Domain I—Leadership of the Educational Community – Competencies 1 - 4
Competency 1 Area:
The superintendent knows how to act with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner in order to promote the success of all students.
Beginning this superintendent certification course has made me learn how a superintendent has to always be in “superintendent” mode. Every activity has caused me to see the “specificity” in decision making from the educational leaders seat in a way I had never looked at before. The competency is so clear when is says “promote the success of all students”, which to me includes everyone in the education system.
As a lifelong learner the most important part of being a leader is the ability to communicate with every level of “stakeholder” at their own level of understanding. Education is the “bastion” of second chances. Fairness is a cornerstone of being a teacher, we want folks to learn the first time a subject is taught and every time is they make a mistake. Ethical treatment to all involved in our daily lives is reflected in how we treat them. Respecting another person is “key” to the relationships that develop day to day. Without treating them as if we are better than they are educationally, socially and ethnically. All we have is our integrity at the end of each day. Walt Disney said “The minds of our children are our greatest natural resource”. It is the world’s future in every teacher’s hands.
In my intern plan there are many activities that are basic to the daily “business” of running a school district. The superintendent course makes each student step out of their comfort zone to be prepared for the expected and unexpected in education. We are dealing with people, you know.
Competency 2 Area:
The superintendent knows how to shape district culture by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the educational community.
For me this competency is stating how a superintendent handles the constant change in this living organism we call education. With all of the financial problems put on the backs of the educational system in Texas, we are still teaching kids to become the best leaders and citizens in the world. Our “vision” statements are very important in making sure that everyone in the community knows what goals and direction the district is headed in.
With community cultures and economic strength changing, it is very important that educational leaders know how to share information in a way that everyone can understand. Stewardship and complete transparency is so critical to being an effective leader for each community. Communication is making sure to listen with everyone in mind, and then speaking with clarity, compassion and conviction with the goal in sight.
The activities in our intern plan give great direction in planning meetings and developing strategies for the best possible outcomes. Implementing these changes during times of uncertainty is critical for district leaders to be successful.
Competency 3 Area:
The superintendent knows how 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.
Being in a small 1A school district that has changed from a mostly “white” rural farming community, to one that is now mostly a “bed room” community for Hispanic/ migrant construction workers is a struggle. The main problem is the communication barrier. Over half of our student’s parents are not bilingual, speaking only Spanish. The educators are not bilingual either, speaking only English. We must be able to communicate in order to share the information needed to educate students, parents and every community member that is interested in our country’s future success.
The activity’s in these courses has given us some great ideas in how to address this very issue occurring in Texas education. By using these resources and ideas I know that the communication gap will not continue to be the reason kids suffer from frustration and lack of motivation.
From the Judge that hears our attendance issues to the parent riding on the back of a garbage truck, the superintendent must be able to get all stakeholders on the same page for educational success in our community.
Competency 4 Area:
The superintendent knows how to respond to and influence the larger political, social, economic, legal, and cultural context, including working with the board of trustees, to achieve the district's educational vision.
Understanding the political arena in education is very critical at the superintendent level of leadership. This year I have had to interview the superintendent and director of finances in the activities for the superintendent courses. Many times they have mentioned how they have to interact with the school board so that the goals and visions are being met. It has been really fun and exciting to see the way my superintendent collaborates with other superintendents to make decisions concerning new state guidelines while adjusting to local constraints as budgets are cut to the bone.
Dr. Nicks has come down and conducted many “board training” sessions for my superintendent. Every time the meeting is covering something we as a cohort have been assigned in class. It seems as though our EDLD teachers “walk the walk and talk the talk”. The political strategies used by my superintendent are keeping the board focused on the goal that has been molded over the past twenty years by some really dedicated leaders. The board is the “head” that runs the educational body, but the superintendent is the “neck” that makes sure it is facing in the right direction. (my big fat Greek wedding) LOL
DOMAIN II—INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP – COMPETENCIES 5 - 7
Competency 5 Area:
The superintendent knows how to facilitate the planning and implementation of strategic plans that enhance teaching and learning; ensure alignment among curriculum, curriculum resources, and assessment; use the current accountability system; and promote the use of varied assessments to measure student performance.
The superintendent must always have in place a way to implement and enhance curriculum and assess the system being used. Making sure that all students have an opportunity to improve and grow during their educational experience in our district.
One of the things our school district did was to choose a new curriculum that would allow teachers input and ownership, while giving them a tool that would close the gap between our low economically disadvantaged kids that did not speak English until they began public education. Our superintendent was able to step outside the “box” and collaborate with other superintendents around the state that are going through the same changes. Using data driven information to “turn the page” and start something new was very scary. The administrative team had to be on the same page. Knowing how to implement this change was exciting, especially knowing that strategies from our professors were being used to implement the new curriculum.
