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.
I am a firm believer that this
is the most critical area of leadership for any administrative or managerial
position. Perhaps that is why acting
with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner is listed as the first of a
long list of superintendent competencies.
Without a true commitment to this competency, every action of a leader
will be in vain. It is for this reason
that I dedicate myself to meet this standard in every area of my life, not just
leadership. Integrity, fairness and
ethics must be evident in your lifestyle.
Using the educational code
of ethics and a book entitled The
Ultimate Leader by Ken Johnson, I compiled a long list of guiding
principles for ethical behavior. This
list included everything from modeling ethical behavior to conflict
resolution. I took this list and
interviewed both our superintendent and a local business leader. It did not take long to discover that the
list I had compiled was very similar in both the educational and business
world. There is no doubt that ethical
behavior has an impact on school improvement. When asked about ethical behavior, it is
common for most people to immediately give examples involving money. There are many examples of unethical behavior
that relate to the misappropriation, misuse, or stealing of funds. Many leaders have found themselves in
precarious situations because they thought no one would find out. Although this is an important area of
concern, I believe ethics involves much more that just monitoring
finances. Setting an example of ethics
for your staff and your students involves acting with integrity and fairness
through your every day actions. Whether
resolving conflict, developing relationships or addressing student/staff
concerns, an administrator should make every effort to do so with fairness and
consistency. This includes being
courageous enough to address situations in which you believe your staff members
are failing to do so. The superintendent
must take any allegation seriously that involves inappropriate or unethical
behavior and complete a thorough investigation.
In the same way, business leaders must keep their eyes open and be
willing to address unethical behavior.
Modeling integrity, fairness and ethics is a must for any leader. Setting this example will inspire staff and
students to follow suit and go far in insure the success of your school
district or business.
In the area of
interpersonal relationships, I identified five interpersonal skills to develop
throughout the year. Although I am far
from perfect, I do believe I have improved in each of these areas. My type A personality tends to cause me to
interrupt others and take over a conversation.
This is something I have become more and more aware of throughout this
year and made a conscious effort to correct.
I have also tried to be more conscientious about recognizing and
celebrating the accomplishments of my students and staff. Including blurbs in my newsletter about great
lessons I have seen, or awards our teachers have earned has been well-received
and seems to be appreciated by all. The
hardest thing for me to do is accept criticism.
This is not because I believe I am perfect and do no wrong, but largely
due to the fact that I have high expectations for myself. I do not like to let others down. It has taken great effort for me to accept
any criticism without getting defensive or down on myself. I have learned to take the criticism,
immediately journal my initial thoughts and “defenses”, then wait until I am
less emotional to address the criticism.
More often than not, I find that the criticism is valid and I am able to
find a way to improve in that area.
Resolving conflicts among staff members has been a challenge for
me. Trying to find that fine line
between helping with the resolution and letting the adults work it out on their
own, is extremely difficult. Throughout
this year I have learned that it is best if I do not step until I see the
conflict is affecting the culture of the campus. Most of the time, the conflict is worked out
in a timely manner. In the few
situations where it has escalated, I was able to step in and mediate in a fair
and consistent manner. Although it
caused a short time of tension between the staff members and me, it nipped the
conflict in the bud and was appreciated by other members of the staff who were
being drawn in to the conflict. This is
an example of making a decision based on what is best for the campus, not what
is the easiest for me.
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.
My
internship plan included 5 activities related to shaping district culture. One thing I discovered through this
internship process is that an effective superintendent addresses this
competency every single day in one way or another. Shaping district culture is an everyday
process and must be given priority in order to insure the success of a district.
It is a natural part of the superintendent position to focus time everyday
insure that your entire district is taking steps toward a common goal.
In
my analysis of the HISD mission statement as it relates to the master schedule,
I discovered that the vision of HISD is most definitely reflected in the master
schedule of each campus. Each campus
schedule is designed to make the most effective use of instructional time. As much as possible, core classes are offered
in the morning and electives are in the afternoon. This minimizes the amount of instructional
time that is lost due to students leaving school early for extra-curricular
activities, doctor appointments, etc.
