Documenti di Didattica
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S P E C I A L R E P O R T
Finding
The Right Fit
“School boards are looking for God—on a good day.”
Atlanta-based superintendent recruiter, as quoted in the New York Times
2 E F F E C T I V E S U P E R I N T E N D E N T S , E F F E C T I V E B O A R D S
A TRADITION on Trial
E F F E C T I V E S U P E R I N T E N D E N T S , E F F E C T I V E B O A R D S 3
Superintendent leaders say their role is in a state of crisis
Findings of a survey of 175 superintendents judged nationally by their peers to be outstanding:
• 71 percent agree that the super- • 30 percent believe the current • 35.1 percent say they would be
intendency is in a state of crisis. model should continue as it more aggressive in pursuing
exists (52 percent believe it school reform initiatives if given
• 93 percent say they have a col-
should be seriously. restruc- six-year contracts.
laborative relationship with the
tured; 16 percent say it needs to
school board • 29 percent feel they were hired
be completely replaced.)
because of their ability to be an
• 88 percent feel their board is
• 37 percent report that insignifi- instructional leader.
effective
cant, time-consuming demands
limits their effectiveness.
— Education Commission of the States survey of superintendents, conducted by Thomas Glass, University of Memphis
professional managers. Sometimes this School Board presidents say system works
works. Sometimes the arrangement is Findings of a survey of 2,096 school board presidents from across the country:
so controversial that some policymak-
• 64.2 percent reported turnover of • 60 percent believe their board works
ers, researchers and members of the
three or more superintendents in the well together “most” of the time.
public are calling for new structures.
Dissatisfaction with the way many past 10 years.
• 30 percent said they would not run
local school districts are governed — • Boards were dissatisfied with the again for a board position.
by an elected school board and an performance of the previous superin-
• Nearly 75 percent say there is no
appointed or elected superintendent — tendent 42.7 percent of the time.
runs deep. In fact, 52 percent of super- need to change the present model of
intendents judged to be outstanding by • 73 percent said that at least half of school board governance.
their peers and polled by the Education the applicants were “well-qualified.”
Commission of the States, said the • One-third claimed their board works
model needs to be “seriously well together “all” of the time
restructured,” although they did not
specify how it should change. Another — Education Commission of the States survey of school board presidents,
16 percent called for the model to be conducted by Thomas Glass, University of Memphis
replaced. A national survey by Public
Agenda found that nearly seven of
10 superintendents say their boards
interfere where they shouldn’t, and
two-thirds believe “too many out there where school boards have you have are traditional, superintend-
school boards would rather hire a chosen good superintendents and stuck ent-run districts with supportive school
superintendent they can control.” with them. And where, as a result, boards working very much in the
Yet, despite the dissatisfaction with classroom instruction has improved in background and a strong community
the school board/superintendent a large number of schools. That’s my consensus to keep it going,” says Kirst.
model, Michael Kirst, Stanford measure of success, and it wouldn’t “They’re getting good results, and
University education professor, says it happen without good leaders.” Kirst it’s because of the quality of the district
can be effective. “Of course it can cites school districts in Long Beach and leadership.”
work,” says Kirst. “There are districts Elk Grove, Calif., as examples. “What
4 E F F E C T I V E S U P E R I N T E N D E N T S , E F F E C T I V E B O A R D S
What is decision making, board member
involvement and use of key
EFFECTIVE
instructional strategies; and
■ evaluating and assessing personnel
and programs.
All of the superintendents in the
E F F E C T I V E S U P E R I N T E N D E N T S , E F F E C T I V E B O A R D S 5
What Kind of School Board Do You Have? relations, long working hours and
— By Anne Lewis stressful working conditions. Some
former superintendents explain why.
Reporters can look at this criteria to determine how well their school boards operate. Ronald Ross, who served as superin-
tendent for four years in Mt. Vernon,
FUNCTIONAL DYSFUNCTIONAL N.Y., was always “walking a tightrope,
having to play politics.” Now a senior
Focused on clear set of beliefs, a plan to Disagreement among members fellow at the National Urban League, he
carry them out, and constant monitoring on goals and process retired primarily because of the major
Established process to orient new board No coherent orientation for new
reason for superintendent turnover: a
members, provide continuous training, board members, no investment in poor relationship with his school board.
and build collaboration training for board members Spence Korte resigned in the summer of
2002 after three years in the Milwaukee
All about improving student achievement Unfocused agenda that wastes time
superintendency out of frustration with
of all students on unimportant, peripheral issues
a politically fractured school board.
