The Fruits of 'Out-of-the-Box' Thinking

School Administrator, Jan, 1999 by Jay P. Goldman

When his school board seemed reluctant to make its first major investment in computer networking a few years back, Steve Sokolow turned to a time-tested technology to reverse members' thinking: a 90-minute film documentary.

Sokolow, superintendent of the Upper Freehold Regional School District in central New Jersey, planned what he described as "a night at the movies"--replete with popcorn and sodas-for the nine-member board to view Alvin Toffler's "The Third Wave." He did this so "they could envision what the future would be like for our students."

Today, the district of 1,800 students has 700 networked computers and serves as a cut-rate ($50 a year) provider of Internet access for families in the community.

Sokolow has acquired a reputation for "out-of-the-box" thinking for the imaginative way he leads the district, where he has been superintendent since 1977. Consider these initiatives:

* Convinced that block scheduling would put the district's high school on the cutting edge, Sokolow surveyed the faculty for its level of support along a continuum (rather than a rigid thumbs up or down) and found 85 percent had at least moderate interest. Only then did he ask the board to approve the change.

* During a serious impasse over block scheduling during contract negotiations with the teachers union, Sokolow recommended a permanent $500 salary increment for any teacher who completed 45 hours of training outside of school for how to teach in an extended block.

* Choosing between two high-calibre finalists for the high school principalship, Sokolow found a way to lure both by training the nonwinning candidate as the district's assistant superintendent for business.

Sokolow also started a gifted and talented program and a latchkey program that today provides before- and after-school care. Both initiatives later were picked up by the New Jersey Department of Education for statewide use.

"He was the very first person to see the need for many programs in this district," says Joe Jakubowski, the director of special services. "We were so much ahead that by the time the state got around, we no longer qualified for state (startup) funds."

Sokolow plays the tireless bulldog on causes he believes will contribute to student well-being, even in the face of determined opposition. Early in his super-intendency, after the community twice rejected bond referendums to replace a deteriorating high school roof, he shouldered a legal case all the way to the New Jersey Supreme Court. The court ultimately ordered the state education commissioner to authorize $1.5 million in long-term debt for the repairs. A subsequent settlement with the contractor paid two-thirds of the cost.

"My position through this was the lives of children were at risk. Let's sort out the payments afterward," he says. Nevertheless, his moves were not popular with conservative residents.

Currently, he is one of few voices in New Jersey pushing for regionalization-- a concept that would combine Upper Freehold with a neighboring municipality whose schools serve only elementary and middle school students. Because nearly 70 percent of his district's high school enrollment comes from tuition-paying students from outside, Sokolow says he is "trying to position our school district in the long-term for stability in its financial base and enrollment."

Given the unpredictable whim of school boards, such campaigns for less popular causes would likely lead to doom for most superintendents, but Sokolow manages to remain a potent force by staying flexible and viewing most situations as a channel for personal growth.

Current board member Patricia Coffey says Sokolow "has the ability to adapt to different boards. He'll try to build consensus, he'll compromise when he needs to and he'll fight on occasion." Adds David Poinsett, a former board president: "The board never doubted it was getting the most honest, accurate information."

Sokolow, despite the lengthy tenure, insists he remains fascinated by the opportunity to lead an organization through transformational change-applying modern thinking that has been gleaned in part from the week-long institute for superintendents he attends each summer at Harvard.

"While many of my colleagues have at least one eye on their retirement date, I continue to thrive and be energized by the role of superintendent as servant leader," he says.

Jay Goldman is the editor of The School Administrator.

BIO STATS: STEVE SOKOLOW

Currently: Superintendent, Upper Freehold Regional School District, Allentown, N.J.

Earlier: Assistant superintendent, Exeter Township, Pa.

Age: 55

Greatest Influence on Career: Leroy C. Olson, professor emeritus at Temple University, taught me by example the importance of leading from the heart and attending to the needs of people in an organization.

Best Professional Day: Oct. 7, 1994, when Upper Freehold Regional Elementary/Middle School was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence at a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden.

Books at Bedside: Synchronicity by Joseph Jaworski, You'll See It When You Believe It by Wayne Dyer and Ishmael by Dan Quinn