The First-Year Experiences of Successful Superintendents

Your Authors 3 Introduction 5
1. What Kind of People Become Superintendents? 9
2. What the "Moving In" Day was like 22
3. What Kinds of People Visit Superintendents Right Away? 30
4. Discovery: The Real State of the Fiscal Union 37
5. That First Board Meeting 48
6. First Meeting with Supervisory Staff 56
7. What was the first encounter with an angry parent or patron like? 65
8. School property and the "proprietary role" 80
9. School bond elections 84
10. First Significant Legal Challenge 99
11. First Evaluation of Supervisory/Administrative Staff 115
12. Trends in Academic Achievement the First Year(s) 127
13. Knowing When It is Time to Move 138 References 157

Dr. Kerry Roberts currently is an assistant professor in the Superintendent Program at Stephen F. Austin State University. He received a doctorate in 1983 from Washington State University in school administration and has over 10 years of superintendent experience. Dr. Shellie Hanna earned her doctorate in school administration at Oral Roberts University. She has been in the field of education since 1991. Dr. Sid Womack has been a band director, elementary teacher, and special education teacher in public schools in Texas and Oklahoma. He also was a teacher educator in Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. He teaches courses in secondary education school law, special education, and research methods.

The First-Year Experiences of Successful Superintendents by Kerry Roberts, Shellie L. Hanna, and Sid T. Womack is a must read for aspiring educational leaders who want to become superintendents and for novice superintendents. This book is written from a practitioner's perspectives and includes professional day-to-day experiences of superintendents from conducting their first board meeting and to receiving their first formal summative evaluation. The reader is able to apply the contents of this book to his or her daily practices by engaging in reflective activities. Last, but certainly not least, this book addresses the personal characteristics and traits of successful superintendents. These personality traits are couched in the 4H's of leadership. The reader will discover how the 4H's of leadership such as hustle, heart, humor, and humility, illuminates the dispositions of successful superintendents. -- Dr. Julia Ballenger, Associate Professor, Texas Wesleyan University In their book, The First-Year Experiences of Successful Superintendents, Kerry Roberts, Shellie L. Hanna, and Sid T. Womack have provided a timely and pragmatically important guide for the individual entering the superintendency for the first time. The authors provide a practice-based guide for the first year, illuminating the challenges of being a superintendent and at the same time providing insight as to what the role and responsibilities of district level leadership requires. Encompassed in this book are topics of public relations, fiscal issues, board meetings, legal challenges, bond elections, school property, and supervisory staff, with each topic examined against the backdrop of the politically charged nature of the superintendent's position in today's educational environment. Without question, this is a must read for the individual entering superintendent preparation and certification programs, and for the superintendent who is entering the superintendency for the first time. -- Patrick M. Jenlink, professor of doctoral studies in educational leadership, Stephen F. Austin State University. Few experiences can match that of becoming a first time superintendent of schools. "Help!" is likely to be the first unspoken thought when the newly-chosen leader takes office. School administrators who honed their skills in the real world classrooms of the "University of Hard Knocks" are very able to offer wise counsel to new superintendents. Rather than focus just on their scholarly ideas, the authors instead asked many talented administrators who have walked the path of a first year superintendent to share their reflections about the beginning days of their careers. Drs. Roberts, Hanna and Womack have summarized those combined experiences into this hands-on guide that will greatly assist new superintendents in avoiding stress and distraction as they "settle in" as new superintendents. -- Dr. Clarence G. Oliver Jr., Retired Superintendent of Schools Broken Arrow (Oklahoma) Public Schools, Dean Emeritus, College of Education, Oral Roberts University It is often said you never get a second chance to make a good first impression and that first impressions are lasting impressions. The school superintendent is the leader of learning and responsible for ensuring that a culture of support for continuous learning is provided to each student. As such, The First-Year Experiences of Successful Superintendents provides time-honored and seasoned advice on how to not only survive, but thrive, in the position of school superintendent. I highly recommend it for its quality content and practical application. For those first year superintendents who want to succeed, this is a must read! -- Gene Sharratt, Ph.D. Clinical Associate Professor, Director, Washington State University Superintendent Certification Program "This book offers practical thoughts on one of today's most complicated careers, the superintendency. It is a practitioners guide to the challenges of the first year superintendent. It is a view of the top school district job through the eyes of those who have held the office." -- Dr. James Hess, AASA National Governing Board Member,President-Elect Minnesota Association of School Administrators, Superintendent of Schools, Bemidji Area Schools, Bemidji, MN All new superintendents and students preparing to be superintendents need to read this book. It provides excellent cases of real examples that superintendents deal with on a daily basis. -- Dr. Pauline M. Sampson, Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Superintendent Program at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX How long does it take to make the transition to superintendent - to be competent, comfortable and committed in the position? Is the superintendency for you? Job fit and making a smooth transition are critical to one's success in the superintency. The authors Roberts, Hanna and Womack address these survival questions. Where the literature has been silent the authors provide voice. The book is rich with sage advice from new superintendents and the authors provide conceptual understanding of what it takes to be a superintendent. Each chapter ends with reflective questions to help the reader begin the journey into leadership. This is a must read for anyone anticipating or beginning the superintendency. -- Walt Gmelch, Dean and Professor USF School of Education