Differences are never personal in public and Disagreements get personal in public “The reality is, you have to think about
are about important issues related to student urban schools within a context that’s
achievement and well being largely political,” says Korte. The
Members work together to represent Members represent special interest dissension “makes it impossible for
the whole district; do not play interest groups or only certain areas of the leaders to be effective.”
group game district Other superintendents see negotiat-
ing the political complexities of a
Board keeps regulations to a minimum Board over manages with regulations,
petty matters school board as part of the job. Pascal
“Pat” Forgione, superintendent of the
Board does work through the Board members play to other district Austin, Texas, school district, attributes
auperintendent ataff, go around superintendent his success in earning the superinten-
Board operates in the open, involves Board avoids transparency, prefers to dency to his willingness to campaign
community in decisionmaking make big decisions in closed for it. School leaders must be political
committees players, he says. “Leadership has to be
effective within a political context,”
Board communicates as one body and Board plays favorites with press
works with the media in an ethical manner according to Forgione, who is Austin’s
seventh superintendent in 10 years.
Board shares expectations with community Board hires superintendents under “You have to design your leadership for
before hiring a superintendent, sets goals, unclear expectations, then changes your district’s politics.”
monitors and provides feedback frequently its mind frequently
6 E F F E C T I V E S U P E R I N T E N D E N T S , E F F E C T I V E B O A R D S
school district policy or priorities, he Ronald Ross, (right) former superintendent
says. As a result, boards often are of Mount Vernon, N.Y. and senior
dominated by superintendents or spe- scholar at the National Urban League
cial interest groups. The boards, says
Pasqual "Pat" Forgione, (with kids
Cibulka, “are not setting the reform
below) superintentendent of Austin
agenda.”
In smaller communities, however, Independent school district,
school boards still retain their tradi-
tional roots. In most such communities,
residents consider their school boards
important, according to Christy
Coleman, president of the Illinois
School Boards Association and a mem-
ber of the rural Geneseo, Ill., school
board. She notes that the vast majority
of school board members are unpaid,
and therefore, “really have no agenda
other than to make local schools better,
which in turn makes their local com-
munities more attractive and valuable.”
Coleman concedes, however, that not
all school board members are effective
though most try to put a high priority
on student achievement.
Nothing is more predictable than
annual panels of school board and
superintendent leaders at their respec-
tive national conferences, exchanging
compliments and pledges to get along.
They write policies and statements to shining armor and overcome local poli- ent, Tom Payzant, accepted the position
guide local leadership, which, if fol- tics where these wretched school board only after an agreement from the
lowed, would seem to assure respectful members are just screwing things up.” mayor, who controls the school system,
relationships. School boards need to be As a former member of the much- that he would be given at least five years
convinced to focus on achievement, praised Houston school board, he says to enact reforms. The average tenure of
contends Deborah Land of Johns the dynamic of district leadership is all public school superintendents is
Hopkins University. A survey by the much more complicated. The Houston about seven years. Yet, most prominent
National School Boards Association school board, for example, adopted a urban districts like New York City,
found that only 21 percent of superin- detailed statement on beliefs and Dallas, and Kansas City made at least
tendents believed it was very important visions and decided on a brief plan for three or four appointments between
to hold school boards accountable for a new district structure, directing the 1992 and 2002. Thomas Glass of the
raising student achievement, but if they superintendent “to initiate a process for University of Memphis says chronic
accepted this responsibility, their effec- the development of a plan to imple- superintendent turnover, or “churn,” is
tiveness would improve, she predicted. ment the beliefs….” For instance, board indicative of a board’s inability to func-
High-performing urban districts members set as a priority improving tion effectively, and that the results of
almost always have strong boards, in the overall achievement of students, bringing a new superintendent on
opinion of Donald McAdams, president declared the dropout rate as unaccept- board every few years can be disastrous.
