All in the Family

School Administrator, March, 2000 by Priscilla Pardini

Bill Hakonson, superintendent since 1981 of the 600-student Wisner-Pilger Public Schools in Wisner, Neb., says he enjoys the conversations, which he admits benefit him, too. "I get as much information from John as he gets from me," he says. "He's brought me many different ideas, resources and contacts when it comes to looking at problems." At times, John Hakonson says, he is mistaken for his father. "I tell them, 'You have the younger, better-looking one,"' he jokes.

The Birds echo many of the same sentiments. "He's the kind of guy I can call up any time and say, 'I have this situation, what are your thoughts?"' Patrick Bird says of his father. "He's tried very hard to allow me to make it on my own, but he offers me perspective on things."

Daniel Bird describes his son as "his own man, his own educator," adding, "Hopefully, I've been able to help." He credits his son with being a better teacher and "more technically knowledgeable than I am."

Striking Similarities

Even more unusual are families with three working superintendents.

John Hill, superintendent of the East Richland, Ill., Community School District, is married to one superintendent--Sharon Hill, superintendent in Valmeyer, Ill.--and the brother of another.

"He really has been my mentor, in many ways, even before we became professionals," says John of his older brother, Kenneth, superintendent of the Nashville Community High School District, about 60 miles away in southern Illinois. These days they talk together several times a week about their work. "We're so much alike, it's kind of scary sometimes," says Ken Hill. "But I think we both see the superintendency as the best job in education--an opportunity to make a difference."

When Doyle Scott began his career as a superintendent in Lenox, Iowa, the first thing he did was spend half a day with his big brother, Craig. "He gave me some great ideas," Doyle says. "He showed me how he organized the work he needed to do and how he put together board meetings and advised me on what to say to the staff on the first day of school. It was absolutely helpful."

No wonder. Craig Scott was by then an experienced superintendent. "I tried to help him when he wanted help without being too much of an adviser," he says. "Now he probably helps me as much as I help him."

These days Doyle and Craig Scott both work in central Iowa--Doyle in the East Marshall Community Schools in Gilman and Craig in the Harlan Community Schools. The fact they are brothers makes them especially trusted advisers. "I know him and his quirks, and he knows me and my quirks," Doyle says.

Still, isn't there the chance that superintendents in the same family might find themselves in competition with each other, running the risk of undermining their personal relationship? Indeed, Ken Hill recollects just such a scenario. It took place about five years ago when his brother, John, was working as superintendent of the Harrisburg Unit District 3 in Harrisburg, Ill., about 70 miles from Nashville, Ken's district. The two districts were in the same athletic conference and regularly vied against each other in track and field.