Reflecting on Reflection

There is a well-known quote in our society, “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”  This quote always comes to mind when I think about the necessity of reflection as a tool for those in leadership positions. Taking the time to reflect on situations encountered as a leader and your response to them will likely lead to better decisions when you encounter similar situations in the future.  It is not always easy to find the time and solitude to do this, but it is something I have tried to practice in the various educational leadership positions I have had. 

In my opinion, one of the best ways we have used reflection in our course work for this program has been the use of pre- and post-assessments at the beginning and end of most courses.  Assessing my level of proficiency initially and then again at the conclusion of the course made me really think about how much my level of knowledge had grown over time and where I still had gaps to fill.  The most powerful use of this type of reflection was the post-assessment for EDLD 5399 when we were asked to evaluate our proficiency in all competencies and then reflect on the change in our responses from the pre-assessment in EDLD 5396.

Another useful type of reflection the course work required was reading and responding to the discussion boards each week.  Reading other colleagues’ postings provided me with different ways to consider situations and their solutions.  In addition, reading colleagues’ posts on the discussion boards allowed me to examine how districts of different sizes and student demographics approach the challenges we all face.

Prior to participating in this program, I had not created a blog.  Although its purpose is to share information and “discuss” the information posted, the blog has also been an excellent way to reflect on the course work from beginning to end.  While the program has gone by quickly, it is insightful to read back over my blog and think about all of the activities we have completed and things I have learned along the way.

I think one of the activities we completed early on in the course work that I have reflected on throughout the last nine months has been the superintendent interview.  At the time, I was intrigued by the superintendent’s response to the importance of the superintendent/board relationship and by all of the steps he takes to ensure that he is communicating with board members frequently.  I had never really given much thought to how the superintendent goes about ensuring that the relationship is positive and that there are no surprises for board members.  This year has been filled with some challenges for my district, and even with all of the proactive steps my superintendent takes to build the superintendent/board relationship and communicate with them frequently, the challenges have caused some division among some board members and the superintendent.  This situation has reinforced to me just how political the superintendent position can be and how quickly the superintendent/board relationship can change.  In addition, the comment one of our professors made that if this happens, it will be the superintendent not the board who must find another district is something I have reflected on frequently. 

There are two internship activities that I have reflected on most throughout this school year.  One has been the activity which required me to participate in an interview for a professional position and then critique the process.  As the Executive Director of HRS, my job requires me to recruit and select administrators for district schools.  An extensive process has been in use to do this in the district for the past ten years, but upon accepting my position in HRS, it has been clear to me that the process needed some revision.  Revising this administrator selection process has been a department focus throughout the school year.

The second internship activity that I have reflected on throughout the school year has been to review job descriptions of key office personnel and then meet with those employees to discuss their job requirements and how well they match the job description.  Again, because of my role in the district, this activity has been extremely important to me.  My department made a commitment to review and revise the 350+ job descriptions that currently exist within the district this year.  This is something that cannot be done successfully without meeting with supervisors to discuss job descriptions and areas for improvement so that they are in alignment with what the employee is actually being required to do.

As I stated earlier, finding the time and solitude to reflect is not an easy thing for a busy leader to do.  As a superintendent, the demands on one’s time are even greater.  However, reflection is still essential if the goal is to continuously improve in the superintendent position.  If I become a superintendent, I will look for ways to make reflection a daily part of the job.  For example,  I will likely continue to use a strategy I use now for reflection.  After a major event/project/situation I have conducted, I take time to jot notes on what went well and what needs improvement, and I keep those notes with the file for the event/project/situation.  Then, the next time I am faced with a similar event/project/situation, I have notes to review so that I can address the improvements needed from the beginning.  Group reflection will also be a strategy I will incorporate with my executive leadership team in order to process how successfully we addressed various initiatives and how we can improve in the future.  Finally, on a personal level, I believe it will be important to keep a personal journal to reflect on the successes in my personal and professional life.  This will be a way for me to keep perspective on what is going right in my personal and professional life and to remain focused on what is truly important, especially in times of negativity and criticism that unfortunately are part of the superintendent’s daily professional life.

Part C—Describing Recommendations for District/Campus Improvement Initiative & Lessons Learned

My district hires a consultant to work with Board members and the Superintendent to brainstorm district goals and then reach consensus on those goals for the upcoming school year.  While the approach is collaborative and a best practice, at times it results in district goals that are quite broad and not easily measureable. Goals also seem to be based on the current issues facing the district and are not far-reaching to impact where the district hopes to be in 5-10 years. 

