beware of the revolving door

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BEWARE OF THE REVOLVING DOOR
Vicki Smith

New Mexico School Boards Association
The relationship of boards and superintendents is more like a marriage than a business partnership. And as in marriages, dysfunctional relationships between the (parties) ultimately are bad for the children.Kathleen Vail, ASBJ

Tensions are built into the existing structure of school boards and superintendents.

Michael Usdan, Institute for Educational Leadership

A board in conflict with its superintendent is incapable of doing anything but poisoning the well.

Don Owen, Pennsylvania SBA

Beware of the Revolving Door!Boards should consider the districts long-term needs.Board expectations play a part

How and where will you advertise the vacancy?Within New MexicoNationallyNSBAAASANMSBANMCSA

What type of a selection process shall the Board utilize?BoardCommunity InvolvementCommittee and its membership

First the Board/Committee must define and prioritize the attributes which they are seeking in their next Superintendent

First the Board/Committee must define and prioritize the attributes which they are seeking in their next Superintendent

The first contact any applicant has with the hiring board/committee is on paper. Look for application materials that are neat and professional looking.

If invited for an interview, the applicant should be well prepared having researched the school district.

Develop the questions for the interview based on the identified attributes

Name of Interviewee:___________Name of Interviewer:___________

Describe your experience and involvement with the public schools within the past five years that qualifies you as a superintendent.

To what extent do you think the superintendent can or should function as an instructional leader?

Explain how you might go about developing a school budget in a school system of our size.

As superintendent how would you improve communications with the parents and the community?

Hiring Procedure and Negotiations:BenefitsSalaryMulti-year contract

Transition is the psychological process people go through to come to terms with the new situation.Transition is internal. It is how the shift from the old to the new occurs.Change refers to the situation that is altered: the new team, the new boss, new roles or policies.Change is external. It is what becomes different.

The interval between the decay of the old and the formation and establishment of the new, constitutes a period of transition which must always necessarily be one of uncertainty, confusion, error, and wild and fierce fanaticism.
John C. Calhoun, U. S. Senator

Illness strikes men when they are exposed to change.
Herodotus,Greek Historian
Why Do a Transition?

Reduce the learning curveReduce tension during board meetingsConduct more productive meetings soonerRestore the level of trust among the team/board membersDispel the myths about new team members

Brainstorming: Identifying Task Issues
Think about the team or district tasks a new team member should know and understand.

What are some things new members need to know early about their new job?

Team operating proceduresCalendar of events for district and teamUpcoming critical events for team and districtTeam goalsDistrict plans and goalsRoles and responsibilities for everyoneSources of information or answersDistrict policies

Brainstorming: Identifying Relationship Issues
Think back to when you were a new leadership team member. How about the evening of your first real board meeting?

What are some of the relationship issues that new team members have to face?

Relationship Issues
What are my expectations for working together?How do we communicate?Heres what I stand for.Heres what I want to accomplish.How will I know if Im doing a good job?When are issues serious enough to bring to the team?

Identify Critical Issues (not solutions) for both the district and the leadership teamA Critical Issue is a situation that is serious enough that we must address it within the next 60-180 days or we may not be able to get our job done
Identify Critical Issues

FORMING

Milling AroundConfusionHigh AmbiguityPolite/SuperficialImpersonalWatchful/ Guarded"Why are we here?"
STORMING

Attacking/ConflictFrustrationConfronting People/LeaderOpting OutDifficultiesFeeling StuckResistanceCliques
NORMING

Developing PatternsCohesion BeginningEstablish ProceduresGiving FeedbackConfronting IssuesRelevant Questions
PERFORMING

Tightly Knit GroupResourcefulFlexible/CreativeOpen/TrustingEffectiveClose/SupportiveConfident


Redefine Your Concept of PowerAs a society, we often define power as control and domination.This concept of power turns boardrooms into battlegrounds, even when school leaders truly want to collaborate.

What negative people depend upon to get what they want:AttentionSense of PowerFearResponseGuiltIntimidationElicit sympathyMomentary high

What negative people depend upon to get what they want:AttentionSense of PowerFearResponseGuiltIntimidationElicit sympathyMomentary high

Build TrustWithout trust its a balancing act, dealing with different personalities.Leads to misunderstandings, sore feelings and grudgesProfessionals dont like to admit that we let personal feelings and immature motives color our actions.

