EDLD 5399
Week Two:
Review of Competencies
Lisa Ferguson
Competency 1 Area:
The superintendent knows how to act
with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner in order to promote the
success of all students.
Activity List:
- Meet with a group
of staff members to discuss perspectives of ethical/unethical behaviors of
certified personnel in the district.
Seek recommendations for policy changes, additional training, or
consequences to ensure practices are ethical.
- Invite relevant constituents and lead the
group to find consensus on the development of a district vision
statement.
- Develop the following interpersonal
skills: *Accepts
criticism *Avoids being
defensive when challenged
I have had
the opportunity to work with several superintendents throughout my career. Seymour Community School Corporation has
transitioned through four superintendents in the past year. Access to the different leadership styles has
led me to believe that one of the main purposes of the vision and mission statements
is to sustain a district through such transitions. Seymour Community School Corporation
participates in AdvancEd Accreditation.
Part of this process calls for school districts to develop a vision
statement and a mission statement. These
statements, at Seymour, are put together by a steering committee. This committee is comprised of a variety of
stakeholders. The steering committee
does the preliminary development of the statements. Once a working copy is available, it is put
before all stakeholder groups for input and feedback. I am in charge of leading this work for our
district. To thoroughly complete each
aspect of the statement development, I have learned takes time. It also takes a commitment from
stakeholders. So far we have been meeting
and speaking with stakeholders throughout the district. Beginning the fall of 2013, I held individual
meetings to discuss this topic with teachers, bus drivers, parents, students,
aides, food service, custodians, nurses, and administrators. I was surprised by the reactions of various
stakeholders. Some of them just want you
to do it and then tell them about it.
Others are quite passionate and struggle over each word in the statements. Skills needed for this process include
discussion facilitation, consensus building, and clear, concise
communication.
As I have
mentioned, our district has transitioned through a variety of superintendents
in the past year. We have also hired
several central office positions. The
leadership style and ethics of those that left our district has come into
question over the past months.
Participating in these leadership activities has given me the
opportunity to join the transition conversations for various departments. In fact, I assisted the superintendent when
he conducted a series of parent meetings.
Parents had expressed to the new superintendent specific concerns about
services and programming provided to their children. Parents were hurting from the actions of
previous administrators and felt their voices had not been heard. The fact that our new superintendent was
willing to meet with them and listen made such a difference to these
stakeholders. The outpouring of emotion
was overwhelming. This was a very
valuable experience. I learned that one
of the most important things a district leader can do is listen and provide
opportunities for stakeholders to provide input.
The last
activity called for personal development.
It has long been a struggle for me to accept criticism. I have been in many situations during my
internship that gave me the opportunity to deal with criticism. One example is school closings and
delays. This winter has been
particularly harsh in Indiana. Schools
have been canceled or delayed to equal approximately 10 days. The superintendent for our district has
included me in this process. I have
learned that you, as superintendent, will take criticism either way in these
situations. There is no right answer. You will have teachers, board members, and
the public question the decisions. My
superintendent shared that as long as he makes the best decision possible with
the information he had available, he is comfortable fielding the onslaught of criticism
that follows. He basically said if he
can sleep with his decision, he is fine.
I must say that I had not given a lot of thought to making this call
until I sat in his chair. I walked away
from the experience with a new appreciation for the impact every decision has
for the superintendent and community.
Competency 2 Area:
The superintendent knows how to shape
district culture by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation,
and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the
educational community.
Activity List:
- Invite relevant
constituents and lead the group to find consensus on the development of a
district vision statement.
- Interview retired educator. Focus on the history of the community
and the school system.
- Examine school library resources that
address the heritage and values of culturally diverse populations.
I met with
Teresa Thompson, a recently retired educator.
She had been the curriculum director for Seymour Community School
Corporation for five years before her retirement. This particular educator was a lifelong Seymour
School Alumni. She graduated from
Seymour and later returned to teach in Seymour.
She served as assistant principal in our middle school for several years
before taking a position as principal for an elementary in our district. She was a wealth of information on the
history of our district and community.
One of the most important things I learned from our time together was
the need to document. Ms. Thompson
emphasized the importance of keeping accurate records. It was her practice to keep logs of meetings
and conversations. She shared numerous
stories to support the benefits derived from this practice. Another thing that Ms. Thompson stated she could
do for a new superintendent was “connect the dots”, as she put it. In a small town everyone knows everyone and
is often related. To navigate the
political landscape effectively, it is important to know how to “connect the
dots”. In her experience, this type of
insight provided the backstory on a particular situation, patron or employee
action. She took great pride in her
ability to do this and her knowledge of the community. Ms. Thompson stated that how something is
presented to your publics is as important as what is presented. She underscored the importance of doing your
“homework” before you dive into initiatives such as building projects,
consolidations, or changes in policy. She
indicated that some great initiatives failed because an administrator was not
attentive to the political landscape and history of our community.