I believe the quality of the district goals developed may be improved if some pre-work was done before the meeting with the consultant.  A recommendation I would make would be that the Superintendent and his executive team draft proposed goals which are closely focused on three important areas: improving student performance and increasing district accountability, improving the district’s financial position in these difficult economic times and into the future, and developing an intermediate-range plan for district facility needs.  My district is a fast-growth district, which is why I believe an intermediate-range (3-5 year) plan is about as far as we can project into the future.  Then when working with the consultant, the Board and Superintendent would have a more defined starting place to begin their work.  If the goals were developed in this manner, I believe district goals may be more comprehensive and more closely aligned to district data and needs.

Another suggestion I would make is that the District Improvement Plan be written in a more concise format which defines short, intermediate, and long-range goals for improvement.  Currently, it is a compilation of all of the Campus Improvement Plans. I believe common themes/practices/programs should be developed so that all of the campuses have a framework on which to focus their goals and efforts. This would allow campuses at the elementary, middle, and high school level to focus on specific strategies for achieving their goals. 

For example, bullying is a problem that parents and students continue to identify as a concern in our schools.  If a common approach to teaching anti-bullying was established, each school level would understand their role, and redundancy and duplication of effort would be minimized.  Elementary schools could focus on teaching what bullying is, what to do if it is happening to you, and appropriate bystander behavior.  Middle schools could focus on the importance of appropriate peer relationships and how to recognize and react to cyber bullying.  Finally, high schools could focus on using social media appropriately and dating violence. While the overall framework is still the teaching of  anti-bullying strategies, each level in the school system has a unique and age-appropriate part in the whole.

To develop my entry plan for the first year, I would use a backward-design model, determining the goals and objectives I want to accomplish in the first year of my superintendency and then working from those to determine how I would achieve them in increments of the first year, first month, first week and first day.

 First Year

Goal(s)

1)     Build relationships with the all of the stakeholders of the school district and determine issues/concerns facing the district.

2)     Study district assessment data and develop a 3-5 year strategic plan for improving the district’s academic performance.

3)     Study district financial data and develop a 3-5 year strategic plan for improving the district’s financial standing.

4)     Study district growth projections and facility capacity and develop a 5-10 year strategic plan for facility needs.

5)     Review current systems and organizational structures in place in the district and adjust as needed.

Objective(s)


      1a) Increase accessibility of the superintendent to all stakeholders of the district.

1b) Understand the history of the district and stakeholders’ perspectives of the issues facing the district in order to plan strategies for overcoming real/perceived obstacles.

2a) Develop a plan to improve the district’s accountability rating to Exemplary within 3 years.

3a) Develop a plan to ensure that the district has a sound reserve fund balance to sustain it through projected cuts in state funding.

4a) Develop an intermediate to long-range facility plan to minimize boundary changes and plan for bond elections that may be needed for new schools/district facilities.

5a) Conduct an internal audit to determine that sound financial procedures are in use in the district.

5b) Study the district’s organizational structure to determine whether key personnel are in place to provide equitable leadership and resources to all schools within the district.

5c) Ensure that district, state, and federal policies and laws are being followed in all aspects of district management.

 Activities addressing goals and objectives

1)     Meet with as many district stakeholders as possible to learn history of the district, issues facing the district, and strengths of the district.

2)     Seek stakeholder input using as many strategies as possible, including individual meetings, community meetings, and online surveys.

3)     Review academic and financial district data to position the district well in terms of academic and financial performance. Develop a strategic plan for the district in these areas. Set benchmarks to determine if plan is effective.

4)     Study facility needs to determine if/when a bond election may be necessary.

5)     Implement new organizational structure, if needed.

6)     Collaborate and communicate with Board frequently to ensure a positive working relationship is maintained.

 Resources needed to achieve goals and objectives

Support from the Board

Strong leadership from the executive team

Personnel resources

Financial resources

District data

First Month

Goal(s)

1) Build relationships with the all of the stakeholders of the school district and determine     issues/concerns facing the district.

2)     Study district assessment data and develop a 3-5 year strategic plan for improving the district’s academic performance.

5)     Review current systems and organizational structures in place in the district and adjust as needed.

 Objective(s)

      1a) Increase accessibility of the superintendent to all stakeholders of the district.

