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Author: Robert Adrien Tremblay Publisher: ISBN: Category : Educational leadership Languages : en Pages : 116
Book Description
School superintendents are charged with the responsibility of organizing and managing human and material resources within a complex system of interest groups and collective bargaining agreements that is largely funded by taxpayers with competing wants and needs. "The superintendency has long been regarded with three traditional leadership frames: the managerial, instructional, and political" (Burry, 2003, p. 8). Through the growing body of literature on educational leadership, we have come to know that successful managing is the coordination of people and resources to produce goods or services in an organization (Sergiovanni, 1996). Similarly, the concept of instructional leadership is well-documented throughout the literature and is indeed a central function for superintendents - even when a bulk of work related curriculum, instruction, and assessment is delegated to leaders with expertise in this area. The third frame, what Burry (2003) describes as political, is largely rooted in the relationships between school superintendents and their respective boards or committees. There is very little research, however, that examines the ways in which school superintendents understand and manage the relationships beyond those with their appointing boards. On the most practical level, this research endeavor sought to contribute to the knowledge base of school leader preparation by uncovering those strategic processes by which managers or leaders were able to articulate and ultimately realize their altruistic vision of public education within a complex, open system; a system where communication, selflessness, problem management, and strategic planning emerged as some of the essential skills inherent to the political competence that school superintendents need to be successful in their work. Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) (Smith, Flowers & Larkin, 2012) approach to understand the lived experience of school superintendents, this study explored the experiences of four public school superintendents and how they made sense of their experiences in making connections to the external and highly politicized school community--an open system--in order to garner "buy-in" when aspiring to advance their educational agenda. Among the goals of this research was to make sense of how school superintendents understand the connection between agenda-setting and effective school leadership and how political competence--a construct that emerged out of the interview narrative--can lead to change. Surprisingly, superintendents participating in this study had no background knowledge in or awareness of agenda-setting as a function of political science. Strategies used by the study participants to mobilize stakeholders, communicate ideas, and garner buy-in were all the result of lessons learned on the job. Emergent themes around: communication, community, experience, giving away success, mentorship, perception, politics, problem management, selflessness, strategy, and trust emerged as a result of the rich discussions that took place with the study participants, most of whom did not aspire to become a school superintendent.
Author: Robert Adrien Tremblay Publisher: ISBN: Category : Educational leadership Languages : en Pages : 116
Book Description
School superintendents are charged with the responsibility of organizing and managing human and material resources within a complex system of interest groups and collective bargaining agreements that is largely funded by taxpayers with competing wants and needs. "The superintendency has long been regarded with three traditional leadership frames: the managerial, instructional, and political" (Burry, 2003, p. 8). Through the growing body of literature on educational leadership, we have come to know that successful managing is the coordination of people and resources to produce goods or services in an organization (Sergiovanni, 1996). Similarly, the concept of instructional leadership is well-documented throughout the literature and is indeed a central function for superintendents - even when a bulk of work related curriculum, instruction, and assessment is delegated to leaders with expertise in this area. The third frame, what Burry (2003) describes as political, is largely rooted in the relationships between school superintendents and their respective boards or committees. There is very little research, however, that examines the ways in which school superintendents understand and manage the relationships beyond those with their appointing boards. On the most practical level, this research endeavor sought to contribute to the knowledge base of school leader preparation by uncovering those strategic processes by which managers or leaders were able to articulate and ultimately realize their altruistic vision of public education within a complex, open system; a system where communication, selflessness, problem management, and strategic planning emerged as some of the essential skills inherent to the political competence that school superintendents need to be successful in their work. Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) (Smith, Flowers & Larkin, 2012) approach to understand the lived experience of school superintendents, this study explored the experiences of four public school superintendents and how they made sense of their experiences in making connections to the external and highly politicized school community--an open system--in order to garner "buy-in" when aspiring to advance their educational agenda. Among the goals of this research was to make sense of how school superintendents understand the connection between agenda-setting and effective school leadership and how political competence--a construct that emerged out of the interview narrative--can lead to change. Surprisingly, superintendents participating in this study had no background knowledge in or awareness of agenda-setting as a function of political science. Strategies used by the study participants to mobilize stakeholders, communicate ideas, and garner buy-in were all the result of lessons learned on the job. Emergent themes around: communication, community, experience, giving away success, mentorship, perception, politics, problem management, selflessness, strategy, and trust emerged as a result of the rich discussions that took place with the study participants, most of whom did not aspire to become a school superintendent.
