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SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT.
Term Paper ID:25483
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Essay Subject:
Role & responsibility in school & community relations, leadership skills, as agent of reform, examples.... More...
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6 Pages / 1350 Words
10 sources, 14 Citations,
APA Format
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Paper Abstract:
Role & responsibility in school & community relations, leadership skills, as agent of reform, examples.
Paper Introduction:
THE ROLE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT IN THE SCHOOL
AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAM
Superintendents define their job responsibilities variously, with definitions that range from being an employee of the school board responsible for implementing the school board's policies to being professional paid staff responsible for providing vision and leadership for lay leaders (the school board). While the role of urban superintendents may be changing the most, superintendents of smaller or rural districts are also being forced to confront the necessity of adopting new methods of operating in light of local and national scrutiny of schools and the public's desire for higher academic standards.
The key leadership skills possessed by the ideal superintendent of the next century will include human, technical, and concep
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However, one central and unifying theme is the use of traditionalpublic relations materials and community relations efforts. Some of the new duties that superintendents face "under systemicreform include helping to establish organizational vision and mission,planning and coordination, facilitating change, spanning institutionalgaps, communicating, resolving conflicts, and improving organizationalefficiency" (Conley, as quoted in Thompson, 1994, p. They will need the communication skills of Winston Churchill anda Rolodex filled with the phone numbers of "friends" if they are tosucceed. Phi Delta Kappan, 67, 28-3 . 37 178) Available:http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed37 178.html. (1997, June). 3. 3). Preparing the 21st-century superintendent. Thompson, J. Murphy, J. The superintendent's role in stateassessments. 756-759). PhiDelta Kappan, 78, 756-759. He is active in the community and serves on boardsof directors, including a recent involvement to found the new Oceanarium ofthe Pacific. He is active in the Chamber of Commerce and a tireless brokerfor business-school enterprises and school-to-work programs. Kleinz, K. Eugene, OR: ERICClearinghouse on Educational Management. Thus, the "averagesuperintendent's tenure is close to five years, and the average urbansuperintendent leaves office after less than three years on the job"(Renchler, as quoted in Wimpelberg, 1997). American Journal ofEducation, 1 5, 319-345. Phi Delta Kappan, 7 , 376-379. (1997, June). The roles of superintendentsand school boards in engaging the public with the public schools. While the role of urban superintendents maybe changing the most, superintendents of smaller or rural districts arealso being forced to confront the necessity of adopting new methods ofoperating in light of local and national scrutiny of schools and thepublic's desire for higher academic standards. (ERIC Documentation ReproductionService No. (1998, May 15). (1985, September). Yet he or she must do so within an ever-decreasing range of freedomto act. 28-38). The National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) suggests thatsuccessful superintendents step out from behind their desks and createpersonal one-on-one relationships with teachers, school administrators, andboard members. Dr. Cohn sees himself as a changeagent and the full-time representative of the schools in his district. Phi Delta Kappan, 72, 5 7-13. The best way to do this may be to engage ininformation sharing sessions with parents, instructional meetings withteachers, visioning meetings with board members (i.e. If there are numerous complaints against aprincipal, or budget problems, or an unusually high number of teachersrequesting transfers, then he becomes involved at the school level. 3. Dr. Carl Cohn of the Long Beach Unified School District (Long Beach,CA) is a nationally respected and award-winning example of a modelsuperintendent for the 21st century. The superintendent who aspires to manifest change or reform via theintroduction of, for example, a new curriculum, would be well advised toengage in educational efforts with his or her teachers, parents, and theboard of education. recommends the following strategies for success: 1. 1) and information andfact-finding with the media. 3. (1989, January). Regardless of how one views the superintendent's responsibilities,"the position of superintendent at the nexus of social traffic in theeducational organization and between the district and its larger communitymakes the district chief's work inevitably political" (Wimpelberg, 1997, p.335). Leadership News (apublication of the American Association of School Administrators), 1-3. Dr. Cohn has a statistical view of the school district (he reviewscrime reports, budgets, and attendance reports), and, if all is well, hemaintains a hands-off policy. The 1994 Superintendent of theYear, Kenneth Moffett (Lennox, CA), summarizes his job tidily: "Basically,communication has a direct correlation to success or failure.Communication is the overall umbrella that allows us to achieve a buy-infrom the community" (Network, 1994, p. Superintendents should serve on business and civic group boards and foundations. Cuban, L. (1991, March). 3. The processes they use tocoalesce their publics are as different as each man or woman who holds theoffice. Superintendents should meet regularly with staff, parents, students, and advisory groups. Redefining the superintendent's job is happening even as schoolboards, and in some cases state legislatures, are attempting to clarify theactual governance arrangements between superintendents and school boards.This is occurring amid the clamor of a public demanding excellence from itslocal schools and administrators: "Effective superintendents...will bethose who manage the seemingly contradictory elements of the job: todevelop leadership from both the top down and from the bottom up, to beboth tough and gentle, and to be both leader and follower" (Murphy, 1991,pp. Superintendents as saviors: Fromthe terminator to Pogo. Superintendents, "regardless of their personal political skills, needto be sensitive to political dynamics at the community level" (Johnson, ascited in Wimpelberg, 1997). 