AASA New Superintendents E-Journal January 2008

Editor’s  Note

Dear Colleagues,

The AASA New Superintendents E-Journal is a quarterly publication tailored to the needs of new
superintendents. Each edition includes three articles prepared by new and seasoned superintendents,
educational leadership professors, consultants and practicing school administrators. This edition of the
journal addresses engaging the community and staff in system-wide  change,  developing  a  “transition  
map”  for  entry  into  a  school  district, and implementing a detailed plan for hiring.

In  his  article  “Culture  and  Context:  Understanding  Where  Your  Are  so  You  Know  Where  to  Go  and  
How  to  Get  There,”  Joshua  Starr,  superintendent  of  Stamford  Public  Schools  (CT)  traces  his  efforts  as  
a first-time superintendent to engage a diverse community and staff in bringing about meaningful and
sustained improvement in their schools.

In  the  second  article,  “Creating  a  Transition  Map  for  a  New  Superintendency:  7  Powerful  Strategies,”  
Patrick Sanaghan and James  “Torch”  Lytle  present  a  detailed  plan  for  a  successful  transition  into  the  
superintendency, from maneuvering negotiations with the board to building relational capital and
being a good listener. The authors draw from their experience as veteran education leaders.

Finally, Fred Nolan, superintendent of the Foley Public Schools in Minnesota, shares his efforts to
develop a carefully designed administrative hiring rubric. He presents a step-by-step process for
competing for the best candidate and obtaining broad community acceptance of the person selected
for the job.

Future issues of the AASA New Superintendents E-Journal will look at such topics as systems
thinking, sustaining a district vision, and board relations. Authors interested in submitting articles are
encouraged to contact the editor. Submissions are invited throughout the year.

Robert S. McCord
Editor, AASA New Superintendents E-Journal
E-mail: [email protected]
Creating a Transition Map for a New Superintendency: 7 Powerful Strategies

By Patrick  Sanaghan  and  James  “Torch”  Lytle

Patrick Sanaghan is president of The Sanaghan Group. E-mail: [email protected]

James  “Torch”  Lytle is a practice professor of education at the University of Pennsylvania and former
superintendent of schools in Trenton, New Jersey. E-mail: [email protected]

A  new  superintendent’s  transition  into  a  school  district  is  a  fragile  time.  History  is  being made,
changes are looming and hopes and fears are high. A new superintendent must navigate through
complexity, culture, politics and stakeholder expectations. It is a rigorous journey that requires careful
and strategic management.

As a veteran school administrator and former urban school superintendent, and an organizational
development consultant with 20 years of experience with senior leadership transitions, we hope the
information and advice we share here help first-time superintendents create a strategic approach to
their leadership transition. We use the metaphor of a transition map to convey a sense of journey and
the thoughtful approach new superintendents must take if they are to successfully transition into their
districts.

Strategy #1: Negotiate your contract and establish your relationship with the board.
One of the most challenging aspects of becoming a superintendent is managing your relationship with
the  board.  The  transition  from  being  a  candidate  to  being  the  board’s  first  choice  happens quickly and
the temptation is to get your employment contract signed as fast as possible so you can get on with the
job.

Instead of rushing to seal the deal, take some time to pause and reflect. What is it about you that
makes  you  the  board’s  preferred candidate? What did the board, district employees, parents and the
community  learn  about  you  as  the  selection  process  evolved?  Have  those  you’ve  worked  with  
elsewhere given you strong support, or do you have history that may create doubts? Are you the right
one for this job at this time? Do your experience, disposition and capabilities match what this district
needs right now? Do you get good vibes from the board? How many members are committed to long-
term service?

Keep these questions—and answers—in mind as you approach contract negotiations. We suggest that
you have your own attorney as you navigate this task. The following are some questions that you
should consider:

What assurances do I want?

How am I going to use my contract negotiations and language to clarify my relationship to the
board?  For  example,  what  will  be  the  board’s  role  in  personnel  selection  and  appointment?  
Am I amenable to performance incentives?
How will the terms of my contract affect negotiations with various employee groups?
What are my salary and benefit requests, and how do they compare to those of my
predecessors and of superintendents in comparable districts?
Negotiating  your  contract  isn’t  simply  a  business  transaction.  As  the  superintendent,  you  are  probably  
the only employee with whom the board has an individual agreement. Developing and authorizing
your  contract  will  signal  to  the  board  a  great  deal  about  who  you  are  and  what  you’re  about.  Are  you  
all about children or does your self-interest come first?