Seymour
Community School Corporation has become a culturally diverse district. This happened rather rapidly. Our district invested in building a support
system to meet the needs of students. We
have trained staff and parents. We hold
culture nights and strive to keep communication open. We have built community and university
partnerships. Through my investigation
as part of my internship activities, we discovered that we have not invested in
materials to support our work. The
library offerings studied did not reflect the cultural diversity of the
school.
As stated
for an earlier competency, I had the opportunity to work with several
superintendents throughout my career.
Seymour Community School Corporation has transitioned through four
superintendents in the past year. Access
to the different leadership styles has led me to believe that one of the main
purposes of the vision and mission statements is to sustain a district through
such transitions. Seymour Community
School Corporation participates in AdvancEd Accreditation. Part of this process calls for school
districts to develop a vision statement and a mission statement. These statements, at Seymour, are put
together by a steering committee. This committee
is comprised of a variety of stakeholders.
The steering committee does the preliminary development of the
statements. Once a working copy is
available, it is put before all stakeholder groups for input and feedback. I am in charge of leading this work for our
district. To thoroughly complete each
aspect of the statement development, I have learned takes time. It also takes a commitment from
stakeholders. So far we have been
meeting and speaking with stakeholders throughout the district. Beginning the fall of 2013, I held individual
meetings to discuss this topic with teachers, bus drivers, parents, students,
aides, food service, custodians, nurses, and administrators. I was surprised by the reactions of various
stakeholders. Some of them just want you
to do it and then tell them about it.
Others are quite passionate and struggle over each word in the
statements. Skills needed for this
process include discussion facilitation, consensus building, and clear, concise
communication.
Competency 3 Area:
The superintendent knows how to
communicate and collaborate with families and community members, respond to
diverse community interests and needs, and mobilize community resources to
ensure educational success for all students.
Activity List:
- Develop the
following interpersonal skills:
*Accepts criticism *Avoids
being defensive when challenged
- Compile a list of social agencies that are
available to help and support students, faculty, and staff
- Administer Advanc-Ed’s general
questionnaire addressing policy, instruction, homework, activities,
discipline and parent involvement.
There are surveys for staff, parents, and community.
- Assist in the administrative side of
negotiations with a teacher union.
Note effective practices in planning and bargaining process.
Participating
in the AdvancEd accreditation process provided an opportunity for me to develop
interpersonal skills. I tend to get so
involved in a project or initiative that it becomes part of me. This makes it very difficult to remain
objective and avoid becoming defensive.
This on-site visit was not an exception.
For the past two years, I devoted myself to the AdvancEd process. I have been living and breathing these
standards. The six year AdvancEd review
of our district took place the first week of January 2014. This visit calls for a five member team to
visit our district, tour our schools, read our reports, and make
recommendations. The process is designed
to provide feedback that highlights the positive practice, cites opportunities
for improvement, and sets some required actions for your district. The final day of the visitation, the
superintendent met with the lead evaluator.
In this meeting, the lead evaluator provides the superintendent with
feedback based on the observations, evidence, survey results, interviews, and
reports. As part of my internship, the
superintendent permitted me to attend this meeting. It was an intense experience. The accreditation of our district hung in the
balance. It was very hard for me to sit
and listen. My investment in our school
district caused me to want to respond to each and every point with a rebuttal
or additional information. I held myself
in check. Our district earned full
accreditation and had high marks on our surveys and classroom
observations. This did not make it any
easier to listen to the various issues and concerns presented in the
meeting. After it was all over, my
discussion with the superintendent helped me identify a possible strategy for
future encounters. Mr. Hooker advised me
to look at the bottom line result for any committee, rating, event, or required
action. He said in this case: accredited or not accredited. We were accredited so any input or suggestion
presented at this meeting would serve to continue our district success. It was a “take it or leave it” type of discussion. Basically, my superintendent asked me to
consider what purpose could be served by becoming defensive in this situation. If the recommendation had been to not
accredit, then we would have to process the information in a different
way. We may have needed to “argue” our
points or provide additional documentation.
While I am rarely a “bottom line” type of person, I can see how using
this filter could save me a lot of grief in the future. I see so many variables and want to defend to
the last item. It was a good lesson for
me.
Another
activity I decided to work on for this competency was to develop a list of
community resources. It was really a
treat to dig in and discover just how many services and opportunities exist in
our county. This activity taught me to
make sure such a resource is developed for any district in which I might work
in the future. In order to efficiently
meet the needs of our students and their families, it is important for school
personnel to know the resources available in the community. Once the resources are identified our staff
can facilitate connections. As an added
step, I am making personal visitations to the service providers on our resource
list. It has been a great way to build a
network of support throughout our community.
