JOB DESCRIPTION

Title: Superintendent of Schools

Minimum Requirement: Superintendent Certification (010) Maine Department of Education

Reports to: The School Board

Supervises: Directly or Indirectly Every School System Employee

Job Goal: To provide leadership in developing and maintaining the best possible educational programs and services.

Qualifications: (Criteria)

The superintendent shall have obtained appropriate educational background and shall have successfully demonstrated through experience:

Budgeting/School Finance/Business - responsible stewardship of a school system' s resources with a strong working knowledge of school finance; the knowledge of budgeting (development, acceptance, implementation), funding and taxation, and the ability to oversee business and facilities management.

Communication - the ability to effectively articulate to the board, faculty and parents the successes of the schools as well as the needs; is equally capable of communicating will with audiences, small groups, and individuals.

Community Relations - the recognition of the importance of both stimulating and reflecting community needs/wants regarding the children's education; the ability to relate with the public at large, in groups, and with individuals; the desire to be visible and active in community affairs; a view of the community/school system relationship as a partnership that recognizes and involves the community as part of the school unit.

Curriculum/Instruction - the ability to work with staff to identify skills or learning objectives which are appropriate to the student body; guidance and assistance of professional staff in planning and implementing instructional strategies that match the curriculum and student learning needs.

Involvement in the Schools and Community - visiting the schools on a regular basis to remain aware of current developments; an understanding of the need for the superintendent to be visible in the individual schools and community.

Leadership - the ability to inspire, motivate, guide and direct every member of the administrative, instructional and support staff in setting and achieving the highest standards of educational excellence; the capacity to influence, enhance and sustain vision, direction and progress such that each individual student may be provided with a complete, valuable, meaningful and personally rewarding education.

Organizational Management - belief in and understanding of participatory management; the possession of good organizational skills, and understanding of collective bargaining, and a working knowledge of school law; knowledge in the effective operation of organizations and in methods of resolving, when necessary, organizational conflicts.

Personnel Management - the ability to interpret school/school system needs and to perceive in candidates the potential for suitability, such that the best qualified and most competent teachers , administrators and support staff are recruited, nominated, assigned , and retained by good personnel management practices.

School Facility Planning and Construction - a working knowledge of the concepts involved in planning, designing and constructing school facilities, including a strong commitment to developing facilities to meet the needs of the instructional programs.

School Reform/Restructuring - the skills and knowledge in current practices and research which will enable the provision of direction and leadership for constructive educational change; the ability to move ideas and decision into implementation; up-to-date knowledge of educational tends, both statewide and nationally, and adeptness at adapting those trends to local schools .

Staff Development - the ability to provide an environment for professional growth and staff development that encourages the raising of staff aspiration by capitalizing on the strengths of staff members who are performing capably in the areas of program evaluation, development and implementation; encouragement of the use and development of other talents among staff members, when appropriate.

Superintendent/Board Relationships - the ability to understand and serve in the multifaceted relationship with the school board, including as chief executive officer, educational leader, Secretary, Treasurer, and advisor; the understanding and honoring of the responsibilities of the board; the ability to keep the board well informed and to articulate clear, specific well documented recommendations for action.

Supervision/Evaluation - the knowledge and commitment to supervise and evaluate the effectiveness of programs and the competencies and efforts of staff performance in the delivery of school programs; the ability to analyze duties and delegate authority and to provide for feedback and training to improve the performance of personnel; commitment to an evaluation process that establishes clear performance standards, acknowledges and rewards superior performance, and documents inferior work while suggesting methods of improving that performance.

Specific performance responsibilities may include but are not necessarily limited to:

Budgeting/School Finance/Business:

Guide the process of fiscal planning and budgetary development, interpretation and implementation.

Act as purchasing agent for the board, establishing and maintaining efficient procedures and effective controls for all expenditures of school funds for the purchase of books, materials, supplies and equipment.