The biggest problems in the whole contract negotiating process are wanting the job too much and
getting caught up in the image of yourself leading this community.

Strategy #2: Do your homework.

New superintendents should request that a short (one-page) survey with five or six key questions be
distributed throughout the school district before they come on board. The human resources director or
a responsible central officer administrator should organize the process, but the survey results should
go directly to the new superintendent and the school board.

The responses should be anonymous to ensure honest answers. Only the participant’s  role  (for  
example, teacher, board member, principal, parent) should be identified so that the responses can be
compared across stakeholder groups. The survey sample should include at least 100 people from
diverse stakeholder groups.

Here are some suggested questions:

1. What are you most proud of about the school district? (What do we do well?)
2. What are the three top challenges facing the school district during the next 5–10 years?
3. What traditions and values must we preserve as we move forward? Why are these important?
4. What is one thing you would like to change or improve so that we can provide a first-class
education for all students?
5. What is one piece of advice would help me be effective in my new role?
6. What skills and qualities will our students need to thrive in the future?
7. How would you describe the culture and climate of the school district (for example, open,
welcome, resistant to change)?
8. What is one issue that, if we dealt with it, would improve the effectiveness of the school
district?

Whatever questions you ask, the key is to obtain the type of information you need to understand the
complexity of the school district, its culture, aspirations, values and challenges.

Conducting a survey like this has many benefits: (1) New superintendents will get information that
will leverage their learning curve in powerful ways; (2) They will be smarter about the system than
almost anyone else because they will have a systemic picture of the district; and (3) Stakeholders will
realize that you asked them for their input, which communicates that you value their ideas.

Most importantly, the survey results should be shared with all relevant parties so that they understand
the strengths of the school district and the issues facing it. The survey can often create a platform for
real  discussion  and  dialogue  because  it  shows  respect  for  people’s  participation.
The next several strategies provide specific advice about what you should do after you come on
board.

Strategy #3: Enter the superintendency with a learning attitude.

One superintendent we know used a strategic approach to learning that taught him about critical
subject areas and issues, modeled a learning attitude for others, and created a forum for stakeholders
throughout the school district to also learn about these important subject areas.

On  entering  the  school  district,  this  new  superintendent  asked  that  he  be  “tutored”  in  a  strategic area
such as budget or curriculum every morning during a two-week period. For example, for the budget
tutoring, the chief financial officer prepared an informative yet layperson-friendly presentation on the
budget.

The program was unique because any interested people such as other administrators, parents, teachers,
community members and principals could attend these tutoring sessions. After the presentations,
participants could ask questions about the topic and then participate in an open discussion.

These tutoring sessions accomplished several things. They modeled a learning attitude by the new
superintendent; informed many people about the complexity of the school district; quickly cultivated
an attitude of trust in the new leader because he was able to show competence and collegiality in these
sessions; and communicated transparency as a value to relevant stakeholders.

The sessions also gave the superintendent a sense of the capabilities of key staff, the concerns of the
community and the challenges and opportunities the district faced.

Strategy #4: Request a learning network.

New superintendents entering a school district must find ways to manage their own learning. There is
a great deal to learn about the complexity of a school district, and there  is  little  time  to  do  so.  That’s  
where a learning network comes in.

A learning network is a group of highly credible individuals who understand how the school district
works. The board chair, human resources director or a competent central administrator should
organize  this  list  of  key  stakeholders.  These  individuals  should  understand  the  organization’s  culture,  
know something about the history of the school district, have a sense of the politics in the school
district and understand the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. Also, they should be people
who can speak the truth and who have integrity and wisdom.

The new superintendent should meet with these individuals before coming on board—ideally one-on-
one. This will give the new superintendent a chance to connect with them and establish a
relationship. The superintendent could review the survey data with them, validate the returns, and
introduce    discussion  topics  that  will  illuminate  the  school  district’s  workings.      These folks can
describe the culture or the political terrain, explain how decisions are made or comment on the
board’s  effectiveness  or  the  business  community’s  support  for  the  school  district.