The junior high and high school campuses also have special schedules to
use for pep rallies, assemblies and other activities that reduce the amount of
class time missed. RTI courses and
tutorial times are built into each schedule to provide ample opportunity to
work with struggling students and insure their success. CTE courses and other electives provide an
avenue to promote life-long learning and critical thinking.
This
year has provided an excellent learning experience in the area of District
Improvement. I have learned the value of
completing a Comprehensive Needs Assessment and using that data to create
campus and district improvement plans.
Working with Mr. Hartgraves, I developed a district improvement calendar
that included the NCLB requirements and other important agenda items. This calendar served as a guideline for both
principals and the superintendent as we developed our agendas for our
site-based meetings. This year-long
planning and data analysis made the revision of our district improvement plan
much easier and our plan was better aligned with our mission statement.
Updating
the District Improvement process included analyzing our AEIS data and
incorporating strategies for improvement into the district improvement
plan. The implementation of the
STAAR/EOC assessment system has thrown many districts for a loop. It is difficult to analyze data and set goals
in the first stages of a new and more rigorous test. There is no previous year’s data with which
to compare. Therefore, I used the state
averages as my gauge to see where our district stands in this area. I created a document which compared the
results of each STAAR and EOC assessment to the state averages. This comparison
revealed the areas in which we were strong and those in which we need
improvement. One of the greatest areas
of concern is in the area of advanced performance. Our percentages in this area were low across
the board. This tells me that we are not
spending enough time challenging our top students. Our instruction is focused on getting every
student in the district “up to par” and we are failing to meet the needs of the
student who already excel in academics.
This prompted me to incorporate more critical thinking and problem
solving activities into our district plan.
We will also provide professional development activities that will
foster differentiated instruction.
One
of the most beneficial activities in this competency was analyzing the
leadership styles of the past three superintendents of HISD. I discovered some very important pros and cons
to each leadership style and was able to compile a list of “do’s and don’ts” in
relation to the superintendent position.
This also required me to take a good hard look at my own leadership
style and make adjustments that will help me become a more effective leader.
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.
Whether he/she realizes it or not,
the superintendent is addressing the goals in competency 3 every single
day. Whether it is in a meeting with a
parent, making a stop at the convenience store for a drink, or attending a
local civic meeting, the superintendent is having an impact on the
communication and collaboration with families and community members. I discovered through my internship that being
a superintendent is not a 7:30-5:00 job, it is a life style. You are on the clock 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week and every action can and will impact your relationship with your
community. Superintendents must
recognize this fact if they want to make a real difference in their school
district and community. Successful
school districts and communities go hand in hand. You cannot have one without
the other and the superintendent is a key player in each.
In order to foster communication
with staff members, I write a newsletter for my staff and have it ready each
Monday morning. This newsletter includes
important information about the week’s activities and also provides a calendar
of events for the next three weeks. In
high school, especially during the spring, the vast number of extra-curricular
and other activities is overwhelming. I
have found that communicating with staff and letting them plan ahead minimizes
the stress they feel due to student absences.
This weekly newsletter also provides an opportunity for me to share
quotes, inspirational thoughts and sometimes concerns with my staff. The feedback from my staff members has been
very positive when it comes to the newsletter.
They have given me suggestions and recommendations as to what to include
and how to increase the clarity of the information. One of the greatest advantages to using this
method is that it has reduced the amount of time we spend in faculty
meetings. I certainly believe this mode
of communication would be of great benefit as a superintendent. The superintendent should send a monthly
newsletter to staff and community members which includes celebrations
throughout the district, highlights of important events and updates from the
latest school board meeting. A personal
communication from the superintendent will not only create an atmosphere of
open communication, but also inspire everyone involved to work toward a common
goal.
The area of community relations has
been a sore spot over the past three years.
Unfortunately, we had a break down in trust between our city officials
and our school district leaders and board members. I have watched Mr. Hartgraves make every
effort to mend this relationship over the past year, and he has done so
successfully. In my interviewing of city
officials about this matter, I quickly discovered that most of the problem was
due to a breakdown in communication.
