendents." —Brenda S. Dietrich, Superintendent Auburn-Washburn School District, Topeka, KS A practical planning tool with concrete tasks and tips for new or experienced superintendents! Written by seven outstanding superintendents, this reflective calendar and planning journal helps superintendents address day-to-day concerns while keeping student achievement in perspective throughout the year. The authors give administrators a structured, goal-oriented look at the work ahead and highlight opportunities for organizational leadership. Practical and hands-on, this planner takes superintendents from July through June and provides checklists, activities, and templates to foster responsibility, efficiency, and effectiveness. The authors present issues for reflection and action that include: Maintaining effective communication Monitoring program, curriculum, and achievement objectives Building relationships within the educational community Developing the budget Coaching and mentoring Planning ahead, establishing new goals, and facing unexpected events and challenges The Superintendent′s Planner offers beginning and veteran district leaders a fresh perspective and invaluable support for an increasingly complex and demanding role.
Award-winning superintendents detail proven best practices covering transformational leadership, community building and outreach, responding to change, and developing strategies for effective school reform.
In 1987, Jacqueline Danzberger described school boards as the forgotten players. However, things have changed drastically for school boards over the past few years. No longer are school boards the forgotten players in school governance. Instead, school boards often find themselves in the center of controversies stemming from the intrusion of political partisanship into local governance structures which historically, and for the purposes of sustained democratic educational governance, were intentionally intended to be non-partisan elected boards. However, this is where many school boards find themselves today. The chapters in this volume address several key questions school board members are currently facing as they struggle to protect some of our country’s earliest guardrails of democracy; local control of schools. To be sure, school boards are no longer the forgotten players. Implications of this may be wide reaching and therefore deserve room in the current literature on educational governance. Volume II of the Research on the Superintendency series highlights recent research on school boards, local control, governance, and the superintendency. Each chapter is briefly described and the chapters are in a particular order that readers may wish to pay attention to as they enjoy the book. The first three chapters deal with local control in both rural and urban settings. The next two chapters are studies focused mainly on school boards and how their roles have shifted over the years followed by a chapter on the relationship between school boards and their superintendents within a regulatory environment and the level of stress it can bring to board members and superintendents. The final five chapters describe recent superintendent research that is closely linked to school governance or school board policies. We ask readers to juxtapose lessons learned in those five chapters to the role of school boards within the context of those chapters.
The Collaborative Efforts Action Group of the Urban Superintendents' Network moved from an examination of the roles of schools, businesses, and community agencies in improving the quality of education in America to promoting the creation of comprehensive collaboratives that can strengthen family and community life. This report shares what superintendents have learned about collaboration. Strategies for developing the united front necessary for viable comprehensive collaborations are described in the following sections: (1) Introduction: The Spirit of Collaboration; (2) Building on Partnerships; (3) Key Collaborative Players; (4) Characteristics of Successful Collaboratives; (5) Measuring Success; and (6) Shaping Collaboratives for the Future. The superintendents urge colleagues in the nation's cities to explore the possibilities, broaden their perspectives, and lower bureaucratic barriers that inhibit children from reaching their full competence. Included are a 53-item list of references and a 37-item list of selected school-community partnerships in 24 cities. (SLD)