The superintendent should ask each learning network member the name of someone else who might
provide quality information and advice. This expands the network, provides a new information stream
and enables the superintendent to build more connections before assuming the new position.

These interactions also will shape the early perceptions of the superintendent because individuals will
go back to their stakeholder groups and share their first impressions of the superintendent.

Strategy #5: Build relational capital.

Building relationships may be the most important thing a new superintendent can do to ensure a
successful transition. Without positive, constructive and authentic relationships with people, you
cannot lead effectively. People will simply not perform at the high levels that are needed if they do
not feel connected to their leader.

If a new superintendent cannot connect with people personally--with their values, traditions, hopes
and aspirations--that superintendent will fail. Brilliant  ideas  or  “visions”  alone  will  not  carry the day.

We like the metaphor of a “bucket  of  goodwill” to describe the relational capital a new superintendent
needs in order to accomplish results for the school district. Superintendents need to keep their buckets
as full as possible because they can get emptied quickly. A public mistake, a budget shortfall, a sticky
personnel issue or a board conflict can force superintendents to dip into their buckets to weather the
storm. If the bucket is empty when a problem occurs, the superintendent will take a hit from which he
or she may never recover.

Superintendents build relational capital by listening to others and reflecting back what they are
hearing and learning, being transparent in their decision-making processes, sharing information
widely so that stakeholders feel informed, acting with integrity, being respectful of the school
district’s  history  and  values,  being  fair  in  their  dealings  with  others, and owning their mistakes.
Again, there is nothing new or brilliant about these ideas, but they can be difficult to implement. They
take discipline, commitment and courage.

Strategy #6: Be as visible as you can be.

A  superintendent’s  transition  is  a  stressful  time,  even  if  it  is  highly  anticipated  and  welcome.  People  
have fears, concerns, hopes and aspirations. Will I have power? Am I in or out of the inner circle?
Will I be able to influence decision making? What changes will the new superintendent make? Will I
be able to work effectively with the new superintendent?

It is important that a new superintendent not get trapped in central office machinations, meetings and
tactics. Superintendents need to get out, be seen and interact with people. This will happen only if the
new superintendent plans to do this before transitioning into the new role. It helps to map out times to
meet with parents, principals, teachers and central office personnel, and then organize the regular
schedule around those meetings.

If  possible,  new  superintendents  should  organize  a  series  of  “chews  and  chats”  where  groups  
informally meet with them over coffee and donuts or lunch to discuss issues and ideas. These
informal gatherings will  help  new  leaders  connect  with  people,  seek  advice,  assess  people’s  concerns  
and aspirations and, most importantly, become known.

Superintendents  cannot  be  visible  all  the  time,  but  they  can  be  “strategically  visible”  by  visiting  
schools (at least one a day), attending school district events (large and small), meeting with parents
and attending faculty meetings and community events. This strategic visibility builds street credibility
because people will know  that  the  new  leader  isn’t  leading  from  afar  but  is  connected  to  the  
community and its schools.

During the first year, it is essential that the new superintendent stay in the school district as much as
possible. This means limiting attendance at out-of-area conferences, involvement in national
networks, teaching at a local university and being a board member of another organization. It is
important that the first year be focused on school district matters and being visibly present to each
stakeholder group. After the first year, the new superintendent can gradually but cautiously add
external commitments.

Strategy #7: Be a good listener.

We agree with leadership expert Ron Heifetz, who suggests that many leaders tend to die with their
mouths open. Being a good listener is much more difficult than it sounds because most leaders believe
they are good listeners. But we have found this rarely to be true.

Listening authentically is difficult. In an age when we live on sound bites, when we get points for
acting fast and responding quickly, it takes real discipline to slow down mentally and listen to others.
It also means being open to others and being informed, even influenced, by them.

When people feel listened to by their leaders, they feel respected and valued; they tend to tell their
stories, share their hopes and fears and give good advice. In short, they tell a new superintendent
much of the information needed for success, and this information makes the leader smarter and more
effective.