Competency 4 Area:
The superintendent knows how to
respond to and influence the larger political, social, economic, legal, and
cultural context, including working with the board of trustees, to achieve the
district's educational vision.
Activity List:
- Identify influential groups and individuals
in the community. Conduct phone
interviews with them to discuss their assessment of the school district’s
issues.
- Compile a list of current issues that
affect teaching and learning.
Research to assess the degree of importance and urgency for each
issue.
- Review board policy and administrative
regulations regarding data collection, assessment and evaluation. Evaluate the degree to which
policy/regulations are being implemented.
- Attend board meetings. Observe process,
events, and outcomes
Working through activities for this competency has involved
initiating membership to influential groups in our community. One such organization is the Jackson County
Education Coalition (JCEC). This is a
group that was formed when a local industry set aside 12 million dollars dedicated
to support initiatives in county schools.
The industry was Cummins Engines.
The JCEC is working with our schools to select areas of focus for the
funding. One program we will implement involves
the expansion of preschool offerings in the public schools. Currently, Seymour Schools has only a special
needs preschool. The plan we are developing
would include preschool offerings open to a wider range of students. Since I joined the group I have been deeply
involved in preparing data for a grant application, working with area industry
leaders, and preparing initial budget projections. I have learned a great deal from this
experience. It has provided a small
glimpse into the amount of meeting time, research, and preparation necessary to
successful launch a new initiative. I
have experience working with school boards but this opportunity has given me
the chance to work with other community boards.
The Jackson County Education Coalition is a branch of the Jackson County
Community Foundation. The Foundation has
a board that oversees operations. I have
been working closely with not only the JCEC Director but also the Director of
the Community Foundation. It has been
such a successful partnership that I have been offered job options with the
Foundation. To say the least, it has
been interesting. Another organization I
have joined in our community is the Chamber of Commerce Education
Committee. This group is comprised of
Chamber business members. The group
meets once per month to work on community initiatives to support community
growth.
The work I’ve been doing with these two organizations dovetails
nicely with the research I am involved in to identify current issues that
affect teaching and learning. The
primary issues identified for our school district involve kindergarten
readiness and quality day care/preschool offerings. We are also deeply involved in developing an
understanding and a plan for the effective use of data to impact instruction.
Another activity involved researching board policy to identify
language regarding data collection, assessment and evaluation. It was discovered that policy existed but had
not been followed in all cases. For
example, the board has not been evaluating the superintendent. The board is in the process of correcting
this by locating an acceptable tool and securing assistance to prepare the
members to execute an evaluation. There
is a policy that called for the board to adopt corporation goals. Last January was the first time SCSC approved
goals. They developed and approved a
list of six goals. Through my work, we
have determined that establishing the goals was a good first step but there is
more work to be done. The goals
established this first round were general.
They were not S.M.A.R.T. goals.
In other words, they were not specific, measurable, attainable,
relevant, and time framed. The agenda
for the January 2014 board meeting recommends we begin to develop our next set
of goals keeping the S.M.A.R.T. goal requirements in mind. Data collection and reporting is difficult
when our goals are not specific or measurable.
The new structure for goals will help us provide relevant, timely
information to stakeholders. I am a
facilitator for a committee that is dedicated to data review, development, and
communication as part of my internship.
We are looking at developing a district scorecard. The scorecard is a communication tool that
organizes our data and reports progress over time.
I am in regular attendance at board meetings. Having had the opportunity to work with a
variety of superintendents, I have seen our board agenda change to reflect the
priorities and communication styles of the superintendent. For example, a former superintendent added a
consent agenda. Before the addition of a
consent agenda, each item was read and approved individually. This same superintendent would absolutely
never change a board agenda once set unless the board initiated the
action. She set a hard deadline for
items to be turned in and that was it.
Our current superintendent added “Consideration of Modifications to the
Agenda and Approval” to the board agenda.
Just after the meeting is underway, the superintendent has the
opportunity to amend the agenda for a “last minute” item. Going to board meetings has given me insight
into how decisions are made in our district.
From my experience, boards are more interested in hearing about athletic
projects than data reports. Our recent
board meetings have seen hours of debate over the location of a soccer field
compared to minutes of discussion about our AdvancEd accreditation. I have learned that superintendent’s have a
difficult job when it comes to setting priorities with boards.
Competency 5 Area:
The superintendent knows how to
facilitate the planning and implementation of strategic plans that enhance
teaching and learning; ensure alignment among curriculum, curriculum resources,
and assessment; use the current accountability system; and promote the use of
varied assessments to measure student performance.
Activity List:
- Lead a project to
develop a strategic plan for increasing student’s literacy skills.
