The Modern School Superintendent


Book Description

An impossible job? That's what many have called the superintendency. With its growing and completing demands, it is a profession that can baffle even the most knowledgeable and well prepared. Public education resources have become more limited. There are new national and state testing requirements. Social issues are pulled into the schools and want more control over their operation. Add in politics and bureaucracy, and the end result is quite an unmanageable scenario. Unfortunately, more superintendents seem to be leaving the profession. Whether it is because of the demands superintendents face, the quality of preparation programs or a combination of both, the trend is a growing concern. Many superintendents are unprepared to deal with what they may encounter in running a school district. Yet the office is not all doom and gloom. Offering opportunities that are unavailable in many other careers, the superintendency is a position in which you will be taken seriously by others. And it is a profession in which one person, through skilled leadership, can make a difference by getting everyone to pull together and create a better environment for students. Surveys actually have shown that most superintendents would become superintendents again if they had the chance.




The Emerging Work of Today's Superintendent


Book Description

This book focuses on the changing role of the superintendent who now must lead with new skills in a time when the landscape of communities is shifting necessitating the mobilization of people through advocacy and activism alongside new partnerships with businesses, local governmental agencies, and community organizations. To lead districts, superintendents must ask new questions about current school structures while navigating changes in local, state, and federal education policies to ensure practices are aligned to meet the needs of all children. Key questions throughout the book help leaders create coherence in a system of change while leading the learning for members in the district and developing effective governance structures to empower leaders in making strategic decisions. Superintendents must focus efforts on leading systems to think through the world of information and digital access, so students can learn for tomorrow and to leverage social media to brand and support system-wide transformations. The frenetic work, role, and responsibilities of the superintendent requires personal and professional balance to be effective in leading districts and communities.




The NEW School Rules


Book Description

Actions to increase effectiveness of schools in a rapidly changing world Schools, in order to be nimble and stay relevant and impactful, need to abandon the rigid structures designed for less dynamic times. The NEW School Rules expands cutting-edge organizational design and modern management techniques into an operating system for empowering schools with the same agility and responsiveness so vital in the business world. 6 simple rules create a unified vision of responsiveness among educators Real life case studies illustrate responsive techniques implemented in a variety of educational demographics 15 experiments guide school and district leaders toward increased responsiveness in their faculty and staff




So Now You're the Superintendent!


Book Description

Addressing common issues such as transitions, culture changes, finances, staff supervision, and team building, this guide offers strategies for the crucial first years of the superintendency.




Modern School Business Administration


Book Description

This text in ABL's new Educational Leadership series from Peabody College covers historical and current trends in leadership in a very practical way, using cases and a problem-solving approach as vehicles for examination. The text was developed by a leading scholar in educational leadership as part of a series from one of the leading schools of education in the world. It has a strong basis in current research, and easy-to-use, intuitive features. It strikes an effective balance between the informational and the pedagogical. It covers trends (both historical and current) in educational leadership. The "Modern" approach of this book explores professional challenges, performance expectations, and operating conditions encountered by contemporary American school leaders. The case studies and interactive pedagogy make this a very practical text.







Building Great School Board -- Superintendent Teams


Book Description

To address urgent challenges and drive continuous improvement effectively, school board members, superintendents, and school leaders must develop strong school board/superintendent teams. The authors offer a systematic approach for establishing a unified school leadership team that can efficiently meet demands, avoid conflict, and respond to the ever-changing educational environment. Each chapter includes professional development activities that can be adapted for teams of any size. Learn how to build an effective school leadership team: Consider how the school board/superintendent team can remain sustainable and productive in governance, instructional leadership, and school improvement. Foster committed team relationships and develop effective school leadership practices and qualities within the team. Clarify superintendents' and school board members' roles and responsibilities to improve governance and avoid conflict. Learn characteristics of effective communication and how to speak with one unified voice as a team. Participate in team professional development activities that build trust, respect, transparency, and accountability among the team. Contents: Introduction Chapter 1: Legal Perspectives and the Case for Local Control Chapter 2: Induction and New Team Member Orientation Chapter 3: Team Members' Roles and Responsibilities Chapter 4: Effective Communication and a Unified Voice Chapter 5: Team Decision Making Chapter 6: Committed, Effective Team Leadership Chapter 7: Foundational Statements Chapter 8: Continuous Improvement and Quality Assurance Chapter 9: Governance and Leadership During Change Chapter 10: Dysfunctional Teams and Rogue Members Chapter 11: System Evaluation Essentials Chapter 12: The Future of the School Board-Superintendent Team References and Resources




Roles and Relationships


Book Description

This position statement, coauthored by a joint committee composed of members of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) and the National School Boards Association (ASBA), outlines a new cooperative relationship for superintendents and school boards. In light of the challenges that today's superintendents and school boards face, it is necessary that both parties examine their roles and responsibilities. This document describes the work of the joint committee, professional standards for the superintendency, and the governance role of school boards. It also highlights some societal changes that have affected public school governance and administration. Three major factors of the board-superintendent relationship include the nature of policy development and administration; the increasing influence of external factors on local district governance; and the discretionary authority granted to boards by their chief administrators. The specific responsibilities for boards and superintendents are outlined. Effective communication is identified as a key to a successful board-administrator relationship. (LMI)







Congressional Record


Book Description

The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record began publication in 1873. Debates for sessions prior to 1873 are recorded in The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States (1789-1824), the Register of Debates in Congress (1824-1837), and the Congressional Globe (1833-1873)