Fulfilling My Responsibility

EIGHT YEARS AGO, I phoned my mentor, eager to share the great news: I was a superintendent. My announcement was met with few words. In a rushed tone, he responded, “Welcome to the club, eat well, sleep well and exercise often, gotta go!”

His words are a reminder today of what is important as we find ourselves consumed with attending online meetings and searching for answers to endless questions surrounding the future of education amid a pandemic. Take care of yourselves even as you devote time and energy to the work you love.

Choosing this career path was easy for me. I saw in the education leaders before me a passion for public education and the difference each made from the boardroom to the classroom. As a lifelong learner and leader, I sought out the superintendency as an opportunity to fulfill the moral responsibility district leaders have to help prepare students for an unknown future. I also was inspired by district leaders’ dedication to mentoring others and shaping the future of public education.

Now that I have been at this a while, I better understand that I serve all stakeholders, both inside and outside the school district, and that each contributes to the education of our students in a distinct way. A governing board member plays a different role in education from that of a cabinet team member or a local Rotary Club member. In a community that is passionate about student success, I am privileged to work with all of these stakeholders and to serve them by helping them reach their full potential — it’s what drives my work and keeps me engaged.

The superintendent’s role in the lives of students, staff and community members cannot be underestimated — first by recognizing individual strengths and talents, second by developing trusting relationships and finally by having the vision and courage to model and influence student outcomes. Hiring the right people to lead organizations and involving trusted stakeholders in crafting school district goals is a recipe for long-term success in the school district and in the community.

One of the joys that comes with being a superintendent is the ability to influence school and district culture, which can be a fragile entity. The role we play when it comes to empowering others to shape school culture is powerful, but it takes time to see the full effects. District slogans and mission statements are one thing. It is the actions of the leaders that have long-lasting effects on staff morale, parent engagement, teacher retention and overall student learning.

When the superintendent’s message is consistent over time, the community recognizes that what the district leader does and says has value. Further, when all stakeholders are working collaboratively toward common goals, they grow to value teaching and learning and make positivity the norm. It is the superintendent who leads others to see the harder right over the easier wrong.

Through demonstrated action, the superintendent models the courage it takes to make the hard decisions. Creating the culture where others see risk taking as a positive aspect of lifelong learning is an important aspect of the superintendency and one that brings much satisfaction to me as a superintendent.

Now more than ever, we need leaders who offer inspiration and hope for a better future. We’ve all read the articles that portray the superintendent’s role as one no would want to take on. But I believe it is an honor and privilege to serve others through the superintendency, and it brings a tremendous reward in return. Mahatma Gandhi reminds us, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in service to others.