Advice to a New Superintendent: Act Like Elvis, Think Like Cicero

School Administrator, Jan, 1998 by Robert Stabile

The rigorous selection process is over. You have been appointed to be the new superintendent of schools. You are flush with pride. You want to do an outstanding job.

So what should a new superintendent focus on during the first few heady months on the job?

Here are some tips that will make the start of your tenure successful (and could serve as an excellent review for experienced superintendents as well).

* Pay homage to past success.

One of your first tasks as a new superintendent is to convey your respects to those in the system who came before you. Staff members will be looking for signs that you are beginning the job unhappy with the people and the performance of the system, signs that you regard yourself as the answer to the problems that few but you see.

The staff is the horse you are going to have to ride into whatever future the district has. You cannot ride a horse after shooting it in the knee. Stroke the horse.

* Don't make jokes

Every word and gesture of a new superintendent is under scrutiny. Virtually everything you say or do is going to be repeated and analyzed by staff members eager to figure out this new power figure in the district. They are forming initial and lasting impressions that will be difficult to change.

Be highly disciplined in all you say and do. This is not the time to joke, "What do all these secretaries do, anyway?"

* Pay courtesy calls.

Your school board should be able to give you an early read on the people who are highly influential in the school district. Make calls on these people. Take them to lunch. Ask for their advice. Convey that you are happy to have the job and want to serve them.

* Deal with staff fears

Most superintendents come into the district amid rumors that the board is bringing in a hired gun to break the union, rid the district of dead wood or reduce expenses. These apprehensions are all part of the staff's nervous reaction to a new superintendent.

Deal with these factors. An indirect approach to calm staff fears is best. You may recall the school board made a point during the job interviews of emphasizing their good relationship with the unions.

* Remember Cicero.

For a time Cicero ended every speech with the line, "Carthage must be destroyed." And Carthage was destroyed. In every talk, emphasize that your priority is the good education of all the children in the system. Say it again and again.

* Act like Elvis.

In your first few months on the job, everyone wants to spend some time with you in order to form his or her own impression. Visit every work site. Attend every PTA meeting and school event. Accept all speaking invitations. Acquire the reputation of being seen in more places than Elvis.

* Appreciate the splinter syndrome.

A new leader in a school system is analogous to a splinter in the finger. After an all-too-brief honeymoon period, the superintendent must start making decisions. These decisions will antagonize some people. Those who disagree are analogous to the body's white blood cells. They attack, attempt to isolate and expel the new leader.

This process usually peaks during the second year on the job, before a contract extension can be signed. Point this out to your school board so they will be emotionally prepared to deal with the attack of the white blood cells.

* Outline your expectations for the administrative staff.

Establish that each staff member is your personal representative in whatever role they play within the system. You expect honesty, loyalty and competent work. In the day-to-day work, abide by one wise rule: When someone accepts an assignment, you will consider the assignment to be completed without further action on your part. It's their monkey.

* Establish the working relationship with the board.

What is to be the agreed-upon proper role of each party? Does the president represent the board when dealing with the superintendent? Who speaks to the press? How does the board want to be informed of school activities? What information is the board interested in knowing?

Here's a clear standard: Board members need to hear about politically sensitive matters from you before they hear it at the supermarket or video store.

* Be active in your professional associations.

The best postgraduate training you can find is the company of other superintendents. Fellow superintendents are not competitors, but valued colleagues. They are the only people available who can interact with you at your level of insight and responsibility. Seek Out their company.

Robert Stabile is director of Powerhouse Schools League, affiliated with the Buckeye Association of School Administrators, P.O. Box 6138, Westerville, Ohio 43086.6138. E-mail: bosa_stobile@popmoil.oecn.ohio.gov. He also is an associate professor at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, and a former district superintendent.