And by the way, the folks  who  are  “multi-taskers,”  using their Blackberrys or reading articles and
reports during meetings, communicate disrespect, disinterest and discourtesy to others. These are
three  messages  you  don’t  want  to  convey.  As  far  as  we  know,  research  does not prove that you can do
two things at once well, so  you’re  probably  being  ineffective.

We hope that some of these suggestions help new and aspiring superintendents. The lessons learned
have been learned the hard way, from many tragic transitions. It will take time and attention to create
your  own  “map”  and  navigate  the  complex  terrain  that  awaits  you.  Good  luck  on  your  journey.

Culture and Context: Understanding Where You Are so You Know Where to Go and
How to Get There

By Joshua Starr

Joshua Starr is superintendent of the Stamford (Conn.) Public Schools. E-mail:

[email protected],ct.us

We all know that change is difficult, and real change rarely takes place without resistance. Some of
the same people who say that change is necessary are not willing to change what they, themselves, do
every day. And some of the people who embrace change and actually work hard to adopt new
practices are those who, at first blush, seemed to be ardent resistors.

One of the most important things a new superintendent can do to help pave the way for successful
change within the school system is to develop a good understanding of the district culture.

I was hired as the superintendent of schools in Stamford, Connecticut, in May 2005 specifically to be
a change agent. Stamford is a vibrant city of approximately 120,000 people that lies at the southwest
corner of Connecticut. Many residents work in New York City or for one of the large corporations
headquartered in Stamford. We have 15,000 children enrolled in 20 schools, and we are very diverse:
40% White, 22% Black, 30% Latino, 8% Asian, 38% free/reduced-price lunch and 16% English
Language Learners.

The diversity and complexity of Stamford make it a wonderful and challenging place to be
superintendent. Many of our children do extremely well and go on to thrive in college and beyond.
Other children fail to read, write and do math on grade level and leave the school system with few
options. Predictably, this difference in outcomes largely falls along lines of ethnicity and socio-
economic status.

In bringing me to Stamford, the board of education sought to challenge the status quo. I was a 35-
year-old educator with a background in accountability who had never been a superintendent or a
principal. Clearly, I did not fit the traditional profile of most new superintendents. Teachers, parents
and community members had as many questions about me as I did about them.

This fact leads me to my first observation about understanding district culture and effecting
meaningful change:

Observation #1: Opportunities to interact one-on-one, in large groups, and in small groups help the
new superintendent get to know the district and help the staff, parents and community become
acquainted with the new superintendent.

Beginning my job in May served me well. The school year had not ended, so I could meet people and
attend school and community events. I had a clear entry plan that I shared throughout the district so
everyone knew exactly what I was doing at the beginning of my tenure. I based my entry plan on the
books Entry by Barry Jentz and Managing Transitions by William Bridges.

One of the major aspects of my entry plan was to meet individually with about 50 people. I met with
each principal, board member, and key central staff member. I also asked board members to
recommend individuals with whom I should meet.

I asked everyone the same three questions, which were developed by Carmen Farina, the former
deputy chancellor for teaching and learning in New York City, with whom I had worked prior to
coming to Stamford: (1) What are you most proud of and do well? (2) Why do some children in
Stamford achieve at high levels and others do not? (3) What would you do if you were I?

At  first,  I  was  worried  that  these  three  questions  wouldn’t  be  enough  to  get  the  information  I  sought,  
but I was wrong. They were great launching pads for deeper conversation. I talked in depth with some
people about race, the achievement gap and our own personal stories; other people had tears in their
eyes as they described their own experiences as children or with children; others gave milquetoast
answers  that  we’ve  heard  too  many  times.

These conversations gave me an opportunity to share myself and my experiences and passions. I also
received a good introduction to what district leaders thought about the issues Stamford confronted.
That helped me craft my message for a wider audience as I went forth into the schools and into the
larger community.

This leads to my second observation about understanding culture:

Observation #2: The superintendent needs a clear and simple message to communicate to all
audiences. This message provides a launching pad for deeper conversation that will help a new
superintendent understand the dynamics and history of the district.

Beginning on the day I arrived in Stamford, I continually discussed three principles that I expected to
be held accountable for: equity, transparency and engagement. I talked about these ideas everywhere I
went, emphasizing that each child deserves to have access to high-quality, standards-based
instruction; that I would be open and honest with how and why I made decisions; and that we would
collectively build the world that we wanted Stamford children to live in.