Author: Peter R. Litchka Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield ISBN: 1475800177 Category : Education Languages : en Pages : 139
Book Description
This book is based on the professional experiences and research findings of Drs. Litchka, Polka, and Calzi who possess a combined total professional experience of over 100 years as educators in the United States, including over 75 years as public school administrators and over 30 years as chief school officers. The authors have also spent a combined 30 plus years in researching and roles, responsibilities, and stresses of school district leadership. They are committed to appropriately preparing current and aspiring leaders to survive and thrive as superintendents. The authors know the topic of school leadership very well from both the practical “lived experiences” to the various theoretical research conceptual frameworks. This book reflects actual stories collected via their most recent research associated with school district leadership, decision-making, politics, and “living on the horns of dilemmas.”
Author: Barbara Loomis Jackson Publisher: University Press of America ISBN: 9780819195630 Category : Education Languages : en Pages : 100
Book Description
According to Barbara Jackson, public schools are and always have been part of the political process, and any effective school superintendent must maintain a delicate balance among forces and interests both political and educational. This book reviews the long history of the urban superintendent's changing role, with special attention to the racial and ethnic politics of the cities since the 1970s. Boston and Detroit are discussed as illustrative examples. The entire study is grounded in a wide range of published and unpublished information, including numerous interviews with urban superintendents and others in the field. Co-published with the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies Press.
Author: Lars G. Bjork Publisher: Corwin Press ISBN: 1483361357 Category : Education Languages : en Pages : 305
Book Description
The role, practice, and preparation of today and tomorrow′s superintendent! A strong superintendent is critical to the success of an entire school district. So why is it one of the most deregulated positions? Over the past several decades, many states have either rescinded licensing requirements for school district superintendents or abandoned regulations altogether. The Contemporary Superintendent offers a scholarly and objective analysis of the issues surrounding the state policies that appoint superintendents. Lars G. Björk and Theodore Kowalski have developed a coherent guide to critical professional aspects such as superintendent licensures, professional preparation, and staff development. Featuring the research of educational leadership specialists, this resource is not to be missed! The Contemporary Superintendent includes: Quality strategies by the field′s top scholars to implement decisive practices for superintendents Detailed analysis of the concerns over superintendent qualifications and preparations An examination of past, present, and future practices of superintendents A distinct look at the evolution of the role of the superintendent Developed over a three-year period, the authors have compiled a collection of useful, hands-on strategies for aspiring and existing superintendents, as well as ideas for adoption in the educational administration, leadership professional development, and educational policy areas.
Author: Lejf Moos Publisher: Springer ISBN: 3319251066 Category : Education Languages : en Pages : 347
Book Description
This book analyses the superintendent position and relations and shows how the well-known policy umbrella, the New Public Management (NPM), is being adapted to national contexts. School superintendents are civil servants at the heart of the governance of municipal education. Educational governance in the Nordic countries - Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden - is currently undergoing comprehensive restructuring and reconceptualisation at the hands of national governments influenced by transnational agencies. Our analyses of the superintendent position and relations show that the well-known policy umbrella, the New Public Management (NPM), is moving towards focusing on soft governance and social technologies as the preferred means of influences. Thus we rename it New Public Governance (NPG).
