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So Now You're the Superintendent!
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So Now You're the Superintendent!

  • John Eller - Virginia Tech University, USA
  • Howard C. Carlson - Wickenburg Unified School District in Wickenburg, AZ, Sunnyside Unified School District

Courses:
Superintendency

November 2008 | 240 pages | Corwin

Leadership Solutions

"The authors have captured the 'must knows' of the superintendency. This book is filled with keen insights and useful strategies to help the new superintendent establish credibility for long-term leadership success."
—James Rickabaugh, Superintendent
Whitefish Bay School District, WI

"Eller and Carlson offer realistic and practical suggestions for new superintendents to hit the ground running."
—Theodore Creighton, Professor
Virginia Tech

Practical strategies for meeting the challenges of your first year as a superintendent!

The opportunities and responsibilities in the crucial first years of a superintendency can be challenging as well as exciting. This practical resource provides ready-to-use techniques that help superintendents build the relationships and teamwork needed to face these challenges with success.

This insightful guide provides new superintendents with guidelines for making a positive difference while handling transitions, culture changes, financial issues, staff supervision, and team building. Using their combined experience as district administrators, the authors uncover the complexities of the job and offer candid discussions about how to:

  • Establish yourself as the instructional leader
  • Determine staff and community expectations for your performance
  • Prepare for landmines that may be waiting around the corner
  • Develop positive communications with all stakeholders

Addressing the most common issues faced by new superintendents, this valuable reference provides the leadership tools to help a school district move forward.


 
Preface
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Authors
 
1. My Office Key Works, What's Next?
About This Chapter

 
The Superintendency: Understanding the Historical Context

 
Potential Pitfalls for New Superintendents

 
Challenges of Leading a School District

 
The Importance of Focusing on the "Big Picture"

 
Jockeying for Position

 
The Windowpane Model: A Tool for Analyzing and Understaning Constituent Perspectives

 
The Superintendent as Community Liaison

 
Develop a Key Communicators Listing

 
The Changing Role of the Superintendency

 
Navigating the Changing Landscape

 
Successful School Change

 
Hills to "Die On"

 
Successful Communicator

 
Summary

 
 
2. The Superintendent-School Board Relationship: A Cornerstone of Your Success
About This Chapter

 
Managing the Superintendent-Board Relationship

 
The Importance of Equal Treatment

 
The "Inner Circle"

 
Addressing Individual Board Member Requests

 
When Is Equal Treatment Unequal?

 
Superintendent-Board Chair/President Interaction

 
Establishing Superintendent-Board Chair/President Interaction Norms

 
Keeping the Chair/President Relationship Productive

 
The Basics of Board Communication

 
Successful Communication: Form and Frequency

 
Forms of Communication

 
A Special Note About E-Mail Communication

 
Frequency of Communication

 
Establishing Effective Superintendent-Board Chair/President Communication

 
Emergency Communication Standards

 
Maintenance of Your Communication Plan With the Board

 
Board Standards and Operating Protocols

 
Who Has Authority for What: The Board and Superintendent as a Team

 
Summary

 
 
3. Organizational Trust and Culture: What Every Superintendent Should Know
About This Chapter

 
Organizational Culture

 
Rapport, Trust, Climate, and Their Relation to Culture

 
The Importance of Trust

 
Building and Sustaining Organizational Trust

 
Organizational Culture: The Gatekeeper of Excellence

 
Properties of School Districts as Organizations

 
The Complexity of Organizations

 
Organizations Are Surprising

 
Organizations Are Deceptive

 
Organizations Are Like Organisms

 
Trust and Excellence in Employee Group/Union Relationships

 
Summary

 
 
4. School Finance 101: What Should the Superintendent Know?
About This Chapter

 
Staying Afloat: Four Key Financial Reports

 
Enrollment Reports

 
Monthly Enrollment Reports

 
Annual Enrollment Projections

 
Expenditure Reports

 
Key Components and Their Location in the Budget Report

 
Current Budget

 
Current Month's Expenditures

 
Previous Year's Budget Data

 
Amount of Money Left in the Current Budget

 
Revenue Reports

 
Staffing Plans/Position Control Systems

 
Long-Range Financial Projection: Your Own Crystal Ball

 
The Importance of Long-Range Projection

 
Understanding the School District's Financial Audit

 
Summary

 
 
