The new job: Tailored fit or misfit?; Vital signs for a move range from board's confirmation vote to state of bathroom cleanliness - school superintendents share their experiences

School Administrator, May, 2002 by Ruth E. Sternberg

Terry Grier thought he had it worked out.

In 1995, the former Akron superintendent had landed the top job in Sacramento, Calif.--one of the country's 75 largest school districts with 51,000 students. He thought he had ironed out the rules of his relationship with his new school board.

Yet 17 months into his tenure, Grier butted heads with board members. One night at a private meeting a majority of the panel, unhappy with Grier's hiring decisions, voted to terminate his contract, offering him $180,000 to leave.

The decision--made by four of a seven-member board--was like a surprise attack.

"We had very clear discussions about role differentiations and responsibilities," says Grier, who had handled tough union negotiations in Akron and weathered conflict with a predecessor who was elected to that school board. "This would be my job and that would be their job."

Yet Sacramento board members wanted to examine his list of recommended hirings in detail. They wanted to bring in different people to replace those he had suggested. Grier questioned these candidates' personal relationships to the board members. One of them--hired after Grier's departure to head the personnel department--had been a board member's friend since college.

Today, Grier is superintendent of the 63,000-student Guilford County School District in Greensboro, N.C., and much happier. He freely shares advice with colleagues.

"Don't take a job just for the money," he says. "You get into job searches, and just because someone will pay you $10,000 more, you want the job. Or you're being recruited. But it's all about fit."

Homework Helps

In an era of superintendent shortages, moving up to a bigger and better job seems deceptively simple. Offers to highly qualified administrators are full of perks and seem to hold challenges that could catapult a school leader's reputation. But the pitfalls of the top position also can end a chief administrator's career. Disputes with board members and the endless task of bringing the public on board to make changes can result in irreparable conflicts.

With superintendent vacancy almost approaching the divorce rate--due to unnaturally high expectations that go along with the job and the bulge of retirement-eligible administrators--experienced educators say even the most seasoned school leader can get reeled into a job that doesn't work out.

Veteran superintendents and search consultants offer words of caution. Do your homework, from both far and near. Find out as much as you can beforehand, then confirm your findings in the personal interview. Learn to read the signs of a potentially bad relationship. When it is time to sign a contract, make sure it is specific and complete.

Jerry Klenke, deputy executive director of the Buckeye Association of School Administrators in Columbus, Ohio, counsels: "The person has to know him or herself really well. [Those looking] need to understand that there are three areas that usually are involved in a position like this. Probably the least important is the technical expertise. Relationships are probably the most important. And a close second now and gaining momentum is the bottom-line organizational results. The whole accountability issue and the fact that it's much more clearly defined now than ever before."

Doyle Scott, superintendent of the 900-student East Marshall district in Oilman, Iowa, who held the top post in the smaller Lenox, Iowa, district, observes: "Each district has its own personality. You want to find a district that matches your personality. I view it kind of like a marriage. You're looking for a district that fits you.

Independent Legwork

The work of the potential match begins before the application is complete, with a good look at the school district's vital statistics. A search firm can aid in collecting information about budgets, demographics and district goals. But consultants, who are being paid by the school board, shouldn't be the only avenue. A little legwork and some commonsense questioning can reveal problems and help candidates form questions about a district's health.

"Certainly people can look at many different types of information they can gain about the district, says Klenke, a former Ohio superintendent. The history and demographics of the school district. Population--are those changing or in flux? Really analyzing the community and the multiple entities that make up the district. And student demographics, whether or not there are growth patterns.

He points, for example, to the unique challenge facing Columbus, Ohio, which is attracting Hmong and Somali populations. "Those are not the things people are prepared to deal with," he says.

Ann Roy Moore, superintendent in Hunstville, Ala., who worked her way up through the ranks and returned to lead the community where she started her career, suggests asking districts seeking to a hire a new superintendent for some of their own materials.

"Look at videotapes of school board meetings to get a feel for what has been going on," Moore says. "Find our why the former superintendent is not there anymore. Find out what local support you get from the citizens. Look at how the kids do and what scholarships they get. Do businesses work with the schools? Are the PTAs active? Do kids get awards?"