Provide suitable instruct ions and regulations to govern the use and care of school properties for school purposes.

Oversee the scheduling of the use of buildings and grounds by all groups, organizations.

Oversee the transportation of students, in accordance with board policy. Make recommendations to the board concerning transportation in accordance with the law and the requirements of safety.

Communications:

Convey, interpret and clarify the purposes and needs of the school system to board, staff, students, and the public.

Listen; respond to opportunities to hear what staff, parents, students, community members want to convey ; seek input and feedback by initiating occasions for conversational exchange, both formal and informal.

Community Relations:

Keep the public informed about modern educational practices, educational trends, and the policies, practices, and problems in the schools.

Attend, or delegate a representative to attend, all meetings of municipal agencies at which matters pertaining to the public schools appear on the agenda or are expected to be raised.

Confer periodically with professional and lay groups concerning the school program and transmit to the board suggestions gained from such conferences.

Represent the schools before the public, and maintain, through cooperative leadership, both within and without the schools, a program of information and public relations to keep the public informed as to the activities, needs and successes of the schools.

Participate in the life of the community through personal involvement.

Curriculum/Instruction:

Administer the development and maintenance of a positive education program designed to meet the needs of the community and to carry out the policies of the board.

Study and revise, together with the staff, all curriculum guides and courses of study, on a continuing basis.

Recommend to the board for its adoption all courses of study, curriculum guides and major changes in texts and time schedules to be used in the schools.

Conduct a periodic audit of the total school program, and advise the board on recommendations for the educational advancement of the schools.

Involvement in the Schools and Community:

Frequently visit each school to be aware of current developments and to encourage, guide and support the staff.

Leadership:

Provide for the coordination of the total educational program, and provide the lead in its development and improvement.

Coordinate the work of administrative staff members, providing counsel and motivation and fostering teamwork.

Administer , as chief school executive, the development and maintenance of a positive educational program designed to meet the needs of the community and to carry out the policies of the board.

Formulate school objectives, policies, plans, and programs; prepare (or cause to be prepared) and present facts and explanations necessary to assist the board in its duty of legislation for the schools.

Accept responsibilities for the general efficiency of the school system, for the development of the school staff, and for the educational growth and welfare of the students.

Attend, and contribute participation to selected local, county, state, and national meetings of lay and professional organizations concerned with education.

Perform all other duties which may be necessary to ensure the proper functioning of the educational program, and which are incidental to the position of superintendent of schools and the chief executive officer of the board.

Organizational Management:

Develop, maintain, and administer an organization designed to effectively present instruction and educational activities for students enrolled and provide for proper span of control and delegation of responsibility and authority.

Delegate at own discretion to other employees of the board the exercise of any powers or the discharge of any duties with knowledge that the delegation of power or duty does not relieve the superintendent of final responsibility for the action taken under such delegation.

Hold (or cause to be held) such meetings of teachers and other employees as necessary for the discussion of matters concerning the improvement and welfare of the schools.

Cause a systemic plan for the conduct of the affairs of the school system to be implemented through personnel, instruction, business, human relations, information , and related activities.

Supervise the effective carrying out of all constitutional or statutory laws, federal and state and board policy.

Exercise authority to make such rules and give such instructions to school employees and students as may be necessary to implement laws, regulations, and board policy.

Personnel Management:

Recruit, select and nominate for employment the best qualified and most competent teachers and supervisory and administrative personnel.

Assign and transfer employees as the interests of the system may dictate, and report such action to the board for information and record.

Provide support for school system employees in the discharge of their official duties and responsibilities.

Recruit, employ, terminate, and accept resignations of personnel for support/non R certified positions for which State law does not require nomination for board approval.

Assume final responsibility for the selection, assignment, dismissal and evaluation of personnel.

Coordinate staff negotiations with all personnel groups, functioning as the sole administrative employee representing the board and the employed personnel in all interaction between these two groups.