- Research the processes used for curriculum
evaluation in the school/district.
Evaluate time intervals, methods, participation rates of teachers,
students and administrators.
The use of
strategic plans has been missing in our district. As I said in an earlier reflection, we are only
now making headway in establishing S.M.A.R.T. goals for our district. The work we are doing in our district
revolves around initiating discussion to determine why we need to focus on
literacy and then to begin to identify what we need to do to improve literacy. This involves the study of our data and
current practices. For the specific work on this competency, I
focused on Seymour Middle School.
Indiana has an A-F grading system for schools and corporations. Seymour Middle School was rated a D. The area that fell short was English/Language
Arts. This rating means that the school
must engage in State mandated school improvement planning. A team from our middle school, superintendent,
principal, and curriculum director attended a mandatory meeting to learn about
the requirements for schools that receive a D rating. The requirements for the mandated improvement
are extensive. Requirements include a 26
page evaluation of the principal. The
school must plan, develop, and implement a strategic plan to address
deficiencies. I will be working with
this team to develop this plan. It is
due to be turned in on February 1. We
will begin by developing a guiding principle.
In other words, define what it is we are trying to accomplish. What do we want students to know and be able
to do? Answering this question will take
all of us. Individuals can make some
difference but it is when really good teachers work collectively that real
change and impact on achievement is accomplished. This will be our challenge and the specific purpose
of the strategic plan. We must provide a
structure to break down the process, facilitate open, honest discussion,
develop a plan, and then implement this plan with fidelity. I am fortunate that Seymour Community Schools
will have the assistance of an Indiana Outreach Official to assist in our strategic
planning.
I have
established a curriculum council in our school district. This council consists of representatives
from each school/grade/content in our district.
We have been working on mapping our curriculum. Once mapped, our task will be to evaluate
the curriculum. The council is
researching and identifying potential curriculum evaluation tools and process
documents. A takeaway for me from this
activity was a new understanding of the ways in which staff view
curriculum. Since our district had not
worked with curriculum in many years, it was a challenge just to get the ball
rolling to align our curriculum. I have recently
engaged in meetings and discussion to challenge our staff to now begin looking
at the quality and alignment of what they have mapped. Many in our district thought that working on
curriculum was something they could do once and be done. It is has been a challenge to increase their
capacity in order to embrace the long term cycle of developing, implementing,
and evaluating curriculum.
Competency 6 Area:
The superintendent knows how to
advocate, promote, and sustain an instructional program and a district culture
that are conducive to student learning and staff professional growth.
Activity List:
- Meet with a group of student to discuss
school rules and discipline procedures.
- Compile a list of professional
associations, civic organizations, and local, state and federal agencies
that provide expertise and service to the position of superintendent.
- Compile a list of books, publications,
training manuals, district/state publications used or recommended for the
position of superintendent.
- Attend one special education meeting for
initial placement or an annual review.
- List options for student participation the
school offers. Calculate the
percentage of students who belong to one or more groups. Meet with students to discuss why
students belong or why not.
- Meet with a group of students to discuss
the strengths and weaknesses of co-curriculuar activities.
I love to read.
I am always looking for books that provide useful information to help me
become better able to serve our students, staff, and community. Failure is Not an Option, by Alan
Blankenstein is a book that I read several years ago. I also had the opportunity to meet with Mr.
Blankenstein and talk with him over lunch.
I was attending a workshop in Bloomington, Indiana and just happened to
sit down at his table. He autographed
the book for me. The book presents six
principles that create an environment to foster successful, high performing
schools that are sustainable. The book
focuses on common vision, mission, and goals.
It emphasizes the use of data and collaboration. It is a good read for any superintendent
looking at a systems approach to improvement.
One of the things I learned as I was researching
books, publications, and training manuals is the realization that many
superintendents publish lists of books they recommend to stakeholders on their
school website page. I think this is a
very powerful way to focus stakeholders on specific topics. Of the sites I visited, the prevailing themes
for recommendations focused on bully prevention and cultural awareness. I have often included reading lists on my
website and blog for student reading. I
just had never considered adult reading recommendations. I will use this strategy.
I had the opportunity to meet with students in a
variety of settings and grade levels. I
spend so much of my time talking and working with staff and parents that the student
input component sometimes gets less attention.
I had not anticipated students desire to discuss curriculum. Students at SHS shared a desire to see more
activities, clubs, classes, and offerings in the Arts. They were specifically interested in drama
and pursuing classes that would help them find jobs in the entertainment
industry. They mentioned sound board
operation, music production, and editing.
Indiana University has a program that several mentioned. The general feeling from those students with
whom I met was to broaden the scope of our curriculum. I asked the students how they came to be
interested in these types of options.