1. He networkswith other superintendents, sharing his most effective strategies andillustrating his points with their stories of success or failure in theongoing process of educating his board of education. REFERENCES Cross, C. Being unaware of these factors can affect the successof implementing a new curriculum, teacher readiness programs, or acommunity relations program, and more. Superintendents should monitor agendas and attend important City Council meetings and various planning and economic development groups. Additionally, but not secondarily, their job is to createbonds of trust with parents and community members, including localbusinesses, corporations, and social service nonprofits(Kleinz, 1998, p. Wimpelberg, R. Superintendents: Availability and visibility are key. (1994, May). 3). 5 7-13). Superintendents must establish good working relationships with the local media, including writing columns and/or editorials for the newspaper, appearing on cable access channels, conducting TV and radio interviews. Vocal and sometimes angry parent groups, special interest lobbies,voter-sensitive legislative committees, and media eager for juicy soundbytes characterize the current political age. Superintending: The undeniable politicsand indefinite effects of school district leadership. Network (a publication of the NationalSchool Public Relations Association), 1,3. Goodman, R., Zimmerman, W., & Fulbright, L. The role of the superintendent is also to ensure that allmembers of the community believe that they have a stake in the publicschools (Houston, 1997, pp. Houston, P., & Bryant, A. Systemic Education Reform. Washington, DC: Council for Basic Education. Superintendents should attend school and community activities and spend time meeting and talking with people. Dr. Cohn works at the state and federal level to influencelegislation and to inform politicians on the issues confronting schools.He works closely with local school administrators' organizations and thelocal teachers' union. And, to further complicate thesuperintendent's job, as stated in an article originally appearing in TheSchool Administrator, he or she has a key role to play in school reform:"local superintendents must play a central role by working as anintermediary between the state and the schools, parents and public" (Cross,1997, p. Heis seemingly omnipresent in his efforts to publicize what is good about hisdistrict and to promote his vision of healthy urban schools. (1997, May). 3. Superintendent's advice on masteringleadership through visibility. Superintendents should schedule school visits several times a year, making it a point to visit classrooms as opposed to conducting staff meetings. And he engages inwhat his Public Information Officer, Dick Van Der Laan (personalcommunication, October 23, 1998), calls "the care and feeding of the Boardof Education". Superintendents must play three roles in orderto exercise real leadership: politician, manager, and teacher (Cuban, 1985,pp. Available:http://www.c-b-e.org/articles/schadmin.htm. Conflict and leadership in thesuperintendency. Superintendents should join the Chamber of Commerce. 376-379). 7). In today's atmosphere of fragmented communities soundingthe clarion call for systemic reform, superintendents must be aware oftheir inheritance: "the district and community's social, political,economic, and ethnic profile, and the school organization's structures,norms, and traditions...that shape the expectations of board members,educators, and community members" (Johnson, as cited in Wimpelberg, 1997).These expectations create or diminish a superintendent's opportunities formaking a difference. THE ROLE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT IN THE SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAM Superintendents define their job responsibilities variously, withdefinitions that range from being an employee of the school boardresponsible for implementing the school board's policies to beingprofessional paid staff responsible for providing vision and leadership forlay leaders (the school board). Long Beach's superintendent is not alone in his perception of his jobas chief communicator for the district. (1998, September). Goodsuperintendents are coaches, not just team players. Superintendents operate in systems that are political, which leads tothe image of the superintendent "acting as broker in a process ofdistributing resources to outsiders who vie for them" (Wimpelberg, 1997, p.336). N.S.P.R.A. His relationships with local schools are viewed as very positive andclearly reflect the current trend toward school-based management: areasuperintendents conduct all principals' reviews; principals andparent/community advisory groups have most of the responsibility forcreating constructive environments in which students can thrive and learn;he conducts inspections of every school site at least once a year; andteachers view him as an advocate of reform and an enthusiastic supporter oftheir profession. breakfastmeetings)(Goodman, Zimmerman, & Fulbright, 1998, p. Hoyle, J. (1994, October).Network (a publication of the National School Public RelationsAssociation), 7. The key leadership skills possessed by the ideal superintendent ofthe next century will include human, technical, and conceptual abilities(Hoyle, 1989, pp. A review of 35 public school districts' web sites, and thesuperintendents' pages in particular, reveals what the professionalliterature recommends: most see themselves as change-agents responsible forbringing together their various constituencies. Superintendents for the 21st century must see themselves as catalystsfor change and members of the community, but with a special mission to"sell" their programs, campaign for their plans, and champion theirschools. 2).
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