Having a superintendent who had a difficult time taking a stand on
specific issues was another contributing factor. In contrast, Mr. Hartgraves has been an
excellent example of how a superintendent must work to improve community
relations. He has done so by scheduling
monthly breakfast meetings with city officials to discuss any concerns or
issues. This has opened the lines of
communication and broken the barrier between city and school. City officials state that these meetings
have been a key factor in creating a positive working relationship with the
school.
Through surveys and informal
conversations with parents and students, I have been able to determine the
parent and student attitudes towards school.
A majority of our parents and students have a positive attitude and a
great appreciate for our school district.
The concerns that surfaced mostly revolved around the parent portal in
which parents can use an online system to monitor student grades. They ask that teachers update their grades in
a timely manner. This is a legitimate
concern and something that can certainly cause a breakdown in the communication
between school and parents.
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.
Jon Hartgraves has provided me with
an excellent example of how to meet the requirements of competency 4. He has involved me in many activities related
to this area and has trained me in how work with the political, social,
economic, legal and cultural factors affecting the school district. \
In my analysis of the job
description of the campus principal and evaluation instrument, I discovered a
direct correlation. The evaluation
instrument used by Mr. Hargraves is much different than those used by my
previous superintendents and I believe it is much more helpful and
effective. Prior to this year, my
evaluation included a list of all of the principal competencies and specific
areas related to my job description. I
was rated in each of the areas as “exceeds”, “proficient”, or
“unsatisfactory.” There was room for
comment after each domain and at the end of the evaluation instrument. While this is a commonly used practice, the
rating scale method does not always provide specific information that allows
you to address specific concerns. On the
other hand, Mr. Hartgraves uses a “feedback” method of evaluation. Again, there is a list of the specific
domains and specific areas related to the job description. However, the difference is that the feedback
does not include a rating scale.
Instead, Mr. Hargraves provided a specific comment about each area that
addressed strengths and weaknesses. Suggestions for improvement were included
where necessary and provided information to help me grow in my profession. This is the first evaluation I have had as an
educator that I felt was a true reflection of my performance. I will certainly be using this same type of
evaluation instrument with my principals when I become superintendent.
I was fortunate to be involved in
the updating of the board policy manual this year. I worked with Mr. Hartgraves and the other
campus principals to do a complete review of our current policy and compare
with current practices. There were
several areas in which our handbooks and current practices did not match the
school board policy. I was in charge of
making the necessary updates to board policy, which was a great learning
experience. I contacted our TASB
representative and consulted with her throughout the process. She sent me examples of policies and in some
cases provided me with the Starting Points documents to create the policy from
scratch. I developed the policy for EOC
and drug testing through this process.
This made me realize the importance of making sure that our policy
matches common practices and procedures as well as the importance of
communicating these policies to our teachers.
Reviewing board agendas, reports and
minutes provided me with helpful information about the procedures involved in
working with the school board. Helping
put together board packets for monthly meetings revealed the importance of
detailed communication with the school board.
Mr. Hartgrave provides packets to the school board the week before
meetings. These packets provided board members the opportunity to look over
reports and other information that will be presented or discussed. This allows them to list questions and
concerns prior to the meeting which maximizes time on task at meetings and
minimizes confusion. When the board has
previously reviewed materials, they can go straight to discussion of the item
and no time is wasted.
Perhaps the greatest learning
experience related to this competency was through assisting Mr. Hartgraves with
the development of a power point presentation for the school board and community
about the proposed consolidation of campuses.
Our district is closing the old elementary campus, moving 7th
and 8th grade in with the high school campus, and moving PK-6th
to the junior high campus. The
elementary is the original HISD campus and has a lot of historical value. We knew that it would be critical to present
this proposal in just the right way to insure the support of the
community. Unfortunately, word leaked
out before the meeting and there was a small uprising among the senior citizens
of the community. This led to parent
concerns about how it would affect their students and was on the verge of
snowballing into a public relations nightmare.