Communication with all stakeholders was critical in getting everyone on board. The change has not been completely “fun”, but we have given the teachers a tool that will help educate all students.
Competency 6 Area:
The superintendent knows how to advocate, promote, and sustain an instructional program and a district culture that are conducive to student learning and staff professional growth.
With all of the changes this year from the state legislature our school district has really had to make hard decisions concerning budget. This has affected every aspect of our instructional strategies plan. Rice was able to keep all personnel in place due to some great stewards of the money allotted by the state.
Keeping everything pointed in a positive direction our superintendent was able to get the board of education, district faculty and community leaders excited even with the challenges facing all Texas schools. We are using CSCOPE, Eduphoria, A+ and Rosetta Stone to help with curriculum, data driven decision making, credit recovery and language barriers.
The superintendent is the one that has to find ways to improve education each year even when resources are being cut by the state and federal government. Technology combined with motivated teachers, trained in using the tools in their classrooms is going to make the difference in the lives of all students from kindergarten through the twelfth grade.
Competency 7 Area:
The superintendent knows how to implement a staff evaluation and development system and select appropriate models for supervision and staff development to improve the performance of all staff members.
The superintendent must be self motivated and self evaluating. Our superintendent is a great role model. She is always reading and passing on new information to administrators in the district. Being a lifelong learner, the superintendent cannot sit back and look at past accomplishments.
Bringing in the Eduphoria software and having administrators collaborate and develop unique walk through templates, our district has begun making teacher evaluations more important for the teachers to learn from. We are getting teachers to find out what they are strongest at in teaching and what they feel is their weakness in the classroom. This will allow them to become better instructors through being students themselves.
We were excited about being a recognized district, but the entire staff knew how much better we need to be for the kids to perform on TAKS, STAAR and in life. The technology is still behind according to the 2006 requirements, but our school districts superintendent is trying every year to get us into the 21st century. I believe the new “textbook” allocations will be used for buying more technology for our students.
DOMAIN III—ADMINISTRATIVE LEADERSHIP – COMPETENCIES 8 – 10
Competency 8 Area:
The superintendent knows how to apply principles of effective leadership and management in relation to district budgeting, personnel, resource utilization, financial management, and technology application.
The superintendent course is proving to open my eyes to the many facets that face the leader of our district. As a licensed athletic trainer for the past thirty years I have had to become very creative with the amount of money allotted to my athletic programs. Having to make sure to plan ahead and make sure that kids are taken care of is crucial to providing proper care to injured athletes. I now see how a superintendent has to do the very same thing with a district budget.
The responsibility to be completely transparent and know how to decide what the budget will be and how the money will come to the district is overwhelming. I really learned how much people do not know about school finance in Texas education. Following the goals and vision of the school board, the superintendent must have a plan and know how to implement it. I am really excited to know the many places to go in order to handle finance questions. TEA, Texasisd.com and the ESC’s are great resources. I also found out that many colleagues are really gifted and talented in this area. I know that it is important to use others and not carry the whole load.
Competency 9 Area:
The superintendent knows 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.
So many things have happened in our district in the past year. The tornado that “blew up” our newly built school allowed me to learn how to deal with the media in an emergency. How to get help from the ESC in order to handle issues from getting TEA insurance help all the way to making sure kids are safe inside and out of buildings.
Being held hostage with 256 students and teachers back in 2002 has given me a perspective of making sure everyone in the district knows what to do in the event of a crisis or emergency. As a superintendent the number one priority is that students, faculty, staff and parents are safe when on campus or in a school bus. Keeping folks educated about safety and being able to communicate to parents, kids and community members is so vital to educating our future leaders. I like knowing that we can be a “team” with a family atmosphere. A family takes care of each other even when we make mistakes, but a team fixes the problem so we can win.
Competency 10 Area:
The superintendent knows how to apply organizational, decision-making, and problem-solving skills to comply with federal and state requirements and facilitate positive change in varied contexts.
Decision-making and problem-solving is just like breathing when you are an administrator. I have found out that being a principal means you have to make these decisions quickly and effectively using experience and looking at each situation on a case by case basis affecting usually one student or teacher at a time. Taking this superintendent course has taught me that a superintendent on the other hand has to make decisions that can affect the entire district forever at one time.
I have learned that a superintendent has the loneliest job in the district. You have to take in consideration the consequences of your decisions from the legal aspect, student, teacher, parent, community and especially the board of education in mind. By using administrative teams, teacher committees along with community input the superintendent has to carefully guide the district in the direction chosen by the board of education. A superintendent must think of everybody, even when just making a decision about one person. The legal and educational ramifications are unbelievable.
No comments:
Post a Comment