of the Center for Reform of School ably high and stipulated that schools “It not only confuses and discourages
Systems and former Houston school were overly regulated. district staff, but also conjures up a
board member. He cites as examples Another urban district that is public image of a district in turmoil,” he
Charlotte-Mecklenberg, N.C., and managing to avoid superintendent says. Often overlooked is how superin-
Houston, Texas. McAdams dismisses turnover and major controversy is tendent turnover usually derails ongo-
the image of superintendent heroes Boston, according to Marla Ucelli of the ing reform initiatives — initiatives that
“who ride in on a white horse with Annenberg Institute. The superintend- generally take four to five years to take
E F F E C T I V E S U P E R I N T E N D E N T S , E F F E C T I V E B O A R D S 7
effect and bring about results, he notes. principals know their boards are going that well-run districts had lower
(Payzant completed the five years and to support them, they are more likely dropout rates, a higher percentage of
was given a new contract.) to take risks aimed at bringing about students going on to college, and higher
Although little, if any, statistical evi- reform. But superintendents unsure of aptitude test scores than poorly run
dence exists to prove that the leader- what their board members want or districts. For the purposes of the study,
ship quality at the district level affects insecure about how they will respond “quality governance” included a focus
student achievement, Glass believes a to controversy, are reluctant to stick by the board on student achievement, a
strong link exists. For example, in their necks out in an effort to bring positive relationship between the board
districts where superintendents and about change. and superintendent, and the ability of
One of the few attempts to study the the superintendent to function as the
link between school board performance CEO and instructional leader. “Poor
and student achievement was undertak- governance” was characterized by
en by the Iowa Association of School micro-management by board members,
S P E C I A L R E P O R T Boards in 2000. The association’s conflict and poor communication
A publication of the Education Writers Association. Lighthouse Study compared school between board members and the super-
This EWA Special Report was produced boards and superintendents in unusual- intendent, and confusion over their
with support from The Wallace Funds ly high- and unusually low-achieving respective roles. (See sidebar on p. 9)
and its Leaders Count initiative. districts of similar size. The study The most recent study by MDRC,
The findings and recommendations controlled for differences in the released in 2002 and commissioned by
of this report are solely the
districts’ demographics. the Council of the Great City Schools,
responsibility of EWA and its authors.
The study found that board shows similar results. Once again, a
The Education Writers Association, members in both the high- and low- shared vision was key for the more suc-
founded in 1947, is the national achieving districts maintained good cessful urban districts among the case
professional association of education relationships with their superintendents studies. Student achievement was the
reporters and writers. and had positive opinions of them. highest priority as well as focusing on
EWA President: Board members in all the districts stud- achievable goals and the lowest per-
Robin Farmer, ied also exhibited a caring for children. forming schools. The districts reformed
Richmond Times Dispatch However, in the high-achieving dis- to serve and support schools. In com-
Executive Director: tricts, board members and superintend- parison, the typical districts lacked
Lisa Walker ents consistently said their job was to consensus among their leaders, lacked
Project Director “release each student’s potential.” They concrete goals and took little responsi-
Lori Crouch also were constantly seeking ways to bility for improving instruction.
Special Report Writers: improve the district and viewed social Glass provides clues as to other
Priscilla Pardini and Anne C. Lewis or economic problems as challenges. In behaviors that indicate an ineffective
Photography Courtesy of: the low-achieving districts, board mem- school board: members who ran on a
Austin American-Statesman, bers and superintendents were more platform reflecting narrow interests or
The (Westchester, N.Y.) Journal News, likely to simply accept shortcomings in special interest groups; boards that are
and the Johnson Foundation. the students or in the district. Their out of touch with the electorate; and
emphasis was on managing the district boards that lack experienced leaders
© Copyright 2003 by the Education
Writers Association. All rights reserved. rather than changing or improving it. from other sectors in the community
Published May 2003 Board members in the successful dis- such as business and civic groups and
Design by Rabil & Bates Design Company. tricts also knew more about school who do not understand the process of
Printing by Camera Ready.
reform initiatives and the board’s role in consensus building.
supporting them than their peers in the The traditional district governance
low-achieving districts. And in the high- model needs a redesign, not a replace-
Education Writers Association
achieving districts, board members’ ment, according to Goodman and
2122 P St N.W., Suite 201
knowledge and beliefs were translated fellow researcher William Zimmerman.