However, Mr. Hartgraves immediately called a special board meeting and
publicized it well. At the meeting he
presented the powerpoint we had developed and provided every detail as to why
this consolidation was being proposed.
By the end of his presentation, every person at the meeting (including
those who had adamantly opposed the proposal) understood the reasoning behind
the decision. The fact that he took the
time to inform them and used as much data as possible to validate his concerns
was a key factor in fostering their support.
That night the school board voted 7-0 to accept the proposal. Since that time there has been nothing but
positive support for the project. Being
part of this major change has been an invaluable learning experience for
me. Perhaps the greatest learning
experience of my educational career.
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.
In the current state of education in
Texas, competency 5 seems to have the most potential for conflict, stress and
concern. From the concerns and
opposition to the CSCOPE curriculum, to the new STAAR and EOC assessment
program, educators across the state are fighting numerous battles against
politics, pressure and opposition. It is
imperative that a superintendent stay up to date on all of the latest
legislation as it affects the area of instructional leadership.
HISD has used the CSCOPE curriculum
for the past 6 years and with great success.
As administrators, we have made it clear that this curriculum serves as
the foundation scope and sequence for our district. We have also made it clear to teachers that
although they must follow the scope and sequence to the letter, they do have
some flexibility in determining how they develop lessons to teach the
concepts. Teachers also have flexibility
in how they use the CSCOPE assessments.
This curriculum is viewed as an important resource for our teachers, not
as the end all be all for education.
Fortunately, this has resulted in a positive attitude toward
CSCOPE. After surveying teachers about
the effective used, I determined that the elementary and junior high teachers
are fully committed to its use. High
school teachers are a bit less committed, but only because the curriculum lacks
in the advanced subjects such as calculus.
Teachers believe they receive support from the administration in this
area and appreciate the flexibility we allow.
Any concerns we have heard have come from a small number of parents or
grandparents who have been misinformed about how we use the curriculum. Many political groups are going to great
lengths to oppose the curriculum and say that it is anti-American and
pro-Islam. Mr. Hartgraves has helped us
address these concerns through meetings with these parents and explanations of
how our district uses the curriculum.
These meetings have resulted in positive support for our efforts and an
appreciation of our open communication.
In the area of school/program
scheduling, I worked throughout this internship to develop ways to remediate
students who are not passing EOC/TAKS.
We have incorporated tutorials during activity period and also provided
intervention classes. One thing I have
discovered through this process is that teachers are still very unclear as to
the expectations of STAAR and do not yet have a handle on how to prepare
students for this rigorous exam. This is not due to the fact that my teachers
are inadequate or inexperienced, but rather that they are unsure of how
concepts will be assessed. My role is to
provide as much support and training as possible to help the teachers gain
confidence in their instructional strategies.
I have done this through encouraging words, professional development and
other activities. Using the ICLE website
and its rigor/relevance framework, along with the book The Fundamental Five, I have spent much time with my faculty
discussing this information. This has
been a key element in helping build confidence and insuring their success.
I have also worked with the Gifted
and Talented teacher to improve the HHS program. We scheduled a special planning period for
Mrs. Post to provide time to develop a manual with forms and procedures for
this program. We also provided a GT
project day each six weeks in which Mrs. Post met with GT students and assisted
them in completing their portfolio. The
program includes specific tasks for each grade level and culminates with a
project based portfolio for each student.
I have also assisted her with parent meetings and scheduling tours of
colleges and career prep programs.
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.
As principal of HHS, I believe that
one of my most important tasks is to find a place for each student in my school
to contribute to campus success. Whether
it is through participation in extra-curricular activities or helping stack
chairs after lunch, it is imperative that each student believe that they are a
significant part of Hico High School.
One of my activities in this area
was to calculate the percentage of students who belong to one or more student
groups. I was pleased to find that 73%
of our students are involved in at least one or more student group: 85% of 9th grade, 71% of 10th
grade, 83% of 11th grade and 55% of seniors. Of those students who are not involved, a
large majority have after school jobs.
