What Does A Superintendent Do?

From the Richmond (Va.) Times Dispatch

Do schools need superintendents: It's a Calling, Not Just a Job
By STEWART D. ROBERSON, TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST, Sunday, Nov 09, 2008 - 12:05 AM

As two of the four school boards in the metro Richmond area search for new public school superintendents, I have been asked to provide some perspectives about the role American of the superintendent in a modern school district today. I welcome this opportunity to share some thoughts about the complex nature of this key leadership position while noting that the relationship superintendents in Richmond enjoy as colleagues can be fairly characterized as a model of regional collaboration.

The success of our relationship is found in how we share many common experiences and beliefs as the chief executive officers and chief educational leaders of the school districts and communities we serve.

How has the role of superintendent evolved through the history of public education?

Since its introduction in the early 1800s, the position has evolved incrementally, becoming more extensive, complex, and demanding. The phases of evolution have included emphases upon the superintendent as teacher-scholar, organizational manager, democratic statesman, applied social scientist, and communicator. It is safe to assume that, today, all of these skills can be called upon any day of any year.

Twenty-first century superintendents receive great scrutiny from parents, teachers, board members, and elected officials. They are held responsible for the progress and achievement of students in their district's schools. The superintendent who is effective is one who finds this scrutiny and accountability personally and professionally fulfilling.

As a constitutional officer, the superintendent is the chief executive of the school board and the CEO of the large enterprise called a school district. The school board is the board of directors and sets the tone for the teamwork, which is essential for a productive school board/superintendent relationship. For this relationship to be most trusting and effective, the board embraces its policymaking role while supporting the superintendent as the chief executive, as stated in the state's and school board's job description for superintendents.

How is a superintendent like a chief executive officer?

A school district is often the largest and most complex business in the community -- transporting more people than public transportation, feeding more people than all the restaurants in the community combined, managing more square footage than most of the businesses in the community, and processing, literally, millions of e-mails daily. A school district is frequently the largest employer in the community. It is positioned, too, as the largest educational services provider -- which is, of course, our central mission.

How is the superintendent a chief educational leader?

Clearly, the educational leader role is the one which makes the superintendent position unique in our society. Effective superintendents view the position as a calling, not just a job. The opportunity to lead a school district stirs a passion. Few roles in our society offer this opportunity to help children plan for a future in which the ideals and needs of individual learners, this nation and, increasingly, our world, are advanced.

While a school district will always be a direct reflection of the community it serves, the superintendent's role is to help envision what "could be," consistent with the values and aspirations of the community. Indeed, superintendents believe that public education is the bedrock of American democracy.

A leading educator once said, "If you think you're powerful, you're delusional. However, as superintendent, you are in a position to make inherently powerful connections." A superintendent who is functioning at a high level is playing the role of democratic leader, even at a time when there is a complex mix of changing values and economic realities.

The superintendent is expected to form fruitful relationships with countless stakeholders simultaneously, while embracing the diversity of backgrounds, thoughts, and needs found in the community. Superintendents with an eye on the locality's future see themselves as accepting a moral responsibility, working to master the skills of connection, communication, collaboration, community building, child advocacy, and curricular choices.

How do you do what you do?

I perceive sometimes that others are glad that they are not expected to manage the complexities of an educational enterprise. Indeed, some acknowledge that the required time, energy, human process management, and ambiguity tolerance, particularly in politically charged and high-stakes testing arenas, would be extremely frustrating to them if they were expected to lead in the public domain.

Sometimes, folks argue that their notions of quick fixes can be panaceas to complex educational challenges. I frequently assert that "flash-in-the-pan" decision-making is usually successful only at capturing, momentarily, the public's awe. It rarely, if ever, results in long-term, positive institutional change.

A successful superintendent knows that he/she must bring a skill set which is focused upon balancing the influences of stability and change, requiring the commitment of considerable physical and mental energy, and recognizing that true, positive change occurs if the superintendent stays in place for several years, while always nurturing a culture of continuous improvement across the community.

Finally -- and most importantly -- a superintendent, like any human being, relies heavily upon the love and support of his/her own family to strike a healthy personal balance while performing this 24/7 role.

How do you make decisions?

Our most visible decisions as superintendents (such as closing schools on snow days) are those that have an immediate impact upon families and the regional economy. My favorite explanation of how such decisions are made is that I rely upon faith, intuition, and a great staff to accumulate the best available data to make the right decisions at the right time in support of our children and colleagues.

Effective decisions made for the long-term, though, must include the entire community's voice and a vigorous consensus if we want to truly make a difference in the lives of all the children whom we are called to serve.