The student shared that a couple of our elementary schools had offered a
drama club a few years ago and that sparked an interest in this type of
career. Due to cuts in funding, these
clubs no longer operate in the elementary grades.
Competency 7 Area:
The superintendent knows how to
implement a staff evaluation and development system and select appropriate
models for supervision and staff development to improve the performance of all
staff members.
List of Activities:
- Obtain a copy of the superintendent job
description and evaluation instrument.
Analyze the correlation between requirements of the job and
evaluation standards.
- Meet with instructional assistants and
teachers to discuss the evaluation process. Compile a list of strengths and
weaknesses. Discuss the role
staff play in the evaluation
process.
- Using school improvement data, select a
particular curricular need. Gather
information on technology used to support this need. Make a recommendation for expanding the
use of technology to address this need.
- Develop and implement new teacher induction
training for Seymour Community Schools.
I was able
to locate a copy of the superintendent’s job description. I was unable to locate an evaluation tool for
the superintendent. While this made it
impossible for me to analyze any correlations between the two, it started work
in our district to correct this oversight.
Our current superintendent has been speaking with the board to begin to
develop and implement an evaluation process for the superintendent.
Seymour
Community School Corporation has made a commitment to the development of a 1:1
technology initiative. The activities I
planned for this competency led me to work with SCSC’s Director of
Technology. A sub-committee of the
curriculum council was formed to work on technology. We conducted an audit of the school
system. We organized our findings into a
report that was shared with the school board and staff. It was determined that infrastructure and
additional device access was necessary for our staff and students to meet 21st
century expectations.
Throughout
our superintendent training I have made reference to the turnover experienced
in our district. One of the ways we have
tried to minimize the impact of this turnover is through the implementation of
induction programs. Through this
activity I have planned and implemented and induction program for principals
and teachers. My next step is to develop
a staff induction program. The first
course in the Lamar University Superintendent Certification Program introduced
me to the power of a blog. In addition
to the meetings held, new staff members have access to the following blog: http://myfirstyearscsc2013.blogspot.com/
I use this
communication tool to provide additional information and resources to new staff
members. While it is intended for new
teachers, this blog has been provided to all staff. It has experienced a good usage rate and has
been received well. I also established
a You Tube Channel to post video recordings of our induction meetings. Finding a time to host meetings is a challenge
since a great number of our new staff also serve as coaches in our district. The You Tube Channel provides those individuals
assigned coaching duties access to the information. Topics we include on our agenda for induction
include: Student Management System
Guidance, Website Establishment, Professional Development, Federal Program
Information, School Improvement Practices, Wellness Policies, Special
Education, 504 Plans, High Ability Programming, Testing, Data Usage, Data
Warehouse Training, and Safety.
Various directors and principals attend these meetings to discuss these
topics. It helps our staff put names
with faces and begin to build support networks.
Our school resource officer conducts active shooter training with staff to
make sure all understand our safety plans and protocols.
Competency 8 Area:
The superintendent knows how to apply
principles of effective leadership and management in relation to district
budgeting, personnel, resource utilization, financial management, and
technology application.
Activity List:
- Assist in the administrative side of negotiations
with a teacher union. Note
effective practices in planning and bargaining process.
- Participate in an interview for a
professional position.
- Complete a requisition for service or a
supply item. Track its path to
approval.
- Organize/Lead a team of teachers to study
and develop a plan for improving test scores. Utilize technology to target an
identified weakness.
- Observe an office administrative assistant
for a period of time to assess the needs and demands of the position,
including access to and use of technology resources. Take responsibility for some
administrative duties for a period of time.
Participation
in negotiations was an aspect of the superintendency that I had no experience
with prior to this activity for this competency. I was surprised to discover that the school’s
team had an attorney present. The
Seymour Education Association (SEA) had their ISTA uni-serve director. We met at Seymour Middle School. The two camps set up in different rooms. The school team would travel to the SEA room
to discuss a proposal. Once presented,
we would retreat to our private area.
Each camp would discuss offers and counter offers. The attorney would step out and talk to the
ISTA representative. They would then
return to their camps and deliberations would continue. There was a lot of waiting. There would be an occasion when the SEA team
would ask for a document that our team did not have on location. I asked why we did not meet at Central Office
where these documents would be readily available. I learned that the SEA team would not meet at
Central Office. The team considered this
the administration’s “home turf”. I must
admit that I am still quite naive when it comes to the nuances of
negotiation. The district team told
stories of various negotiation situations both serious and humorous. From the conversation, those on the district
team had many years of experience negotiating contracts and salaries. The attorney’s presence would be welcomed as
a superintendent engaged in this process for the first time.
I have long
been a participant in interviews conducted in our district. I have interviewed prospective candidates for
administrative, certified, and classified positions. I have served as the organizer for the
interview process and as a participant.
