An Eye on the Ivy: Moving from the Superintendency to a Professorship

School Administrator, Oct, 1995 by Sally B. Pancrazio, Patricia F. First

The grass always looks greener.

More superintendents than ever appear to be considering a career change from school system leader to university professor. We are finding an increasing number of superintendent applicants as we search for new faculty in educational administration.

Recent state laws providing early-retirement incentives for public school educators undoubtedly contribute to this growing interest in higher education positions and other career alternatives. So, too, is the confrontational working relationship that exists between superintendents and their school boards in some communities.

We view positively the inclusion of successful school superintendents as candidates for educational administration professorships. The University Council on Educational Administration and the National Policy Board on Educational Administration, the leading professional groups in the preparation of school administrators, value practice and experience as important craft knowledge.

Involving practitioners in redesigning university programs in school leadership adds realism, orients us toward results, and offers a richness of experience as we prepare the next generation of administrators. Many school superintendents hold the Ed.D. or Ph.D., the basic academic credential necessary for higher education employment in our field.

After reviewing many applications and observing numerous interviews, we have concluded that school superintendents who seek careers as professors in educational administration could improve their candidacies by better understanding the academic search process.

A superintendent can do and say certain things to present the best possible profile when applying and interviewing for a faculty position that may differ from his or her present experiences. The major difference relates to understanding what is valued in academe and positioning oneself to capitalize on those values.

* Identifying available positions.

The major source of job listings is the Chronicle of Higher Education, not Education Week or AASA publications. Head hunters rarely are involved.

The Chronicle of Higher Education, printed weekly, may be found in any university library and through the Internet. Position announcements are categorized by area so vacancies in educational administration may be found under that title. Although positions can be announced at any time, educational administration departments generally advertise positions in the fall and screen applications and interview candidates in the early spring for positions opening the following fall.

The UCEA headquarters at Pennsylvania State University also maintains a registry of positions in educational administration.

* Understanding the search process.

Once the chair of the educational administration department receives approval to conduct a search, a faculty search committee is formed to write the job description, screen applications, and interview candidates. Most public institutions are required to advertise the position nationally to obtain a diverse pool of candidates.

Once applications are screened against criteria, some candidates are selected in the first cut. At this point, personal and professional references or persons who know the candidate may be called. Some candidates may be selected for telephone interviews. One to two days of interviewing may be scheduled for the finalists, and usually more than one candidate is brought to campus.

Faculty members recognize the importance of the candidate fitting into the particular culture of the department and institution, so the search committee may allot considerable time for the candidate to meet diverse campus groups. This includes graduate students, given the orientation to graduate study represented in educational administration. Faculty and student evaluations of the candidate are critical to the selection process.

LaRuth H. Gray, an affiliate professor of educational administration at New York University, was a superintendent in Abbott Union Free School District, Irvington, N.Y.

The Superintendency's Loss is the University's Gain

Colleges of education are benefitting from a steady stream of experienced school superintendents leaving for university professorships.

Among the recent shifters are William Attea, former superintendent in Glenview, Ill.; Drue Shropshire Guy, former superintendent in East Orange, N.J.; PaulJung, former superintendent in Des Plaines, Ill.; Nancy Sullivan, former superintendent in two Massachusetts districts; and Charles Thomas, former superintendent in two Chicago-area districts.

Attea, Jung, and Thomas have joined the faculty at National-Louis University in Wheeling, Ill. Guy is an assistant professor at Bowie State University. Sullivan joined Rhode Island College in Providence.

Because of the search committee's desire to ensure a good fit, an applicant's cover letter should list the names of 3-5 references who can support the candidate's academic and administrative credentials. Universities generally want letters of recommendation sent directly to the search committee, not attached to the cover letter. References from educational administration professors can help.