Know Where Youre GoingDuring times of reform, tensions between the board and the superintendent can be avoided if theres a clear plan of action.It lessens the chance for hidden agendas and personal prejudices.

The relationship of boards and superintendents is like a trapeze act, both partners must have considerable skill, impeccable timing, nerves of steel, and unwavering trust in each other.Castillo, Greco, and McGowan

Are you providing a three-ring circus for the entire community?When boards and superintendents do not have their act together, they exhibit the following problems:

Bickering and nitpicking over minor issues;Scapegoating and blaming each other for things that go wrong;Stepping on each others toes--forgetting, or not honoring, who is supposed to lead on what;Making poor decisions, due to poor communication and individuals pursuing their own special interests.

Second-guessing each others motives and decisions;Experiencing lots of personal frustration;Suffering from a lack of community support, andBeing unable to meet district goals

Avoid SurprisesAgree on the job description, contract, and evaluation planDevelop a strategic planDevise a 12-month calendarProvide information in a timely mannerHave an agenda-building process that eliminates surprises or secretsHave a good citizen-speak policy

Learn to Deal With ConflictRecognize destructive conflictIdentify the issue causing disagreementListen to all information relating to the conflictBrainstorm possible solutionsFind a mutually acceptable resolution

Regularly Check How Your Team Is Doing

Ask: Whats working well and what needs to be worked on?Candid discussion of how the Board and Superintendent function as partnersAssess your working relationship once every three to four months

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Building and sustaining any relationship is hard work.Taking the time to discuss these suggestions together can be a worthwhile investment for new superintendents and their boards as well as long-time board-superintendent partnerships that are continuously looking for ways to improve.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT VICKI SMITH 575-536-9453

Youd be surprised to see an episode of Dr. Phil devoted to the care and feeding of a school boards relationship with its superintendent.

We think that professional dealings dont belong in the realm of daytime talk shows. But . . ... (Read slide -- first sentence only)

Like a marriage it weathers power plays and power struggles, misunderstandings and hidden motives. Even the strongest relationships are tested. Sometimes irreconcilable differences make divorce inevitable.(Read slide -- second sentence)
(Read slide)After all, you can hardly expect a diverse group of community members and a strong professional educator to manage a complex school system without some friction along the way.A small amount of tension among school leaders is even desirable. It keeps everyone alert and focused.But when this tension escalates among the board members and the superintendent -- schools and students alike suffer.Prince Georges County -- friction became so severe that state education officials threatened to intervene.Dallas -- fired superintendent because of the poor rapport he had with board members.Portland, Ore.--Superintendent resigned last year after he lost the support of a board majority.Miami-Dade, Florida--cited lack of leadership when they fired their superintendent.
None of these headlines were from New Mexico, but did you think that they were from our local newspapers or TV. We can each attach a New Mexico school district to these situations.When boards and superintendents are embroiled in disputes, theyre likely to spend their energy on backbiting, sniping, and outright hostility rather than whats going on with their students.(Read slide)
Growing shortage of qualified superintendent candidates Demand high and supply lowBoard member turnover is faster today, too, which affects how long superintendents stay on the jobPeople want sustained reform, but theres turnover every two yearsTheres no time for the flowers to grow. People are picking them up by the rootsBoards should consider the districts long-term needs, but this is not always the case.Boards often want a reforming supt.-- Sometimes supt. are hired to clean up a disaster--who makes too many changes and alienates their board or a superintendent is hired to head a rapidly growing district because of his expertise in construction projects and once the building program is complete, the board might find that the supt. Isnt as good at other management tasks.Be sure your expectations match up!! What youre looking for is it the same as the candidates strengths?
BEFORE THE SLIDE:So your district is in the market for a new superintendent. Will you utilize a national company or Head Hunters or will you do your own superintendent hunt. Then the question becomes where and how to advertise.

SLIDE:
REFER TO SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH COMMITTEE:Be sure that the individuals involved understand their roles as committee members.
READ:School board members are, by definition, amateurs at selecting school superintendents and often make hiring decisions based on gut feelings in the interview. They may like the looks of the successful candidate, his or her prior work experience or geographic availability. Most often, however, it is the candidates presence and demeanor in the interview that influence the school boards selection. SLIDE:DISCUSSION: SEE NEXT PAGE
DUPLICATE SLIDE:Discuss:What kind of working relationship you would like to see between the superintendent and the board? What administrative structure would you provide to work with fellow administrators in the school system?Budget development?Instructional Leadership?Facilities-construction projects?Community Involvement?Collective Bargaining?
Has the interviewee learned the name of each school board member, his or her profession and whether the member has school-age children?