There is a very small percentage of our student population who “does
nothing” other than attend school. I go
to great lengths to find ways for the students who are not involved in
activities to contribute to the success of our campus. Many of them volunteer for community service
events such as helping deliver canned goods at the senior center or decorating
doors at the nursing home. I also have numerous conversations encouraging
students to participate in some type of extracurricular activity.
Our district is fortunate to have an
excellent technology staff. I work
closely with the technology director each year to update the district
technology plan. This year I paid very
close attention to the degree of compliance between district policy and the
technology plan. Not surprisingly, I
discovered that our plan and policy are directly aligned. We also do an effective job of communicating
our policy and plan to faculty and students.
Through faculty meetings, professional development and faculty
handbooks, we have addressed the legal aspects such as social networking and
appropriate use of school technology.
HISD has used Eduphoria to
disaggregate data for the past two years.
I have been the lead administrator in training and teaching our students
how to effectively use the data with which they are provided. This year we took the efforts one step
further by requiring our teachers to administer an online benchmark through the
Aware program. I scheduled training for
teachers on both the junior high and high school campuses. I also met with each department and had
frequent discussions about the current strengths and weaknesses and how to
improve student achievement. Each
department set goals for this year’s performance in both the passing percentage
as well as advanced performance percentage.
This activity provided a valuable learning experience as it made me
aware of the tremendous pressure and concern my teachers are feeling due to the
new assessment system. It allowed me to
find ways to address their concerns and offer support and encouragement as
often as possible.
Another area of concern under this
competency was the consistency of discipline strategies across the district,
including our current bullying policy.
Working with Mr. Hartgraves and the campus principals we developed an
effective bullying policy and procedures that will be consistent across all
three campuses. We developed bullying
report forms that are specific to each campus and received specific guidelines
from Mr. Hartgraves as to how he would like us to report our investigations and
findings to him. This streamlined our
reporting process and made things much easier for him. I realized through this activity how
important it is that the superintendent require all campuses to be consistent
in their policies and procedures.
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.
Effective
staff development is crucial to the success of a school district and
campus. It has been my pet peeve as an
educator that often districts do not take time to provide quality staff
development. Many times they throw all
levels and subjects into a room and hit them with a lot of boring information
that does not impact student achievement or enhance instruction. I have made it a priority through my
internship to provide teachers with effective staff development that they can
immediately apply in their classrooms to improve student engagement and
performance.
One
of the most extensive projects during my internship was providing my staff with
a one day training on The Fundamental
Five, a book by Sean Cain and Mike Laird. First, I read the book and
highlighted the most important concepts and those I believed would be most
beneficial when implemented by our teachers.
I then developed a detailed power point presentation and workbook to use
with the staff. The training I designed
was a one day training that included information about the fundamental five as
well as specific case studies and activities designed to help teachers
implement these concepts in their classrooms.
I presented this training to the entire district, with the help of the two
other campus principals. Upon completion
of the training, I challenged each teacher to pick at least two of the
fundamental five to immediately incorporate into their classroom. All high school teacher were directed to use
the lesson framework as one of those concepts, they could choose the rest from
the remaining four. The surveys from
this presentation resulted in much positive feedback. Teacher stated how much
they appreciated professional development that could be applied to their
students’ specific instructional needs.
As I have completed walkthroughs on every campus it has been exciting to
see evidence of the fundamental five in nearly every classroom. This is the confirmation I needed that a
little effort in providing quality staff development will certainly have a
positive impact on students and the entire district.
Recruiting
and retaining quality staff is a must in every school district. Hiring the right people and placing them in
the right seats on the bus, so to speak, is a necessity. Through my participation in the interview process
with Mr. Hartgraves, I have learned a great deal about this process. Before the interview, Mr. Hartgraves asked me
to develop a list of questions for the interview. We then met and discussed appropriate
questions and topics to avoid. I learned
a great deal from the way Mr. Hartgraves conducted the interview. He demonstrated just the right balance of
being personal while remaining professional.
Mr. Hartgraves also was not afraid to ask difficult questions that
required the candidate to put think through the answers. Using case studies and situational questions,
we were able get a true picture of the applicant’s abilities and philosophy of
education.
