Get Schooled

By HS Teacher Too

April 2, 2008 9:25 AM | Link to this

I taught at a private school where we didn’t have a superintendent, of course, but just a headmaster and a board of trustees. The headmaster was absolutely fabulous because she did not let teachers get harassed by parents. I realize that sounds negative, but if you take a school of 3,000+ students, you can surely imagine that there are parental complaints about countless things. The headmaster simply did not let it get out of control. She supported her staff and her administrators. Not blindly, but if you were doing the right thing, you had support.

I think a good superintendent should do the same. In Gwinnett, no one has any “say-so” but the great almighty wizard behind the curtain, and he and his staff will override every administrative decision just to appease parents. It undermines any authority at any other level. I have witnessed countless situations where the department head, the assistant principal(s) involved, and the principal all are in agreement about a decision. Take it to the chipmunks, though, and <> overruled!

What message does that say to the administrators and the teachers?

By eleteach

April 2, 2008 10:02 AM | Link to this

I’ve taught in two metro counties in the past 10 years. I’ve noticed the willingness to jump on board, with both feet, any program or curriculum framework which promises higher test scores. The county then spends millions of dollars training faculty and implementing the programs. When the county office doesn’t see significant gains in scores in the first year or two, they dump the program and buy into the next curriculum brain child, only to start the cycle all over again.

All this to say, I realize that these decisions are not made by the superintendent alone. However, a good superintendent, in theory, should be a good steward of the taxpayers money. It is insane how much money is spent on throw-away programs in the name of test scores.

By jim d

April 2, 2008 11:25 AM | Link to this

Obviously a good super should have years of expierence teaching shop classes in Dekalb County. :-)

By V for Vendetta

April 2, 2008 12:10 PM | Link to this

My kneejerk reaction would be that a good Super is one who was a former teacher, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he/she would have the business skills required by the job to be successful. That having been said, I sure would like to see a (recently) former classroom teacher in a position of power. I mean, heck, why not, right?

It’s only taxpayer money, let’s roll the dice and see what happens!

By JustMe

April 2, 2008 12:17 PM | Link to this

IMHO, a good super is one that…

A) Has the intelligence, strength of character, morals/values/ethics, etc. to make good decisions that are in the best interest of the school system (not for their friends or for others that may line their pockets).

B) Has experience in the classroom for many years teaching a core subject, showing student achievement successes (through CRCT scores, EOCT scores, etc.).

C) Has experience in a leadership role (Principal, etc.) for multiple years, showing measurable successes.

D) Has a sparkling clean record from every aspect (no record of breaking the law anywhere).

E) One that has experience with a smaller school system as the super, and showing measurable successes.

F) One that will clearly support the employees/teachers as needed such that outside influences doesn’t prohibit learning in the classroom.

G) One that doesn’t make blanket decisions for the entire school system, especially when the individual schools within the system are diverse.

H) One that is humble and yet strong. One that doesn’t seek the spotlight, yet when it is on them will rave about the accomplishments of others.

I) One that will not be pushed around by the BOE. While yes, they are an employee of the BOE, they should not be ‘yes men’ but rather present arguments to support their positions to pursuade the BOE to vote accordingly.

J) One that insists upon transparency at all levels.

K) One that has the strength to stand firm when they know that they are right in the face of yelling parents, etc.

I’m sure there are others…..

By Tony

April 2, 2008 12:33 PM | Link to this

Superintendents should, first and foremost, provide educational leadership for the school system and communities being served by the board of education. This task proves nearly impossible in the face of the political forces that affect educational decisions. There are pressures to keep board members happy. There are pressures to keep parents happy. There are pressures to keep teachers happy. Good leaders realize they cannot make everyone happy and instead focus on the things that truly matter.

For schools, the thing that truly matters is student learning. I have a strong distaste for the bandwagon du jour and work diligently to keep stuff like that out of my school. As a school principal, I have seen how central office staff gets in their head an idea of how they think things should work. Checklists are made and people are asked to assess how they are doing based on the checklist. When it comes to teaching and learning, there are no magic checklists!

When boards of education are hiring superintendents, they often look for someone willing to do their bidding. I have heard tales of how a BOE expected a potential super to come in and fire the athletic director because the football team had a bad season. I’ve heard of others who were asked to remove particular principals because they wielded too much power.

Superintendents should bring high standards for students and a plan for making sure the students have the chance to meet those high standards. Here’s where some of you will disagree. Superintendents should hold teachers and principals accountable for student learning in the classrooms and in the schools. Teachers who do not get results often blame many people but do not look upon their own faults to see the real reasons students don’t learn in their classrooms.

Superintendents should listen - everyone should listen. It is through listening to others that we learn. Teachers do not know everything there is to know about how to teach. Neither do superintendents nor parents. Working together is a much better way to promote high quality learning for everyone.