1b) Understand the history of the district and stakeholders’ perspectives of the issues facing the district in order to plan strategies for overcoming real/perceived obstacles.

 

2a) Develop a plan to improve the district’s accountability rating to Exemplary within 3 years.

5a) Conduct an internal audit to determine that sound financial procedures are in use in the district.

5b) Study the district’s organizational structure to determine whether key personnel are in place to provide equitable leadership and resources to all schools within the district.

5c) Ensure that district, state, and federal policies and laws are being followed in all aspects of district management.

Activities addressing goals and objectives

1)     Plan and attend community introduction event for superintendent to share philosophy, state of the district, and vision for the district.

2)     Review survey results from the website.

3)     Attend district PTA event to meet additional parents.

4)     Arrange a meeting with community leaders and local government officials.

5)     Fine tune plan to improve district’s accountability rating and ensure resources are deployed to needed areas.

6)     Request an internal audit be conducted to ensure sound financial practices are being followed.

7)     Fine tune plan to make changes to organizational structure.

8)     Continue to communicate weekly with Board members and send weekly Board updates.

9)     Update superintendent’s letter on the district website.

Resources needed to achieve goals and objectives

Meeting space for superintendent event & multimedia presentation

Survey results

District website

Personnel resources to close achievement gaps

Internal auditor

Organizational chart

First Week

Goal(s)

1)     Build relationships with the all of the stakeholders of the school district and determine issues/concerns facing the district.

2)     Study district assessment data and develop a 3-5 year strategic plan for improving the district’s academic performance.

5)     Review current systems and organizational structures in place in the district and adjust as needed.

Objective(s)

1a) Increase accessibility of the superintendent to all stakeholders of the district.

1b) Understand the history of the district and stakeholders’ perspectives of the issues facing the district in order to plan strategies for overcoming real/perceived obstacles.

 2a) Develop a plan to improve the district’s accountability rating to Exemplary within 3 years.

 5b) Study the district’s organizational structure to determine whether key personnel are in place to provide equitable leadership and resources to all schools within the district.

Activities addressing goals and objectives

1)     Meet with deputy superintendents, assistant superintendents, and executive directors to continue dialogue to determine district issues and to evaluate district’s organizational structure.

2)     Post survey on district website for district stakeholders to share input on issues facing district and strengths of district.

3)     Review district’s assessment data and begin to develop plan to improve the district’s accountability rating.  Meet with deputy superintendent of instruction and assistant superintendents for elementary/secondary education to identify areas of concern.

4)     Begin drafting changes to organizational structure, if needed.

5)     Communicate with Board members by telephone.  Send a weekly Board update via email.

Resources needed to achieve goals and objectives

Meeting space

District website

Assessment/accountability data

Organization chart

First Day

Goal(s)

1)     Build relationships with the all of the stakeholders of the school district and determine issues/concerns facing the district.

5)     Review current systems and organizational structures in place in the district and adjust as needed.

Objective(s)

1a) Increase accessibility of the superintendent to all stakeholders of the district.

1b) Understand the history of the district and stakeholders’ perspectives of the issues facing the district in order to plan strategies for overcoming real/perceived obstacles.

5b) Study the district’s organizational structure to determine whether key personnel are in place to provide equitable leadership and resources to all schools within the district.

Activities addressing goals and objectives

 1) Meet with deputy superintendents, assistant superintendents, and executive directors to introduce self and share philosophy.  Start dialogue to determine district issues and to evaluate district’s organizational structure.

2)     Meet with campus principals to introduce self and share philosophy.  Start dialogue to determine district issues and to evaluate district’s organizational structure.

3)     Meet with district PTA Executive Board to introduce self and share philosophy.  Start dialogue to determine district issues.

4)     Post introduction letter on district website.

 Resources needed to achieve goals and objectives

 Meeting space

Refreshments for meetings

District website

Part A: Career and Leadership Goals

Part A: Career and Leadership Goals

I chose to pursue a career in educational leadership because I saw it as the best way to impact children positively by helping to facilitate a learning environment where all children could thrive academically and experience success.  While I was able to do this as a teacher in my own classroom, I knew my impact could be more far reaching as a campus administrator.  After serving in this capacity for many years, I realized that the next logical step would be to work in a district administration position where I could work collaboratively with a group of educators to shape the district in a positive way. 

