Internship

Candidates successfully complete an internship under the supervision of knowledgeable, expert practitioners that engages candidates in multiple and diverse district settings and provides candidates with coherent, authentic, and sustained opportunities to synthesize and apply the knowledge and skills identified in NELP Standards 1–7 in ways that approximate the full range of responsibilities required of district-level leaders and enable them to promote the current and future success and well-being of each student and adult in their district.

STANDARD 8 COMPONENTS

Component 8.1 - Candidates are provided a variety of coherent, authentic, field, or clinical internship experiences within multiple district environments that afford opportunities to interact with stakeholders and synthesize and apply the content knowledge and develop and refine the professional skills articulated in each of the components included in NELP district-level program standards 1–7.

Component 8.2 - Candidates are provided a minimum of six months of concentrated (10–15 hours per week) internship or clinical experiences that include authentic leadership activities within a district setting.

Component 8.3 - Candidates are provided a mentor who has demonstrated effectiveness as an educational leader within a district setting; understands the specific district context; is present for a significant portion of the internship; is selected collaboratively by the intern, a representative of the district, and program faculty; and is provided with training by the supervising institution.

"Making change in [any school district] is much like navigating on the open seas – its leader must be unwavering, steadfast, and at the helm at all times, and know where they want to go. Every day is an opportunity as the school district’s “champion” (Heifetz & Linsky, 2017, p. 17), and maximizing his or her leadership potential through connections with those they lead."

The above still holds, and even though I wrote it in 2020 during the Superintendency & Internship (EDLE 76534 The Superintendency and EDLE 76492 Internship in Educational Administration with Dr. Giancola) phase of my program, I still apply tenets today, constantly reflecting on what leadership is, could be, and what it isn't.

A lot of the leadership I do lives in technical expertise areas, and specifically, technical leadership.

"Taking a critical inventory of the time spent in adaptive versus technical leadership is an exercise well suited for any leader, and [any] superintendent would be well served by spending more time on adaptive challenges, and delegate more technical aspects to line leaders (principals, supervisors) or directors in various departments (ELCC 3.2)."

As I reflect on my leadership journey, I am now moving further into adaptive leadership. I spend a lot more time with people, and long-term plans for district improvement. I work through conflicts within teams, or between teams on campus, often involving union leadership as a dedicated partner.

"Any school leader, at any level, must be willing to give the work back for review, and to make sure the line is producing its best work possible (ELCC 3.2). Asking questions, probing for clarity, and requesting quality from those who report upwards is needed for the overall system to thrive. Second rate work, sloppy reports, and inaccurate data have no place in a professional school district. Such attitudes, and interpretations “are inherently provocative” (Heifetz & Linsky, 2017, p. 137) and not everyone likes to be held accountable, nor asked to work harder. Some leaders may tolerate this, and others do not. However, leaders cannot go it alone, and cannot do all the work themselves. They must delegate (Powell & Koltz, 2012)."

This, now, is the hard work of leadership. Supporting those around you to do their best work, and holding those who don't, accountable. It's difficult to have a critical conversation with a co-worker or teammate when you need to both preserve the working relationship and improve performance. On the teacher side of the house, this is easier with the recent updates to OTES 2.0 which specifically details performance metrics, collects data, and makes it crystal clear what performance actually looks like.

On the classified side - bus drivers, food service, and custodians - districts are left with in-house performance measures or no measures at all. Metrics like 'square footage per custodian,' for example, are like speaking a foreign language to most.

Embracing this complex, often multi-faceted, and ever-dynamic world is what school leadership is about. You do the best you can with the resources you have - all to maximize performance and serve the staff and students that make school what it is.

During both courses (Superintendency and Internship) I was asked to keep a log, and respond to weekly prompts about leadership, struggles, complexities, and daily life of school leadership. The artifacts below represent that journey, along with the Leadership Position paper reflected above, along with a gap analysis on school improvement. I also visited a nearby district for additional perspectives.

I completed my internship under the guidance of Streetsboro's Superintendent Michael Daulbaugh (NELP 8.1), along with additional input from other school leaders, superintendents, and operational leaders (NELP 8.3).

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic that hit our school district, there was a gap between when I finished coursework for the Superintendent's license, and I decided to wait to take the additional exam required by the Ohio Department of Education until the spring of 2022. In March this year I completed the Educational Leadership (015) exam (during spring break, and while having COVID myself...), applied for, and was granted a State of Ohio 5-Year Professional Superintendent License (2022-2027).

Leadership can be rewarding, fun, exciting, dynamic...and exhausting! Working hard to support others is no small task, and often the leader forgets to recharge, relax, and reflect.

Taking time off, after all, is not in our blood. Here, I reflect on doing just that - recharging, and being persistent the smart way. I believe both are traits of good leaders.

Heifetz, R., & Linsky, M. (2017). Leadership on the Line, With a New Preface: Staying Alive Through the Dangers of Change. Harvard Business School Press Books.

National Policy Board For Educational Administration (NPBEA). (2011). Educational Leadership Program Standards: 2011 ELCC District Level. 1–84. https://doi.org/10.1002/ace.7401