DOMAIN III—ADMINISTRATIVE LEADERSHIP – COMPETENCIES 8 – 10
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 activities involving administrative
leadership, specifically in the area of budgeting, were all valuable learning
experiences. This is the domain in which
I have the least experience and the least amount of confidence. I am fortunate to have a superintendent who
has involved me in numerous activities throughout my internship, many of them
being spontaneous “teaching moments.”
One of the most helpful activities I
participated in was a Finance 101 class taught by Mr. Hartgraves. He has developed a powerpoint lesson that
teaches the ins and outs of the school finance template. Mr. Hartgraves believe that it is important
that a superintendent understand exactly how the template works – that it is
not good enough to just plug numbers in and see what happens. He broke down each of the areas and taught us
how to calculate the expected financial contribution from the state, based on
the adjustments made to the basic allotment for each category. This activity gave me a much clearer
understanding of the school finance process.
As new information becomes available in school finance, such as the
proposed increase in the basic allotment, Mr. Hartgraves has given me specific
assignments to calculate the effect those changes will have on our district. The more time I spend making these
calculations, the better understanding I have as to how the school finance
system works.
In order to continue my education in
the area of school finance, I have attended a variety of staff development
activities at ESC 12. Mr. Hartgraves has
allowed me to join him in superintendent round table discussions and other
meeting in which school finance was the topic.
The most effective learning experiences have been through his
willingness to involve me in every conversation between him and our business
manager about budgeting, resources, etc.
I have learned a great deal from both of these men and consider them to
be my most valuable resources in this area.
Another activity in this competency
was in the area of personnel. Before we
ever decided to consolidate campuses next year, I had to develop a plan that
included the minimum number of staff and classrooms necessary in our school
district. Using current enrollment,
staffing and course schedules, I developed a plan that show exactly how many
teachers we will need next year. I also created
a map of the campuses that showed where each teacher would be located after the
consolidation and how many portable buildings we would need to add at each
campus. This activity required me to
look at teacher certifications, classroom assignments, and salaries to
determine the most cost effective way to make the transition. Much of the information I presented was used
by Mr. Hartgraves in the school board presentation to propose the consolidation
of campuses.
Compiling a list of books,
publications, training manuals, etc to recommend for the principal has provided
me the opportunity to reflect on the numerous resources I have used to grow in
my principalship. Books such as The Ultimate Leader, The Fundamental Five and The Energy Bus have been excellent
resources throughout my career. Classroom Habitudes is the most current
book I have been reading. It is
important that principals read books and publications that cover all areas of
the school, from culture to instructional strategies. Reading publications such as “Texas ISD” and “The
District Administrator” will keep principals current on the latest trends and
legislation. It is imperative that
educators take time to read professional journals that will enhance the
culture, climate and student performance of your school district.
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.
My activities in this area involved
analysis of the district’s custodial, transportation and food services. I met with the directors of each of these
areas and discussed the strengths and concerns of their department.
Our custodial service is provided
through a contract with Faulk Company.
Therefore, we do not have direct responsibility for the salaries,
policies, etc of this department.
However, we have a strong working relationship with Faulk Company. Any concerns we might have are taken to the
supervisor and immediately corrected.
Although the custodians on our campuses are not directly our employees,
we got to great lengths to assure them that they are part of our team. They are included in all campus activities
such as luncheons, etc and know that we consider them a valuable asset to our
district. In visiting with the head
custodian, she commented on the fact that they greatly appreciate the fact that
we treat them as one of us. This makes
them even more determined to meet our needs and provide us with the cleanest
facilities possible. Custodial schedules
and responsibilities are determined based on the needs of the campus. For example, the head custodian meets with
the principals at the beginning of the year to see teacher schedules and
develop a daily schedule for each custodian.
The custodians are provided with a calendar each week that includes
upcoming events and helps them prepare for after hours use of our facilities.
