Annette Chambliss
Superintendent Program
Cohort 1 / Week 2
October 15, 2010
Person Interviewed – Sonia Serrano
Superintendent Interview Questions:
1. What is your definition of leadership? “Leadership means taking all individuals from where they are and empowering them to grow and be better, organizing resources, listening, and being a cheerleader.”
2. What are the positive aspects of being in a leadership position, like Superintendent? “The positive aspects of being a leader are the day-to-day rewards of accomplishments of students, teachers, and other leaders.”
3. What are the negative or difficult aspects of being in a leadership position? “The most difficult part of being in this position is when I am misrepresented and misunderstood. It is also when I am presented negatively without reason.”
4. What do you believe are the attributes of a good Superintendent? “A good superintendent is fair, ethical, a good listener; consistently put the needs of the district before personal wants and needs, and empowering people to support the vision.”
5. Superintendent Competency 1 emphasizes the importance of integrity, fairness and ethical behavior. What does ethical leadership look like? “Ethical leadership is shared and it comes from within the organization. It also includes listening to everyone’s needs and building strengths.”
6. Competency 2 discuss the role of the superintendent in shaping campus culture by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the educational community. How do you work to develop a shared vision? “It is important to have regular meetings with principals and those affected by them, communication meetings – that is the only thing on the agenda - just communication. In addition, reviewing and reflecting with key staff –principals that will get a community on board and build strong parental supports.”
7. Competency 3 discusses the importance of the Superintendent 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. How should a superintendent evaluate the effectiveness of communication strategies in the school district and encourage the engagement of the community to benefit all students? “by sharing the vision of the district and educating each member on the vision and their role in fulfilling the vision in the district, board members on the educational nuances they aren’t familiar with – non negotiable”
8. Competency 4 focuses on the importance of the Superintendent responding to and influencing the larger political, social, economic, legal and cultural context, including working with the Board of Trustees, to achieve the district’s educational vision. How does the Superintendent build a good working relationship with the Board?
“A good working relationship will be built by empowering the principals, asst superintendents, and staff and focusing on the vision of the district for teaching and learning – what are we about in this area? Focus on curriculum and assessment. Then, figure out any barriers, and work to overcome them?”
The first 4 competencies looked at the Superintendent as Leader of the Educational Community. Competencies 5 – 7 examine the Superintendent as Instructional Leader.
9. Competency 5 examines the importance of the Superintendent planning and implanting strategic planning that enhances the teaching and learning, ensures alignment of the curriculum, curriculum resources and assessment; uses the current accountability system; and promotes the use of varied assessments to measure student performance. How does the Superintendent accomplish such wide-ranging strategic planning? “This is done by utilizing the leadership in the district, allowing them to use the latest research, using the best practices, allowing them to go find what the best practices are, and empowering all.”
10. Competency 6 emphasizes how Superintendents must advocate, promote, and sustain an instructional program and a district culture that are conducive to student learning and staff professional growth. How does a Superintendent promote and sustain a district culture that emphasizes student learning and professional development?
“A district culture focusing on student learning and professional development must have resources to get the job done. It needs support for the people doing the supervision. Instructional programs need the proper tools for success. HR department supports principals in getting rid of ineffective teachers and staff.”
11. Competency 7 discusses the importance of the Superintendent implementing a staff evaluation and development system, and selecting appropriate models for supervision and staff development to improve the performance of all staff members. How do Superintendents address these issues aimed at improving the performance of all staff members?
“The are addressed by putting good people in place, hard working trustworthy, supporting their needs, meeting with them regularly, open door policy, structure in place to have people collaborate, leadership chart, make sure stronger people are utilized in the high needs areas, we all need to know what is going on with everybody”
Competencies 8 – 10 focus on the Superintendent as Administrative Leader.
12. Competency 8 examines the importance of Superintendents knowing how to apply the principles of effective leadership and management in relation to district budgeting, personnel, resource utilization, financial management, and technology application. More or less, the Superintendent has an immense responsibility in carrying out these tasks. How should Superintendents approach the management of everything from budgets to technology applications? “Superintendents should utilize the best leaders to manage the most important areas. They need to meet frequently and collaborate.”
13. Competency 9 states that Superintendents must know 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. What leadership and management principles help Superintendents supervise the physical plants and support systems to ensure a safe and effective learning environment? In addition, please talk to us about developing organizational leadership skills. “The organization should start with having a very detailed organizational chart. Staff the departments with the right people and build your teams.”
14. Competency 10 addresses how Superintendents apply organizational, decision-making and problem-solving skills to comply with federal and state regulations and facilitate positive change in varied contexts. Please discuss the importance of organizational leadership, as well as decision-making and problem-solving skills in addressing these compliance areas and maintaining positive change. “Success happens when you have the right people doing the right jobs. Change happens when you have visionaries in positions that are not afraid of making the right decisions.”
15. What additional experience, learning, or advice can you share to help me (our student’s) develop an effective internship? “Practice makes perfect!”
REFLECTION: Please write a reflection on what you learned from your interview. Be sure to include responses that stood out to you and explain why these responses seem so important. What did you learn from the interview that will improve your leadership knowledge and skills?
The same skills needed for being an effective principal are the same skills needed to be an effective superintendent but on a much larger scale;
· listening to others
· empowering staff
· always doing what is right for kids
· always putting the needs of others before your own
always promoting the vision and the mission of the district
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