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Superintendent (education) |
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This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (April 2008) |
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This article or section deals primarily with the United States and does not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article or discuss the issue on the talk page. (November 2008) |
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Please wikify this article or section. Help improve this article by adding relevant internal links. (November 2008) |
In education, a superintendent (also known as a chief school administrator in many states) is an individual that has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization.
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Many state departments of education in the United States refer to their senior administrator as superintendent.
Generally, public school district superintendents are selected by a school board of a local school district. As chief executive officer of the public school, the superintendent has oversight for what is often one of the larger businesses within the community the district serves. They are typically given overall responsibility for personnel selection and appointment, preparation of operating budgets, and implementation of school policies and regulations. Ideally, the school superintendent will be knowledgeable in areas of school law, school finance and investment strategies, school construction, technology, curriculum and teaching and learning styles and methods, team-building, and skill at seeing "the big picture", able to pull many smaller elements to a cohesive and productive whole.
Most superintendents are members on the board of education (school board) of their school district, but they usually cannot vote as members of the board.citation needed
While there are exceptions, many school districts now require, or desire, that their superintendent hold a doctorate degree.
Depending on the state in which they serve, a public school superintendent might also be referred to as "chief education officer", or "chief executive officer". A school superintendent may be male or female.
A public school district superintendent is hired by the school board of a local school district. A search consultant is usually hired to assist the school board in locating desirable candidates from which to choose. Before a school superintendent is hired input from the staff that he will oversee, and from the community he will serve, is usually sought out by the school board via a series of public meetings. During these meetings various groups are polled to determine which skills, attributes, education, and qualities they desire in their school superintendent. Customarily, the candidates chosen will be subjected to a battery of interviews with various representative groups, including non-certified school personnel, teachers, administrators, central office personnel, community and business representatives, and finally the school board. The school board usually receives input from representatives from each of the group interviews with each of the candidates, taking their thoughts into consideration as they select their new superintendent. The entire process of hiring a new school superintendent typically ranges from six months to a year, from beginning of the process to completion.
School superintendents do not have the same contract protection as other school employees, and do not have tenure or union protection, as is common for other school staff. Depending on local custom, a superintendent may be given a one year contract, two year contract, or three year contract. Three year contracts are the most common. Regardless of the length of their contract, however, the superintendent is evaluated annually by the school board and their employment may be terminated without proof of just cause.
Public school superintendents are held responsible for their entire district, from elementary and middle school through high school (K-12). Responsibilities include: hiring practices, budgets and policies.
Superintendents are required to be knowledgeable about law as it pertains to public schools, and be able to interpret laws wisely and correctly. His responsibility is to protect his school districts from legitimate law suits, and serve as representative for his district if it is sued. It is his responsibility to answer for whatever caused the lawsuit, and fix it if it needs to be fixed.
It is his responsibility to respond appropriately to media, including television and newspaper reporters. He should be skilled in communication and able to provide answers that are mindful of legal restrictions, honest, and that the public can understand.
He is required to keep the local school board informed, to educate them about issues that pertain to their district, and to guide them when appropriate so they are able to make decisions that are good for their district while keeping the district out of trouble with any of many entities. At the same time he must be able to work with, listen to, and be responsive to their many different – and often opposing – ideas, agendas, and priorities.
Many school superintendents began their careers as teachers in the classroom, then served as a building principal, and sometimes in a subordinate role in the central district office, before becoming a superintendent. However some local school boards select school superintendents from totally different backgrounds, usually from the military or business sectors, though this is not a common practice.
Most school superintendents have a Bachelor's degree in education and a Master's degree in school administration. Many also have a Doctorate in school administration, though not all do. All must hold special certification in their state and pass background checks with law enforcement agencies.
A typical workday might include many, or all, of these elements. A typical work week, including civic and public responsibilities, for most superintendents is 65 or more hours, while school is in session.
6:30 - 7:00 a.m meeting with local business people or go to one of the schools for a visit with staff
8:00 go to office, respond to phone calls and messages Check financial reports. Look over the latest test scores. If test scores are not very good, he has to give reason to several entities as to why they aren’t good and how he plans to make them better.
10:00 Expulsion hearings, meeting with union representatives about a personnel matter, or meeting with state auditors
11:30 Write article for newspaper, or respond to questions from a media source.
12:00 Attend Chamber of Commerce meeting or another committee meeting on which he serves at the local level. Or have lunch at one of the schools with students or staff.
1:00 look at more reports, call the State Representative about a new law that was going to be bad for his schools if it passed in the legislature.
2:00 Respond to four parents and/or staff member who have come to his office with problems or questions; conference call about insurance for his schools; meeting about changing bus routes.
6:00 Attend meeting with a task force committee about building a new school or addressing crowding concerns
7:00 Attend a school open house, drama presentation, concert or ball game at one or more of the schools in his district
9:30 Home for dinner
Usually the months of July and August, and during teacher and student seasonal breaks (spring/winter) the typical work week will have shortened hours such as 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and a 40 hour work week is more common.
School superintendents' contracts vary somewhat in detail between districts, but all contracts are for a 12-month work-year, as compared with teachers who are contracted for a 9-month work year with seasonal breaks.
Depending on experience of the school superintendent, most superintendents receive from 10 to 20 days a year of paid vacation. Their contract period is usually from July 1 through June 30. They customarily may take vacation time at any time of the year, so long as when they take it no responsibilities are left undone. Superintendents routinely maintain contact via email and cell phone with their district even on weekends, holidays, and vacations with few exceptions. Only rarely is someone unable to contact the superintendent and he ‘checks’ in regularly, even when vacationing or out of town for meetings or conferences.
Most school boards require that their school superintendent live within the boundaries of their local school district. Building principals may or may not be so required, though it is not an uncommon practice. Teachers usually do not have this restriction on employment.
The term 'superintendent' is rarely used for education in the United Kingdom (possibly to avoid confusion with the police rank); in most Local Education Authorities the equivalent title is Chief Education Officer.
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This article's citation style may be unclear. The references used may be clearer with a different or consistent style of citation, footnoting, or external linking. (February 2008) |
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