For this activity, I organized interviews for a principal’s position for
our district. I have a written plan that
is presented to candidates. I always
strive to include a variety of stakeholders in the interview process,
especially for principal candidate review.
As required by law, our teachers’ association appoints the
teachers. Parents are selected from PTO
rolls. We invite representatives from
classified staff to participate and students when appropriate. Once the committee was set, we held an
organizational meeting. This time is
spent going over protocols and expectations.
I think it is important to define the characteristics, skills, and areas
of expertise we are looking for in the successful candidate prior to
face-to-face meetings. I have found that
for many of those on an interview team, this could be their first experience
actually hiring staff. Preparation and
guidance on the front in pays dividends throughout the process. The first step was to sort through all of the
applicants to select those to interview.
A section of our application that I take time to familiarize committee
members with is the area that refers to convictions on record. When I first started doing interviews, I was
surprised by how many applicants had been arrested. The committee must determine what constitutes
a “deal breaker”. I used a rubric to
assist team members in sorting through the information. I also provided a rubric for the interview
team to use during the interview. The
rubric was based on the skills, characteristics, and areas of expertise desired
in a successful candidate as identified by the committee prior to the
interviews. I found that the participants
liked the process and were satisfied with the final result.
I worked in
federal programs for many years and have processed a multitude of
requisitions. I participated in on-site
audits by The State Board of Accounts and also Title 1 as the director of
federal programs for our district.
The activity
involving the use of technology to help a team impact test scores was conducted
in tandem with other school improvement initiatives. The technology used to support these efforts
I would like to highlight utilized Google Docs.
We used Google Spreadsheets and Google Documents to permit various team
members to share information in a timely fashion. This tool also permitted our team members to
collaborate and work on documents at the same time from their school
locations.
Competency 9 Area:
The superintendent knows how to apply
principles of leadership and management to the district's physical plant and
support systems to ensure a safe and effective learning environment.
List of Activities:
- Meet with the director of transportation,
observe one bus driver during a morning or afternoon bus run.
- Conduct interviews for food service worker.
- Review school district procedures for
opening and closing the school year.
Take an active part in these procedures.
- Meet with the director of maintenance to
review job responsibilities and staff schedules. Shadow one custodian.
I have
always valued the opportunity to ride along with bus drivers. Even as a principal, I made sure I rode the
route on each of my buses. This was a
great way to get to know the community and the driver. Students enjoyed seeing me on the bus. It was no different for this experience. I rode a morning route on a special needs
bus. This was a new experience for me. Our special needs buses run routes throughout
the community. Students are delivered to
schools that host the particular program the student is assigned to
attend. The driver emphasized to me the
necessity of the aide that rode her bus.
The aide not only helped her manage students during the trip but also
fulfilled compliance issues. In
Indiana, a bus driver or other adult must be on the bus anytime students are
present. Therefore, when students are
boarding, one adult is on the bus one is outside helping the student board the
bus. Special needs buses are equipped
with special equipment and lifts.
Drivers/Aides have to exit the bus to help secure and load
students. The driver felt our
transportation program provided the support and training necessary for her to
do her job. She was also a member of the
transportation safety team. Part of her
responsibilities involved planning bus safety programs the SCSC team presented
to students in the fall of each school year.
She was especially proud that their program included a remote control
school bus called Buster. She found her
work in schools to be rewarding. When asked
about recommendations, she indicated that pick up and drop off locations at
some of our schools needed to be examined.
In her opinion, there were too many parents and students that tried to
walk between buses to get to cars at dismissal times. I shared this information with the director
of transportation. A few weeks after I
conducted this interview and rode with the driver, a student in our district
was struck by a bus. He was looking at
this phone as he passed between buses.
The district began a full investigation and formal recommendations were
made to address issues discovered. I
take a great lesson away from these events.
It is important for a superintendent to actively seek input from these
folks “in the trenches”. They have
valuable contributions that can end up saving lives.
I
participated in interviews for a head cook at Seymour Middle School. Members of the interview team included a head
cook from Redding Elementary and the Director of Food Service. The superintendent appointed me to be his
representative on the committee. The
director provided us with a list of questions to ask the candidates. I soon learned that I was out of my depth. I have a great deal of interview experience
but it has been for educators or aides.
I had no experience with food service regulations, ordering food,
cooking for large groups, or food safety protocols. I can tell you I learned so much just
listening to the interactions of the interview team and candidates. Food service in schools is big business, especially
for a school system our size. The food
service director likened it to running eight fully operational
restaurants. She also shared that her
program runs in the black, so much so, that food service contributes
$100,000.00 to the district’s general fund.
I had no idea that this was taking place. The Food Service director organizes and meets
with a Wellness Council for our district.