Author: Erica O. Turner Publisher: University of Chicago Press ISBN: 022667553X Category : Social Science Languages : en Pages : 218
Book Description
For the past five years, American public schools have enrolled more students identified as Black, Latinx, American Indian, and Asian than white. At the same time, more than half of US school children now qualify for federally subsidized meals, a marker of poverty. The makeup of schools is rapidly changing, and many districts and school boards are at a loss as to how they can effectively and equitably handle these shifts. Suddenly Diverse is an ethnographic account of two school districts in the Midwest responding to rapidly changing demographics at their schools. It is based on observations and in-depth interviews with school board members and superintendents, as well as staff, community members, and other stakeholders in each district: one serving “Lakeside,” a predominately working class, conservative community and the other serving “Fairview,” a more affluent, liberal community. Erica O. Turner looks at district leaders’ adoption of business-inspired policy tools and the ultimate successes and failures of such responses. Turner’s findings demonstrate that, despite their intentions to promote “diversity” or eliminate “achievement gaps,” district leaders adopted policies and practices that ultimately perpetuated existing inequalities and advanced new forms of racism. While suggesting some ways forward, Suddenly Diverse shows that, without changes to these managerial policies and practices and larger transformations to the whole system, even district leaders’ best efforts will continue to undermine the promise of educational equity and the realization of more robust public schools.
Author: Theodore J. Kowalski Publisher: SAGE Publications ISBN: 1483321797 Category : Education Languages : en Pages : 449
Book Description
The School Superintendent: Theory, Practice, and Cases is the essential guide to succeeding as a superintendent or as an administrator in another district-level position. Comprehensive in both theory and practice, this textbook and reference guide examines the role and responsibilities of school district administration in professional, social, philosophical, and political frames, while balancing perspectives of rewards and challenges commonly expressed by school superintendents. Important topics covered include the emerging role of superintendent as communicator, the changing conditions in districts and schools, inadequate funding for public schools, and the treatment of policy administration, leadership roles, and community involvement. Fully updated, the Third Edition provides: greater emphasis on the challenges facing novice superintendents; new material on strategic planning and visioning; new and expanded coverage of contemporary issues such as inadequate district funding and social challenges; additional figures, tables, key terms, and other helpful learning tools; and more.
Author: Paul Hill Publisher: University of Chicago Press ISBN: 0226336530 Category : Education Languages : en Pages : 280
Book Description
A heated debate is raging over our nation’s public schools and how they should be reformed, with proposals ranging from imposing national standards to replacing public education altogether with a voucher system for private schools. Combining decades of experience in education, the authors propose an innovative approach to solving the problems of our school system and find a middle ground between these extremes. Reinventing Public Education shows how contracting would radically change the way we operate our schools, while keeping them public and accessible to all, and making them better able to meet standards of achievement and equity. Using public funds, local school boards would select private providers to operate individual schools under formal contracts specifying the type and quality of instruction. In a hands-on, concrete fashion, the authors provide a thorough explanation of the pros and cons of school contracting and how it would work in practice. They show how contracting would free local school boards from operating schools so they can focus on improving educational policy; how it would allow parents to choose the best school for their children; and, finally, how it would ensure that schools are held accountable and academic standards are met. While retaining a strong public role in education, contracting enables schools to be more imaginative, adaptable, and suited to the needs of children and families. In presenting an alternative vision for America’s schools, Reinventing Public Education is too important to be ignored.
Author: Christopher H. Tienken Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield ISBN: 1475858493 Category : Education Languages : en Pages : 115
Book Description
The 2020 AASA Decennial Study of the Superintendent is an extension of national decennial studies of the American school superintendent that began in 1923. The research was conducted in late 2019 and early 2020. The results are presented in various ways throughout the study, ranging from aggregate findings to two and three level crosstabs that disaggregate data by eight different enrollment categories. Just as findings from previous decennial studies suggested, the various job-related happenings of superintendents are not always homogeneous. They can be influenced by a multitude of factors such as district enrollment, demographic characteristics of the superintendents, and characteristics of the students and communities they serve.
Author: Robert Adrien Tremblay
Author: Robert Adrien Tremblay
Author: Tina Ann Kerr
Author: Peter R. Litchka
Author: Barbara Loomis Jackson
Author: Lars G. Bjork
Author: Lejf Moos
Author: Erica O. Turner
Author: Theodore J. Kowalski
Author: Paul Hill
Author: Christopher H. Tienken