Washington, D.C. 20037
(202) 452-9830; into initiatives at the classroom level. Advised by a broad-based board in a
Fax (202) 452-9837 This study is reinforced by other year-long study, they developed a
ewa@ewa.org research. Richard H. Goodman, project consensus on the roles of school
www.ewa.org director at the New England School boards, superintendents, and
Development Council, examined 10 board/superintendent teams that ought
school districts in five states. He found to be established in state law.
8 E F F E C T I V E S U P E R I N T E N D E N T S , E F F E C T I V E B O A R D S
Trying schools under “charters” that free
them from the constraints of
SOMETHING ■
traditional school district policies
and regulations.
Under school choice programs, the
DIFFERENT
traditional role of the school board
is eliminated as parents send their
children to any school they wish
and funding follows each child. A
panel put together by Education
Commission of the States recom-
hile the vast majority of members and superintendents. mended a model where school
E F F E C T I V E S U P E R I N T E N D E N T S , E F F E C T I V E B O A R D S 9
department, or run by a group that and mayors have been able to deliver Detroit and Oakland is that the mayors
would oversee comprehensive educa- that in some cases.” Kirst says mayors there were not given, or were not
tion, health and social services for who take over schools need to have a lot willing to accept, full control, he says.
children and families. of confidence in their leadership ability. A study comparing mayoral-
“You have to be a pretty bold person to controlled school districts, completed
Some reforms focus on the superin- say, ‘I’m willing to be held accountable in 2002, found different results but, in
tendency itself, with boards opting to for this system with all of its problems all three, no perceptible change in stu-
hire leaders with corporate or military that’s hard to turn around.” dent achievement. Similarly, Baltimore
experience rather than educational Schools in Chicago, Boston and changed its governance from mayoral
expertise. It is a trend gaining momen- Cleveland, where residents recently control to a partnership between the
tum, with Seattle, Chicago, Los voted to continue mayoral control, have state and the district, and only after
Angeles, and New York City as prime improved, according to Kirst. “They’re more than four years and three
examples. In still other cases, the tradi- not really high quality, but are on the superintendents (plus one interim)
tional superintendent’s role has been right track,” he says. The reason may- were there signs of improved student
divided up, and its duties split between oral control has failed in cities such as achievement.
a chief executive officer, generally a
non-educator, and chief educational
officer. In San Diego, for example,
Anthony Alvarado has served as chan-
cellor for instruction with Alan Bersin,
a former federal prosecutor, as chief
education officer, although he planned
Check the
to resign in September 2003 and scaled
back his work with the district to part-
time recently.
EFFECTIVENESS
A big innovation to watch is mayoral
control of school districts. Beginning in
the mid-1990s, states have turned over
of the COMMUNITY
at least partial control of urban school
districts to mayors in Chicago,
J
Philadelphia, New York City, Cleveland, ust as schools depend on district student achievement is the top priority,
Detroit, Oakland, and Boston. leadership, districts depend on the but so must community leaders. The
Mayoral takeovers can be good for strengths of their communities. “If general public should be providing
students and in the mayors’ own best I were thinking about reforming a feedback as well, it concludes.
interests, according to Thomas Glass of school district, the first place I’d look is In his book, Leadership Without Easy
the University of Memphis: “Large cities to the community,” Glass says, noting Answers, Heifetz says that leaders “must
struggling hard to retain businesses, that very few effective schools are found challenge their communities to face
renew Although core areas, and attract in what he calls “disorganized” commu- problems for which there are no simple,
new investments hardly need a highly nities — places where citizens fail to painless solutions.” And, successful
publicized, failing school district.” There agree on major social and educational reform efforts require long-term, com-
is no evidence mayoral takeovers have issues. “I’d ask, ‘Does the community mitted support from outside the school
yet increased student achievement, he know where the district is in terms of system, says Hill in his book, It Takes A
believes school boards appointed by achievement and program effectiveness? City: Getting Serious about Urban School
mayors are more stable than elected What are the community’s educational Reform. “Superintendents are good
boards, and the districts they oversee, priorities? What does the community sources of day-to-day leadership, but
more efficiently managed. want the school district to do? Is there given their short tenures, their efforts
Stanford University education pro- support for those things? Are people are not enough,” according to Hill.