Of all the experiences I participated in during the course of my
internship activities, this was the activity that provided the most new
information.
Competency 10 Area:
The superintendent knows how to apply
organizational, decision-making, and problem-solving skills to comply with
federal and state requirements and facilitate positive change in varied contexts.
Activity
List:
- Observe a district
administrative meeting. Observe
leader’s behavior in outlining goals, defining problems, seeking
information, providing information, clarifying and elaborating,
challenging viewpoints, assessing progress, and summarizing.
- Participate in the process of student class
scheduling.
- Interview the school nurse. Discuss requirements, concerns, goals,
and issues (HIV/Sex Ed…).
- Meet with current leader involved in
implementing a school district change.
Discover why change was made and what steps are involved in making
the change. Survey those involved
in the change to assess the support or non support for the change.
- Choose a current, school related issue at
our district. Meet with individuals
on both sides of the issue. Develop
a list of concerns. Devise a
resolution. Meet with both groups
to reach consensus to develop a plan of action.
Our superintendent holds district leadership meetings twice per
month. One meeting is for district
directors and the other is for all administrators. Having several superintendents over the past
year, I have observed several leadership styles. One superintendent held meetings on a whim
without agendas while others had a strict schedule of meetings with detailed agendas. When I spoke with SCSC’s superintendent
about his beliefs and philosophies surrounding meetings, he gave me a book to
read, Death by Meeting. I am
currently reading this book. I can see
from what I have read so far that my current superintendent uses this framework
to design his meetings. He always starts
with a lightning round giving all an opportunity to share information with the
whole group. His next step is to revisit
certain topics or to seek reports from various members. Meetings always have an agenda. In the past our meetings could go on for
hours since there was no agenda and no specific focus.
The HS and MS worked with me to demonstrate their scheduling
protocols. We use an electronic
scheduling program. The program is part
of the offerings of the student management system our district uses called STI
District. The HS and MS staff were
pleased with the ease of use of the program and the results.
I not only met with a district official that is proposing a
change, I have been working with him on the project. We are implementing a 1:1 initiative. We have been involved in planning,
observations, surveying, and policy development. We are now planning to host several community
meetings to share information with stakeholders about the 1:1 initiative. To kick off our communication efforts, the
local newspaper ran a story about our plans.
This news story quoted individuals that are for and against the
initiative. Our goal is for every person
to have a chance to express their ideas, concerns, suggestions, and support for
the initiative. We have used surveys to
gather information from our staff and we will be using them to gather input
from our public. The full proposal goes
before our board at the January board meeting.
One of the takeaways from this activity is the realization that such
efforts take time and many, many meetings with a variety of stakeholders. Our goal is to have devices deployed at our
Sixth Grade Center in the fall of 2014.
I have spent some time to work with our nursing staff. In particular I have been working with our
district nursing director. Fruits of our
discussion include the addition of a school nurse presentation to new staff
during induction meetings. Our district
has experienced an increase in injuries to staff related to lifting. We coordinated to develop a training video
that will be posted on our You Tube Channel on this topic. This video will be in addition to a live
session with the school nurse at one of our remaining induction meetings. We are also developing sessions for sharing
information with all staff on blood borne pathogens and general safety
guidelines for medications, student illness, and upholding confidentiality. One of the areas our school nurse was most
pleased about was the addition of 5 part time nurses to her staff. From a recommendation of our current
superintendent, the board of school trustees added these individuals to support
the needs of our students. Our school
corporation has a growing population of students that are diabetic and have
specific needs. I spoke to the
superintendent about this addition; he shared information about the budget and
steps he took to prepare the board to deal with the recommendation. It was a very productive discussion that
provided insight into the process.
Superintendent Entry Plan
Lisa Ferguson
An
entry plan supports a new superintendent’s desire for a smooth transition in
leadership. My first goal is to listen
and learn. My next goal would be to work collaboratively
with all stakeholders to develop a plan for accelerating the academic progress
and achievement for all staff and students in the district. Finally, as new superintendent, my ultimate
goal is to lead the district forward based upon the information and data
gathered. As a new superintendent, I am
interested in assessing the organization’s strengths, challenges, and
opportunities. To do this, I will need
to build relationships both with internal and external stakeholders.
From
the moment of board approval, there are many things to accomplish before the
first official day. Intentionally
contacting key stakeholders to introduce myself is important. I would also like to speak with the former
superintendent to build my knowledge and understanding of district and
community history along with information about the district’s current
status. When making such contact, it is
important to research the circumstances preceding the former superintendent’s
resignation in order to effectively filter any comments shared.
In all of my new administrative jobs, I have
developed a letter of introduction to send to all staff members in the
organization. I would have this ready to
go on the first day. To me it is
important to make personal contact with each individual.