Before beginning this program, I never really thought I would be interested in being the superintendent.  I wanted to obtain my superintendent certification so I could be more knowledgeable regarding the big picture of the school district.  I saw myself more as playing a supporting role at the district level.  While I still believe this is true, especially in a district the size of my current district (45,000+ students), I am surprised to find myself considering the possibility of applying for a superintendent position in a smaller district.  In addition to wanting to create a learning environment where all children can be successful, I have always believed being an educator at any level is a wonderful way to give back to your community.  I have had opportunities to leave education along the way for jobs that probably would have been more financially profitable, but I never could justify doing that because I could never find a job that I thought was more important than being an educator.  I realize that being the superintendent would enable me to have the greatest impact in shaping the educational experience of the district’s students, and I am now open to that awesome responsibility.

In my current role as the Executive Director of HRS, I have many opportunities to learn on a daily basis and shape the district through the recruitment and selection of the best educators I can find.  Working in human resources, I am gaining first-hand experience with the budgeting process as well as working closely with the Board of Trustees.  If I stay in my current district, I could see myself applying for an Assistant Superintendent position one day down the road as a transitional step to the superintendent position.

Final Reflections on Lessons Learned in School Finance

By far, this was the most challenging course to date in the superintendent certification sequence.  This was also the course I was most excited to take because it is the area where I know I need to grow most, especially in the subsections of Competency 8 dealing with working with the board of trustees to establish a district budget and using forecasting to project budgetary and personnel needs effectively.  I have not been disappointed by the course.  I know that I have much more to learn about school finance, but I believe this course has provided me a strong foundation from which to begin.

I have recently moved into central administration from campus administration and have promoted quickly to an executive director position.  While I am so grateful for and excited about this opportunity, I am definitely the new kid on the block, working alongside assistant and deputy superintendents who have been in their roles for 15+ years.  It is imperative that I understand school finance and how it impacts my department.  The concept of differentiated staffing that was introduced in the lectures has been one that has really stuck with me and one that I keep coming back to.  I think it has some possible benefits for my district, and I want to learn more about it to see how it could be applied to increase efficiency in my district.

The assignments that have helped me the most in this course are those which dealt with the funding formulas and the annual audit. I had the opportunity to attend the public hearing for my district’s FIRST report at the same time we were studying it in class so that was incredibly insightful.  Collaborating with my peers through the wiki and blog discussions has also provided me with additional learning opportunities.  I often felt like I had a new perspective or better understanding after reading their posts.  Since many of them work in smaller districts than I do, it has also been interesting to see how those districts confront funding issues differently than we do.

Week 4, Part 5

For this assignment, I interviewed my district’s Executive Director of Business Services and Director of Financial Services. Texas Education Code, as well as district policy, requires that an audit of the district’s financial statements be completed by independent certified public accountants each year.  My district selects the external auditor through the Request for Proposal process.  The awarded contract is for one year and is renewable for four additional years.  My district has used the same auditor for many years; however, a new audit team is requested every several years in order to get a different perspective.  According to the Executive Director of Business Services, it takes the audit team about two years to gain a thorough understanding of the district’s financial processes.  The cost of the annual audit is approximately $65,000. The external auditor conducts the audit in two stages.  First, the audit team does some interim work in the district for about 1 week, reviewing various files.  Then, the team returns to the district and spends about 2 weeks onsite reviewing financial statements prepared by the district.  The external auditors spend most of their time focusing on payroll, debt expenditures, capital projects and tax collection statements and files.  During their time in the district, the auditors spend a small amount of time on campuses reviewing campus activity funds. The external auditors’ main function is to verify that information in the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) is presented fairly and accurately by the district and in accordance with accepted government accounting standards.  The auditors issue an opinion letter that reports their findings to the Board of Trustees. The auditors’ findings are reported to the Board of Trustees for their approval during the November Board of Trustees meeting.   All information reported out in Board meetings is posted on the district Web site for public review. Data from the audit is reported to TEA through the TEASE (TEA Secure Environment) system in November and is also submitted to PEIMS in January.

School Finance, Week 4 Part 4

For the 2011-2012 school year, 87.75% of my district's budget is allocated to personnel costs.  In a time when unprecedented funding cuts to public education in Texas appear to be inevitable for the next couple of years, there is little way around the fact that teaching positions will have to be eliminated in order to absorb these cuts in funding.  Even if it were possible to cut all of the items funded by the remaining 12% of the budget (which, of course, is not practical), my district would not be able to absorb all of the reduction in funding we were assessed.