Superintendent Interview

I must say that the superintendent I interviewed for this assignment has been a co-worker of mine for several years and I probably could have predicted most of the answers due to our work relationship. To my surprise there were several responses that turned out to be both informing and applicable to my own learning process.

Overall, the interview was efficient, timely, direct, and relevant to superintendent certification training. Here are a few highlights.

#1 He highlighted in his answer to question number 2 that one of the positive aspects to being Superintendent was setting your own agenda and seeing things come to completion. He talked about the exact moment he identified the need for the district to move to a 1:1 laptop initiative. I personally can relate heavily to both these points. I love to be self paced and motivated, and I love to see the fruits of my labor. Looks like being the Super, may allow both of these things to become reality.

#2 In question 3, he talked about never being able to be good enough at all aspects of the superintendent position. In other words, he was saying that there is so much to cover as Super, that there is no way to be the expert in all aspects of the job. This hit me hard. I love to be the expert. I am a believer in Systemic Leadership. I love the idea that not only I can be an expert, but my admin team can also be experts in as many areas of school business as possible. I guess it is true that a Super cannot be the expert of all, due to the vastness of the job, but I would like to put a system in place for collaboration that ensured a high level of knowledge in all areas.

#3 In question 5, he talked about ethics in leadership. His answer was good and one that I will take to heart. I have always heard that the closer you are to yourself in leadership, the more genuine you will come across to your staff. The superintendent I interviewed noted his commitment to being himself at all times and functioning within his core values inside and outside the job. That meant a lot to me. I know that in order for me to lead I must be genuine to myself and my values. I believe if I do that, my co-workers will see that integrity shine through in all aspects of the job.

#4 In question 7, he talked about communication as a weakness, and that for him, this is a delegated activity. I can relate to that as well. I am not a party planner, or an extrovert, or one to really boast about myself or others. I am a pretty to myself kind of person. I do however, recognize the need for high communication throughout all aspects of school business. This will be a huge part of my internship plan. I will address this weakness and help the district communicate on higher level.

#5 In question 11, he talked about how evaluation tools always seem to lack the desired outcome of a proper evaluation. This discrepancy has never occurred to me. I always figured evaluation of staff was a given in administration. I thought the tool was good and effective. For me, my eyes have been opened. I have been thinking about this for a while and the only proper way to evaluate staff is with a solid system. One system that impressed me is from a book called, "Instructional Rounds in education," by City, Elmore, Fiarman, and Teitel. Based on the procedure doctors follow for medical rounds, the process is intimate, student based, frictionless, and proven effective. It is however time consuming, and can involve several districts. I think as I continue my journey in educational leadership, I will modify this model to fit the district's needs, and then evaluate it's effectiveness. I am sure there is not one proven method for evaluation, otherwise we would all be using it.

The overall major take away from this interview was that the Superintendent job is big, and delegating with high level collaboration is key to the success of the position. It was a pleasure to sit down and talk with an expert on the Superintendent position.