First
Day The start date for most superintendents
in Indiana is July 1
Goal: To establish professional relationships with
key personnel.
Objective: Facilitate transition of leadership
Activities: 1) Meeting
with Administrative Assistant
2) Meet all Central Office Staff (Receptionist, Clerks…)
3) Introductions with Department Leadership
The
goal for my first day would be to establish strong professional relationships
with those the superintendent works most closely with on a daily basis.
Resources: None
First
Week
Goal: To develop and implement appropriate
communication protocols.
Objective: Establish clear understandings of roles,
responsibilities, and expectations.
Objective: Maintain a safe environment for all staff and
students.
Activities: 1) Facility
Tours/ Visits
2) Department Meetings
3) Introduction with Teacher Association
Leadership
4) Crisis Plan Review/Meetings/SRO and Police
Contacts
5) Meet with each board member
6) Introduction to key community leaders and
school partners
In
the first week, I would strive to develop strong collaborative working
relationships and expectations by reaching out to various professionals. I would like to tour all facilities to gain
an initial feel for the entire district.
Hopefully, I could get a general understanding of the communities,
demographics, and personalities of each school in the district. I would like to meet with board members to
establish a team-oriented working relationship individually and ultimately
collectively. I would spend time making
the initial contacts and introductions to community civic and faith-based
organizations, businesses, and parent organizations. I would hope to send an initial message to
encourage partnerships and open communication.
Something
I would like to see immediately is the Crisis Management Plans for the district
and schools. I would like to meet with
School Resource Officers if they are employee t serve the district. As superintendent, student and staff safety
is a top priority. The sooner I can
understand protocols, plans, and contacts the better equipped I will be to keep
our campuses safe.
Resources: Mileage to drive district, Introduction
materials
First
Month By this time, we will have our first student
and teacher days.
Goal: To earn stakeholder trust, confidence, and
investment through open communication.
Objective: Increase personal understanding of the school
district, its culture, history and expectations.
Activities: 1)
Meetings/Roundtables with principals, teachers, support staff and
students
2) Meetings with key community stakeholders
(Elected Officials, Local Foundation
Leadership, Business Leadership)
3) Media Introductions (Radio, Print, TV…)
4)
Ride a school bus, eat lunch in cafeterias, speak with custodians
5) Parent Meetings/Community Forums
6)
Review District Initiatives
7) Meetings with Teacher Association Leadership
8)
Ensure a flawless opening to the school year and first teacher
days. You get one chance to make a good
first impression!
9)
Learn and remember the names of folks I meet.
It
will be important to establish lines of communication and define expectations
among various stakeholder groups. My
goal will be to meet with as many as possible to listen to their input
regarding our district’s strengths, challenges, and opportunities. I would hope to establish a focused, cohesive
leadership team with the school board. I
would like to see a defined protocol for appropriate communication between the
board and superintendent.
This
being the first month, I would be looking at the beginning of the school
year. It would be very important to make
sure these first days are well planned and focused. There is no second chance to make a good
first impression.
Another
thing I find most important is learning individual’s names. To me, this is a
fundamental part of my leadership style.
It is a way to make a personal connection. This is the same reason I would hold meetings
and forums. It is why I ride buses and
eat in our school cafeteria. The
individuals in a district need to know I care about each one and am interested
in their input.
Resources: Flyers, Information Booklets, Mileage, Snacks
for parent meeting
First
Year
Goal:
To establish a positive, supportive and
effective climate and culture focused on student achievement.
Objective: Establish strong collaborative relationships
with stakeholder groups both internal and external through regular contact,
meetings, and communications.
Objective: Raise expectations for all students and
adults
Objective: Analyze and evaluate performance of all
schools to develop a strategic plan focused on high achievement.
Activities: 1)
Board Retreat (Communication Protocols, Roles and Responsibilities,
Performance/Evaluation Criteria, Protocols for addressing parent concerns,
Vision/Mission development)
2) Data
Analysis/Reports/Reviews (Audit Reports,
Enrollment Projections, Accreditation Reviews, Organizational Structure, Policies)
3) Review Human Resource Development (Hiring,
Retaining Highly
Qualified Staff)
4) Gather and
Read booklets/documents (Building/Department Handbooks, Evaluation Tools,
Technology Plans, Crisis Plans)
5) Development of a Strategic Plan
Hopefully,
the activities in the first days and weeks of my superintendency would continue
throughout my tenure. As I moved deeper
into the school year, I would be taking a look at all aspects of the
district. Matching what I see and hear
from stakeholders against what we have on paper. I will have a great amount of information to
process and will rely on others to assist me.
This first year will be spend building toward the development of a
strategic plan designed to accelerate the academic progress and achievement for
all staff and students in the district
Resources:
Professional development, Documentation materials, Retreat location/supplies
