Thursday, September 6, 2012

Interviewing a Superintendent


I interviewed Dr. John Fuller, interim Superintendent at Mineola ISD. Dr. Fuller has been in education for 43 years and 34 of those years have been as a Superintendent. Before becoming the Interim Superintendent at Mineola ISD, Dr. Fuller had recently retired as Superintendent of Wylie ISD.  I sat down with Dr. Fuller in his office and he was gracious enough to give me ninety minutes of his time during this interview.

I will paraphrase some of the answers that seemed to have a real impact on me.
I asked Dr. Fuller question # 2, regarding the positive aspects of being in a leadership position, such as the Superintendent. Dr. Fuller replied that “it is the amount of influence you can have guiding an organization and developing leaders. You can influence an entire community, starting with the principals and each campus. A good Superintendent can have a very positive influence over an entire community”.  After reflecting on this question and answer, I realized that conversely, an ineffective or abrasive Superintendent can have a very negative impact and even divide a community.
I asked Dr. Fuller question # 3 regarding the negative aspects of being in a leadership position, such as Superintendent. His immediate response was “it is lonely. Only other Superintendents can really understand the pressure you are under and the difficulties that you face”.  Upon reflection of that answer, his immediate response struck me more than the actual answer. I know as a principal, when I feel overwhelmed I can call or visit my principal friends at an adjacent campus. The superintendent has no one that he or she can consult with in close proximity.

I asked Dr. Fuller question # 5 related to Competency 1, as far as the importance of integrity, fairness and ethical behavior. I asked him “what does ethical leadership look like”? Dr. Fuller responded that ethical leadership is based on making decisions based on the data and what is in the best interest of the child. He also spoke of how important it is to build trust within your organization and with the people that you work with and the people that work for you. He also emphasized that trust, once broken, is difficult, if not impossible to rebuild. I found it refreshing that the Superintendent actually verbalized that “the best interest of the child” should be what is driving the decision making process.

We moved on to question # 7 that discussed Compentency 3 which involves communication and collaboration with family and community members. I asked Dr. Fuller “how should a superintendent evaluate the effectiveness of communication strategies in the school district and encourage the engagement of the community to benefit all students?” Dr. Fuller responded with Transparency. People need to know who you are and what you stand for. Establish a culture of excellence, by involving those in decision making and gaining feedback.  Evaluate communications. If I am not getting feedback, communication is not truly occurring.  You have to “set the stage”.  You need a survey or a suggestion box to get the feedback.”  I think it is important to know that to be a truly effective communicator, you need to be able to receive communications as well as send your message and you need to be open to feedback, even it is negative or critical.

We finished the interview with question # 15 which asked what additional experience, learning or advice could Dr. Fuller give me, and our class that would be helpful in our educational pursuit. Dr. Fuller replied “A good superintendent asks lots of questions. Asking the right question is very powerful. “Frame the question right” and you get people to better understand where you are coming from as well as an understanding them.  Put “first things first”. Prioritize. 7th habit is sharpen the saw. Effective change can take place in 3-5 year period for a Superintendent.”  He likened my enrollment in the superintendent program as “sharpening the saw”. A good superintendent is always learning and always looking for better ways.

The interview was a very positive experience for me and reenergized me as an educator. It was refreshing to interview the CEO of a school district who truly has a heart for kids and bases educational decisions on what is best for children. As a Superintendent, his actions and decisions match his verbiage.  I think I learned that even though a superintendent is in charge of the entire district, it is important to remain open to feedback, to ask questions, and to surround yourself with good, knowledgeable people to truly be an effective leader. 

7 comments:

  1. Thank you for the interview, it was mind opening and informative. I agree that “the best interest of the child” is the key for Education. I also agree that the trust needs to be there all the time.

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  2. I enjoyed reading your superintendent's comments. I found it interesting that your superintendent made the statement in essence that it is "lonely at the top". I could see the job having a lot of pressure, and it is my greatest fear. I agree with his statement that a superintendent can have a positive or negative influence on the community. The advice your superintendent gave you makes me think that this is a process that will constantly be adapted. I, like you,realized that you cannot do this job alone and you must have a solid team and be open to the input of your stakeholders.

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  3. I enjoyed readig your post as well. It seems that even Dr. Chargois, being new to the position stated in almost every question that what ever decision is made, make sure it is in the best interest of the child.

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  4. Hi Rod, You did an awesome job on the interview. Your take on it was well written and flowed well. My interview was more question and answer, but it actuallly was in a conversation I formatted it in a tradional format. I like yours better.
    Yvonne

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  5. I find it interesting that so many of the superintendents interviewed are using the word "transparency" in regards to developing positive lines of communication. It confirms the fact that effective educators and leaders recognize that being open and honest is the best policy. Hiding our faults and covering our mistakes will only result in trouble. As leaders and perfectionists, we sometimes have a difficult time admitting our mistakes. However, if we are willing to admit our mistakes and apologize when necessary, we will earn the respect and trust of our coworkers, our students and our community.

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  6. This is an interesting insight into 34 years of superintendent experience. His comment on communication stood out, "if your not getting feedback, then communication is not really occurring." I find this interesting because we can easily get caught up the delivery of information. Feedback can serve as both confirmation that the information was received and a guide for future decisions.

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  7. What a privilege to hear the insight of someone who has been in "the business" for so long. It is great to read your summary of the wisdom he provided. Thanks for a great write-up!

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