Content taken from www.greatschools.org (April 2, 2015)
http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/what-makes-a-great-superintendent/
A great superintendent has a clear vision for the district. He or she works with the board of trustees to set the vision, goals and objectives for the district, and then sees to it that the goals are achieved.
A great superintendent is an instructional leader. He or she knows that the most important job of the school district is to make sure students are learning and achieving at high levels. He or she is knowledgeable of the best practices for maximizing student achievement and is supportive of teachers in the district.
A great superintendent is an effective communicator. He or she must make a concerted effort to communicate the needs and accomplishments of the district in a variety of formats: through written reports, communication with the media, public meetings and attendance at school events.
A great superintendent is a good manager. He or she directs the administrators to accomplish the goals of the district, monitors their progress and evaluates their performance.
A great superintendent is a good listener. He or she must listen and take into account differing viewpoints of various constituencies, and then make the best decision.
A great superintendent is not afraid to take risks or make a commitment. An average superintendent might set goals that are either vague or easily achieved but a great superintendent would not be afraid to boldly set goals, such as “The majority of third graders will be able to read by the end of the school year,” and then put the programs and resources in place to achieve those goals.
A great superintendent is flexible. He or she needs to be able to manage the politics of the job – to adapt to new board members, changes in state funding and changes in the school community while not sacrificing the district’s vision. A great superintendent takes a collaborative rather than a confrontational approach.
An ineffective superintendent gets mired in the details of running the district. He or she is always busy but doesn’t seem to have a clear agenda and direction for the district.
An ineffective superintendent is unavailable. He or she does not respond to phone calls or answer questions from constituents or the media. He or she is not often seen visiting school campuses or attending school meetings other than school board meetings.
An ineffective superintendent is always making excuses. If he or she begins most sentences with “Well, we can’t do that for a variety of reasons,” or “That is not something we have control of,” your district is not going to move forward. Effective superintendents create solutions, not excuses.
An ineffective superintendent agrees with everyone and never takes a stand. It’s an impossible job in a school district to keep everyone happy all the time. An effective superintendent must take a stand and do what is the best for all students, even if that means offending the teachers union or a group of parents, or any other constituency, on a particular issue.