The transportation director’s
greatest issue is in finding substitute bus drivers. In a small town such as ours, there are not
many people who are able to take on this responsibility. Although we have plenty of full time bus
drivers, we have very few backups. This
makes it difficult when one calls in sick at the last minute. In order to alleviate this problem, our
transportation director suggested that each of the maintenance staff obtain a
bus driver’s license. This has been
extremely helpful. It has also saved
money due to the fact that they do not have to pay the maintenance person
substitute pay because the route is during regular working hours. The transportation director is responsible
for keeping up with bus driver certifications and letting drivers know when it
is time for their three year renewal.
David keeps a log of this and begins scheduling renewal training at the
end of each school year. David also does
an excellent job of hiring bus drivers that are able to hand student
behavior. It is a rare occasion that a
bus driver has trouble with students.
They go to great lengths to implement procedures to insure the safety
and well being of our students.
The food services director expressed
many concerns about the current state of food service in schools. In this time of financial strain, school
cafeterias are facing more and more legislation that requires them to complete
revamp their menu selection. Although
adding healthy choices is certainly what is best for students, this also puts
an extra strain on the budget. Healthy
food is more expensive to serve. They
are also dealing with changing caloric allowances. This has caused many complaints, especially
from high school boys, about them not getting enough food for lunch. The
restraints in this area require cafeteria managers to calculate the caloric
intake of every item they serve. They must
pay close attention to portion sizes and serving options. One action the cafeteria manager has taken to
help this problem is to offer “food tasting” activities in which vendors bring
in new and different foods, students taste the food and give them input as to what
they like and don’t like. This has
allowed the cafeteria to serve some new items that provide variety to the
menu. This has been a very successful
activity and she plans to continue this in the future.
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.
Understanding how to resolve
conflict is an extremely important part of being an effective leader. Whether the conflict is student-student,
student-teacher, teacher-teacher, or parent-teacher, every conflict has to
potential to tear a campus and/or district apart. Through my internship I have had numerous
opportunities to learn from Mr. Hartgraves about resolving conflict.
One specific area in which I was
able to resolve a conflict was in regards to the use of our High School Ag
Farm. A parent approached our ag teacher
asking permission to keep his child’s show pigs at the farm. As the purpose of our ag farm is to provide a
facility for students to house their show animals, Mr. Kale agreed. When the parent brought the pig to the barn,
we quickly discovered that he did not mean a single pig, but rather 20
pigs. He filled up every pen in the ag
barn leaving no room for any other student’s animals. When asked to remove the majority of the
pigs, the parent refused stating that there was no written policy limiting the
number of pigs he could keep there.
I began the process of resolving
this issue by meeting with the ag teachers and learning the specifics about the
logistics of the ag farm: how many pens, the size of the pens, how many other
students needed pens, etc. I then met
with the parent to hear his side of the story.
I quickly learned that his parent would not take “no” for an answer and was
not interested in the needs of other students.
Because we did not have a written policy in place, I was unsure as to
how we would be able to require him to remove the pigs.
With the help of our legal counsel,
ag teachers, and the superintendent, I developed an ag farm policy that
addressed each of our concerns. I
presented this policy to the school board for their review. The board agreed to adopt the policy, which
will go into effect next year.
I still needed to address the
current situation that some of our students did not have a place to house their
show animals. Therefore, I called
another meeting with the parent and presented both sides of the argument. I informed him that we had a number of
students who were unable to house their animals at home because they lived in
town. After much discussion, we came to
the agreement that the parent would build extra pens in our ag farm to house
his extra animals. This would open up
the current pens to be used by other students.
Although this wasn’t exactly the resolution I had hoped for, I realized
that sometimes you have to compromise.
Especially when you do not have a
policy in place to back up your decisions.
Through this experience I learned a
variety of lessons: 1) Never assume that a person will do what it best for the
greater good. Some people are only in it
for themselves and you cannot change that. 2) Develop a simple policy for the
use of every facility in your district.
This will minimize conflicts and allow for the most effective use of the
facility. 3) Sometimes compromise is the best option. It never hurts to show others that you are
willing to bend when necessary…especially for the good of the entire
district.
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