Is the applicant aware of any current political issues, school district demographics and even local intergovernmental relationships or lack thereof?
Examples: Refer to Questions for Superintendents
Examples: Refer to Questions for Superintendents
Contract negotiated signed and the Superintendent knows everything he/she needs to know about you and the district.Not so Now you, the superintendent, and the district will go through change and a transitional time.REFER TO SLIDE:
Because of the uncertainty and the confusion the best thing a board can do is to have a transitional meeting or better still a retreat
There are over 30 scientific studies that show that positivity increases the life span of terminally ill patients by 5 to 10 years.
There are over 30 scientific studies that show that positivity increases the life span of terminally ill patients by 5 to 10 years.Positivity alters your brain and changes how you think. It increases the ability fo solve problems and increases creativity.
SOME CAUTIONS TO BEWARE OF:Some people believe they have lost power if they collaborate.People who equate power with control simply cant reconcile that image of power with trying to build consensus.Just because no one speaks updoesnt mean there is consensus!Internal work takes time. Change is difficult!! Dont expect the Board or the Superintendent to readily accept every new idea.
SEE ATTACHED
Most negative people do not realize they are negative.Negative people are not at peace, have poor self-esteem, and are in agony.
Maybe you need to do a self-check. Perhaps you are the one that is negative.Are you an energizer for others, or just the opposite? In other words, are people better off because of their interactions with you? Do they feel better just being around you?
AS PRESIDENT OF YOUR BOARD BEWARE OF TROUBLE SPOTS:One common recipe for trouble is the superintendent who plays favorites.Trouble boils over when supts align themselves with certain factions on the board or show preferential treatment by releasing information to only a few board members or only one.Run it by the President of the Board then release it to all.Board members can generate tension, too. They might take a dislike to the supt for reasons no one can predict or control. They might hold grudges after a supt nixes a pet project.Being open to the possibility that these things do happen and vigilantly guarding against it when it does--boards and supts can help keep school business running smoothly.Dont play games these jobs are tough enough when people play it straight.
The plan sends a message to the district that the board and supt are on the same page.

The very first action for a new supt. Is to have a retreat with the Board to define those goals and the plan AND TO HAVE AN ANNUAL RETREAT TO REVIEW AND SEE WHATS WORKING AND WHATS NOT.If boards and supts put together a plan, then everyone knows where everything is--you have a better chance of relationships not breaking down.Some disagreement may be healthy. Theres often more than one way to achieve the same goal.
Surprises are good for birthdays, but not for board-superintendent relationships. Superintendents dont want to be caught off guard, nor do board members who have a clear need to demonstrate to their publics that they are providing effective leadership for the district.Determine whether youre satisfied with this job. Or is the Board satisfied with you?Retreat to clarify all expectations. Prioritize the issues to be addressed over the next 3 months, 6 months, 12 months.A month-to-month calendar of school board business ensures that everyone knows and remembers what issues the board will be considering, and when.Remember when the board hears information about the district from another source, it makes them look bad and can undermine their trust.If an item is added to a Board Agenda at the last minute, give all board members a heads up warning. Dont ambush the board with items under other business.Discuss our public forum.
Warning signs of destructive conflict: disagreements, regardless of the issue; withholding of bad news; surprises; strong public statements;airing disagreements through the news media;conflicts in value systems;desire for power;increased lack of respect;open disagreements;lack of candor on sensitive issues;unclear goals;no discussion of progress/failure to achieve goals;failure to evaluate the superintendent fairly, thoroughly, or not at all
Can use a team review instrument:Communication: (Listening and speaking honestly, showing consideration for others.)Trust: (Being willing to discuss concerns with the total group without fear, not taking disagreement personally.)Decision making: (Discussing items independently and objectively, voting as individuals, not as blocks.)Support: (Supporting or at least not subverting board decisions, even in the event of disagreements.Roles: (Adhering to the boards role in adopting policy and the superintendent implementing that policy.)Goals: (Undertaking activities and decisions that are consistent with the districts goals.)Responsibility: (Putting in the time and effort required to complete the job.)
As I said when we started, Its just like a marriage.

beware of the revolving door

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