An Interview With Jon Hartgraves

The superintendent interview was a valuable learning experience.  It allowed me the opportunity to ask a variety of questions and analyze the leadership style of my superintendent.  Mr. Hartgraves has been superintendent of Hico ISD since May.  In that short time, I have developed a respect and admiration for his leadership style.  I appreciated the opportunity to ask him specific questions and learn from his experiences.

 

(#4, #5) As I interviewed Mr. Hartgraves, one common theme emerged: Lead by example.  In every answer, he stressed the importance of being an example of integrity, ethics, consistency, fairness and transparency.  As the “face of the district”, Mr. Hartgraves believes in being visible on every campus and keeping the lines of communication open.

 

(#2) When asked about the positive aspects of being a superintendent, Mr. Hartgraves stated that he gets great satisfaction from seeing progress in the entire district.  Having influence over the “big picture” is rewarding because you see how your decisions impact every member of the district.  Interestingly, he alluded to the Transfer Theory of Learning.  He said that one of the positives is being able to take the strategies that worked at other levels of administration and applying them to leading the entire district.  It is obvious that Mr. Hartgraves is a teacher at heart and enjoys leading educators at the superintendent level.

 

(#3) One of the negative aspects of being superintendent, according to Mr. Hartgraves, is knowing that the buck stops with you.  Generally, when a problem makes it through the chain of command and reaches the superintendent office, it means the problem is a big one.  Dealing with “big problems” means that you are about to make a decision that affects many people.  Also among the negative aspects is the stress in the area of finance.  The superintendent has the ultimate responsibility and decision making when it comes to fiscal management.  This leads to stress because he says, “You NEVER stop thinking or worrying about money, facilities, etc.”  It is a never ending stress that is difficult to abate.

 

(#12) In regard to the management of everything from budgets to technology, Mr. Hartgraves believes in constant evaluation and long range planning.  One must consider the following: where the district has been, where the district is, and where the district is going.  It is critical to build on the current snapshot of the district. This evaluation and planning must include all stakeholders involved. Mr. Hartgraves also believes in developing a written plan of action which includes specific and measurable goals.  He stressed the importance of evaluating data daily in order to stay current on the state of the district.  Requesting regular reports from principals, technology directors, business manager, cafeteria manager, maintenance staff, etc. is the key to making clear and effective decisions.

 

(#15) When asked to give additional advice, Mr. Hartgraves again stressed the importance of being visible, personable and open with students, staff, parents and community members.  He reminded me to be open to new ideas and willing to listen. Networking is also critical to the success of a superintendent.  Knowing who to call, developing a contact list, and attending events with other superintendents is imperative. Learning about the practical things: Rules vs. Rules of Thumb, will help the superintendent make better decisions.  This type of knowledge is gained from spending time listening to and learning from the experiences of other superintendents.  Most important, don’t be afraid to ask questions.

 

I consider myself fortunate to serve alongside such a respected, ethical and effective superintendent.  I look forward to learning from Mr. Hartgraves throughout this internship process.