Superintendents have to be good communicators. Their work with board members is probably most critical. The politics of local boards of education can put superintenents in very precarious positions. They must be able to guide board members toward the best outcome. Maneuvering through the minefields of politics is where most superintendents lose their way.

By erin

April 2, 2008 2:41 PM | Link to this

From everything that has already been said here and in previous blogs about the same general topic, I’d say one of, if not THE, most important quality a good super ought to have would be simply good common sense.

Unfortunately, common sense just ain’t common anymore!

By Patriot

April 2, 2008 3:23 PM | Link to this

In Clayton County the very first requirement is that he be BLACK. Beyond that the school board doesn’t care.

By Tbraiwesh

April 2, 2008 3:49 PM | Link to this

Erin, for once I certainly agree with your antidote “common sense”… Even though we both know that it just doesn’t come to mind when we select leaders for our children. Every one can contribute a long list of how the problem arises but never once has anyone used their “commom sense”….

By so easy

April 2, 2008 6:16 PM | Link to this

“In Clayton County the very first requirement is that he be BLACK. Beyond that the school board doesn’t care.”…..ha ha ha! So sad, so true. That’s completely true. Oh well.

Anyhow….if it WEREN’T…the answer would be SO easy! Number One: Solve student discipline problems! Discipline, discipline, discipline! That would fix ~80% of the problems w/in the school. Then discipline the board…that would fix 100% of their problems!

My gosh - the students are some of the most violent, animalistic beings in the state (getting it from the parents)….and the Board is WORSE!

He/she will also be one who does NOT encourage the good ones to stay. He/she will not try to “sell” the system and tell the parents to be loyal and keep their kids in. He/she will say, “Sorry, and good luck in your private school career. I understand.”

By the way, it seems there would be a lot of $$ in opening up some private schools in Clayton. I don’t see it happening, though. Why aren’t people going down there and opening up schools (businesses)? Is it b/c the people in Clayton don’t have the money to pay tuition in the first place? You couldn’t find any paying students?

By HS Teacher Too

April 2, 2008 8:04 PM | Link to this

Teachers who do not get results often blame many people but do not look upon their own faults to see the real reasons students don’t learn in their classrooms.

Amen! But this has many facets. We can’t just take a classroom teacher who is the subject of a witch hunt (for being new, or challenging, or whatever a few parents think is not proper) and hang him or her out to dry. I have seen this happen.

We can’t, on the other hand, let a teacher who is infamous for being awful, stay on year after year. You all know these teachers — the ones who can’t keep their room disciplined, or the ones who, when you get their kids next year, you need to re-teach last year’s course as well as teach this year’s course.

But perhaps most importantly, we need to give teachers TIME and AUTONOMY back. When teachers are supposed to teach material at twice the pace of the guide suggested by the book’s authors, take 20 school days out for standardized testing, and everything else — well, they can’t “afford” to take a day or two to remediate and fix when things have gone wrong. Or if they do, they are penalized elsewhere. I have seen this happen as well.

So yes — a godo superintendant should hold teachers and administrators accountable (hopefully in some qualitative, and not just quantitative, way) but to do that fairly means some other things much change as well.

By OMGReally

April 2, 2008 10:16 PM | Link to this

First of all - this writer should have considered the title: “What are the qualities of a good superintendent?” instead of thinking up this 6th grade title. Having said that…everyone needs to listen. Students are empowered with the ability to complain about their teachers. Everyone should have the ability to make reasonable requests of their superiors; those superiors should make reasonable requests of their principals, and so on. My request as a classroom teacher is: back me up with discipline issues; get me the materials and equipment I need; keep my computers working; keep me safe; pat me on the back every once in a while (doesn’t cost anything!) keep my students safe; and if you ask me to do something “new” then take away one of the other tasks you gave me. Pretty simple!

By jim d

April 3, 2008 6:55 AM | Link to this

All kidding aside—

What make a super good?

Community, teachers,parents, administration, and students all working together, and that’s the bottom line! But then thats what is sorely lacking these days. Everyone is waiting for someone else to make the commitment. Then we wonder why the Fed. government has stepped in!

By WFC

April 3, 2008 7:03 AM | Link to this

I’ve experienced a number of supers in Fulton Co. since 1987 and have found that without exception, they have been so far removed from any significant classroom experience that they simply don’t matter when it comes to actually improving instruction.

By jim d

April 3, 2008 7:55 AM | Link to this

All kidding aside—

What make a super good?

Community, teachers,parents, administration, and students all working together, and that’s the bottom line! But then thats what is sorely lacking these days. Everyone is waiting for someone else to make the commitment. Then we wonder why the Fed. government has stepped in!

By jim d

April 3, 2008 8:18 AM | Link to this

Wow, thats wild!

Got posted twice—exactly an hour apart. Someone must have fallen asleep at the keyboard.