Communicate directly, or through designated/delegated channels, all actions of the board relating to personnel matters to all employees; receive from employees all communication to be made to the board.

Authorize employees to attend educational meetings and conferences, and approve attendance of employees at meetings of civic, fraternal, service, and other organizations.

School reform/restructuring:

Keep informed of modern educational thought and practices by advanced study, by visiting school systems elsewhere, by attending educational conferences, and by other appropriate means, and keep the board informed of trends in education .

Direct studies and planning related t school organization, attendance area boundaries and school plant requirements.

Formulate school objectives, policies, plans and programs; prepare (or cause to be prepared} and present facts and explanations necessary to assist the board in its legislated duty for the schools.

Staff Development:

Oversee a comprehensive plan of staff development designed to raise aspirations, build on strengths that exist, and maintain up-to-date awareness of advances in knowledge, educational programs and strategies.

Utilize, when possible, the talents, training, and experiences of staff to enhance the capability and performance of others.

Superintendent/Board Relationships :

Attend and participate in all meetings of the board and its committees.

Prepare and submit to the board recommendations relative to all matters requiring board action, placing before the board such necessary and helpful facts, information , and reports as are needed to ensure the making of informed decisions.

Inform and advise the board about the programs, practices, and problems of the schools, and keep the board informed of the activities operating under the board's authority.

Submit to the board a clear and detailed explanation of any proposed procedure which would involve either departure from established policy or the expenditure of substantial sums.

Serve as professional advisor to the board in all matters of educational leadership business administration, personnel administration, material management, and public relations.

Continually inform the board on the progress and condition of the schools.

Attend and serve as secretary ex-officio for all meetings of the board; serve ex-officio member on all standing and special committees.

Advise the board on the need for new and/or revised policies, see that all policies of the board are implemented, and assist the board with appropriate consultation with teachers on matters of educational policy as required by State law.

Initiate and guide the development of policies for board consideration; accept the authority of board policy, and assume the responsibilities for the administration of same; develop such administrative rules, regulations, or procedures as may be necessary to implement board policies.

Act on own discretion if action is necessary in any matter not covered by board policy; report such action to the board as soon as practicable; recommend policy, as appropriate, in order to provide guidance in the future.

Report to the board such matters as deemed material to the understanding and proper management of the schools, or as the board may request.

Be responsible for the taking and maintaining of board meeting minutes.

Answer all communications directed to the board; direct all communication to school personnel from the board and submit all requests, recommendations, and reports from school personnel to the board.

Develop and revise as needed a plan for evaluation of all personnel, involving and informing staff of the plan and procedures to be involved.

Supervise methods of teaching, supervision, and administration in effect in the schools.

Report and/or recommend to the board the promotion, salary change, disciplining, demotion, or dismissal of employees as required by law or board policy.

Report to the board the case of any employee whose service is unsatisfactory, and recommend appropriate action.

Suspend any employee when deemed appropriate and report such suspension to the board for subsequent action, if necessary.

Direct activities that will measure and evaluate the extent to which the instructional program is attaining its objectives.

Conduct a continuous student of the development and needs of the schools and keep the board and public informed.

Other:

Maintain adequate records for the schools, including a system of financial accounts as well as personnel, school population, and scholastic records; act as custodian of such records and of all contracts, securities, documents, books of records, title papers and other papers belonging to the board.

Oversee the processing and submission of required reports.

Maintain effective working relationships between the school unit and other relevant agencies at the local, state and national levels.

Prescribe rules for the classification and advancement of students and for the transfer of students from one building to another in accordance with policies; approve the special transfer of students to/from other school systems in accordance with State law and board policy.

Exercise sound judgment in carrying out the policies of the board in regard to corrective or preventive measures to be used for the control of undesirable student behavior.

Perform such other tasks as may from time to time be assigned by the board, or as contained in Maine State law.

Evaluation: Performance of the superintendent of schools will be evaluated annually in accordance with board policy.

Adopted: November 22, 1993