5. How to Implement New Ideas in Your Initial Years as Superintendent
About This Chapter

 
The Change Process

 
The Honeymoon Period

 
Transitions and the Change Process

 
Levers of Change

 
Frames of Reference Related to the Change Process

 
Strategies to Consider When Dealing With Resistance

 
Facilitating/Guiding Groups Through Change

 
Putting It Behind Us

 
Learning Walk

 
Implementation Blocking

 
Summary

 
 
6. Supervising Principals and Directors: Strategies for Success
About This Chapter

 
Supervision of Executive-Level Administrators and Principals

 
Getting the Most From Your Staff Members

 
Supervision Strategies for Directors and Department/Divisional Administrators

 
Evaluating Department Heads, Assistant Superintendents, and Directors

 
Goal Setting

 
Summary

 
 
7. What About the Students? Instructional Leadership and Dealing With Federal Programs
About This Chapter

 
Instructional Leadership

 
No Child Left Behind Act

 
Special Education

 
Summary

 
 
8. Dealing With Difficult People and Situations
About This Chapter

 
What's Behind All of This Negative Behavior?

 
Frames of Reference

 
Negative Reinforcement

 
Understanding the Perspectives of Others

 
Types of Conflict

 
Substantive (Cognitive) Conflict

 
Affective (Personality-Based) Conflict

 
Skills for Dealing With Difficult People

 
Temporary Suspension of Opinion

 
Framing

 
Reflecting Skills

 
Implementation Blocking

 
Shifting Energy Focus

 
Design and Implement Positive Problem-Solving Processes

 
Mediating Conflict

 
Working Positively With the Press

 
Summary

 
 
9. Getting the Word Out: Effective Communication Strategies
About This Chapter

 
The Power of Effective Communication

 
Sticky Note Ripple Effects

 
Managing Information Flow in Your Office and in the District

 
Establishing a Board Communication Process

 
Superintendent to Board

 
Board to Community

 
Community to Board

 
Board to Superintendent

 
Handling Private and Public Data

 
Summary

 
 
10. It's July, Now What?
About This Chapter

 
The Importance of an Entry Plan: Successfully Navigating Your First Ninety Days on the Job

 
Opening Day With Staff

 
Selecting a Mentor

 
Key Components for Successful Mentor-Mentee Relationships

 
Sample Calendar of Monthly Events/Activities

 
Summary

 
 
Key Points From Each Chapter
 
References
 
Index

"Gives clear objectives and identifies points essential to achieving success. It will be a valuable resource for novice superintendents, as well as a refresher for experienced or struggling superintendents."

Belinda G. Gimbert, Assistant Professor
The Ohio State University

"I recommend this work to anyone considering applying for this top leadership position. It would be intriguing to work through leaders' thought processes with them as they consider the questions posed at the end of each chapter and use the tools included throughout the work."

Judith A. Rogers, Professional Learning Specialist
Tucson Unified School District, AZ

"This book will appeal to superintendents at all levels of experience. Having just retired after 35 years in public education, I can only say I wish I had a book as practical as this one, with such valuable, realistic information to use as a guide."

Marian K. Hermie, Clinical Associate Professor
Arizona State University

“Finally! A much-needed assistance for aspiring and practicing school superintendents. Eller and Carlson offer realistic and practical suggestions for new superintendents to hit the ground running.”

Theodore Creighton, Professor, Virginia Tech
Former Executive, National Council of Professors of Educational Administration

"The leadership transition process is the most difficult path to traverse, but this book helps leaders find a smoother way. The guidance is practical and usable. It feels like you are sitting at a table and listening to ten successful superintendents."

John Gordon, Director
Arizona School Boards Association

"Offering a rich combination of research findings, expert advice, and practical experience, Eller and Carlson have captured the 'must knows' of the superintendency. This book is filled with keen insights and useful strategies to help the new superintendent navigate early mine fields and establish credibility for long-term leadership success."

James Rickabaugh, Superintendent
Whitefish Bay School District, WI
Key features
  • Hands-on guide for beginning superintendents 
  • Full of strategies and templates that can be used immediately 
  • Comprehensive coverage of everything you might need in your first years as a superintendent

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