fessor Michael Kirst agrees that the willing to pay for them? To participate in “Leadership must come from a longer-
model has potential. “These are typical- the process?’ ” lasting source and one that is both more
ly school systems mired in bureaucracy The MDRC study notes that success- deeply rooted in the community than a
with boards that cannot establish a clear ful urban districts engage the commu- superintendent and less protective of
directive for improvement,” says Kirst. nity. Not only must the school board the status quo than a school board or
“What they need is a quick, large jolt, and superintendent agree that improved central office.”
10 E F F E C T I V E S U P E R I N T E N D E N T S , E F F E C T I V E B O A R D S
Conclusion: al and know how to use politics to bring
about change. Those leaders need a
Sources
James Cibulka, dean Thomas E. Glass Michael W. Kirst Lauren Resnick The Wallace-Reader’s Digest
College of Education Professor of Educational Professor of Education Learning Research and Funds
University of Kentucky Leadership Stanford University Development Center New York, NY
Lexington, Kentucky University of Memphis 650-723-4412 University of Pittsburgh 212-251-9700
859-257-2813 Memphis, Tennessee Pittsburgh, Penn. Fax 212-679-6990
901-678-3009 Michael S. Knapp 412-624-7020 www.wallacefunds.org
Christy Coleman, president Education Leadership and
Illinois Association of School Richard H. Goodman Policy Studies Ronald Ross Thomas Watkins
Boards, Geneseo, Illinois New England School University of Washington National Urban League Superintendent of Public
217-528-9688 Development Council Seattle, Wash. New York, NY Instruction
Marlborough, Mass. 206-543-1836 212-558-5300 Department of Education
Consortium for Policy 508-481-9444 mknapp@u.washington.edu State of Michigan
Research in Education dgoodman@nh.ultranet.com Ted Sanders, president Lansing, Michigan
University of Pennsylvania Deborah Land Education Commission 517-373-9235
Philadelphia, Penn. Ronald Heifetz Center for Social Organization of the States
(215) 573-0700 Kennedy School of for Schools Denver, Colorado Marla Ucelli
Government Johns Hopkins University 3030-299-3600 Annenberg Institute for School
Council of the Great City Harvard University Baltimore, Md. Reform
Schools Cambridge, Mass. 410-516-2933 State Action for Education New York, N.Y.
Washington, D.C. 617-495-7867 dland@csos.jhu.edu Leadership Project 212-375-9624
(202) 393-2427 ronald_heifetz@harvard.edu Council of Chief State School
www.cgcs.org Donald R. McAdams Officers Urban Superintendents
Paul T. Hill President Contact: Patty Sullivan Program
Pat Forgione Acting Dean, Daniel J. Evans Center for Reform of School Washington, D.C. Harvard Graduate School of
Superintendent School of Public Affairs Systems 202-408-5505 Education
Austin Independent School University of Washington Houston, Texas pattys@ccsso.org Cambridge, Mass
District 206-616-1648 713-682-9888 Contact: Robert Peterkin
Austin, Texas Janet Thomas or Linda Wing
(512) 414-2482 Paul Houston National School Boards Center for Social Organization 617-496-4828
superintendent@ Executive Director Association of Schools
austin.isd.tenet.edu American Association of Alexandria, Va. Johns Hopkins University
School Administrators 703-838-6722 Baltimore, Md.
Arlington, Virginia www.nsba.org 410-516-8825
703-875-0722 jthomas@csos.jhu.edu
E F F E C T I V E S U P E R I N T E N D E N T S , E F F E C T I V E B O A R D S 11
E d u c a t i o n W r i t e r s A s s o c i a t i o n
S P E C I A L R E P O R T
Education Writers
Association
56Y E A R S
of Education
Writing