It was the third principle, engagement, that helped me really understand the culture of the Stamford
Public Schools. I decided to hold a community forum once a month as a way to engage families,
educators and community members in understanding the reality of the Stamford Public Schools. I also
took this opportunity to gather input to set our future direction.

This forum idea stemmed from three factors: (1) The board had set community engagement as a goal
for me and for them; (2) One of the most important roles of the leader is to create a sense of urgency
and shared reality; and (3) I love to teach, and the community forum provided an opportunity for me
to teach the community about education in the 21st century. I wanted to teach people about NCLB,
21st century skills, special education, English language learners and other topics that face educators
today.

Every community forum follows the same format: a 20-30 minute presentation about the data, a one-
hour small-group discussion about the data using a simple protocol, and a 30-minute whole-group
conversation and question-and-answer session. These forums have been wonderful data-gathering
exercises for me, the scientist-superintendent. Not only do they provide an opportunity to
communicate my message, they also allow me to hear the concerns, ideas, questions and dreams of
our teachers, families, administrators and community members. The input led directly to my strategic
plan, and it has helped me to discern patterns of thought within the Stamford community.

Many of the themes that have emerged from the forums are repeated in other engagement
opportunities  such  as  PTO  meetings  at  schools;;  informal  “conversations  with  Josh”  with teachers at
every school; meetings with high school students a few times each year; neighborhood chats with
small groups of families in their living rooms, houses of worship or community centers; regular
meetings with representatives from the political community; formal monthly meetings with a district
leadership team comprised of teachers, secretaries, educational assistants, parents and administrators;
and monthly meetings with representatives of each bargaining unit.

These interactions have helped me understand the dynamics of Stamford so that ideas I have and
actions I want to take can be contextualized within the interests of many different groups, each of
which has its own constituency.

One of my greatest challenges as superintendent is reconciling my own desires and ideas for change
with those of the community members. While I may have some very distinct ideas for improvement, I
first must understand how to move an idea through the local context if it is to have a chance for
success.

My third observation is perhaps the most important thing that I have learned about the Stamford
culture during the past two and one-half years:

Observation #3: Many people think that education is a zero-sum game; they do not understand how a
school district can meet the needs of students who are below standard without taking away resources
from students who are at or above standards.

When the politics of local taxes, NCLB, and state accountability, in addition to the new demands of
the 21st century economy, are added to the mix, this issue becomes that much more complicated.

The  superintendent’s  job  within  this  dynamic  can  be  difficult  and  frustrating  at  times.  Often,  we  know  
the right thing to do, yet others do not share our beliefs. Our success as superintendents rests on our
ability to understand the hot points within our communities and the dynamics of the local culture so
we  can  create  the  context  for  the  “right  thing”  to  work  when  implemented.  

One of the most fulfilling things I do as superintendent is to participate in the Connecticut

Superintendents network. This is a group of about 20 superintendents who meet monthly with the
Connecticut Center for School Change and Harvard Professors Lee Teitel and Richard Elmore. We
visit  each  other’s  schools  and  discuss how we can stay focused on instruction in the classroom in the
midst of the competing demands of our work.

Each participant in the network is required to develop an explicit theory of action. A theory of action
is a fundamental belief that you have about how change happens. It cannot be static, and therefore
needs  to  be  revisited  regularly.  My  theory  of  action  is  that  “If  the  right  people  are  engaged  with  each  
other around the important questions about student achievement, we will collectively develop the
right  solutions.”  

My theory is also my conclusion. After hypothesizing, observing, and experimenting, I have

concluded that my success as a superintendent depends on the extent to which I engage people in
building the future of the Stamford Public Schools. Together, we must ask questions, review data,
wrestle with the big ideas, negotiate the details, and challenge each other to be the change that we
want to see.

Engagement helps me understand the culture. Knowing the culture helps me ask the right questions.
This, in turn, leads to making the right decisions that will help each and every child in Stamford
achieve.

A Game Plan for Hiring Principals

By Fred Nolan

Fred Nolan is superintendent of the Foley (Minn.) Public Schools. E-mail:

[email protected]

Effective  schools  research  continues  to  point  to  the  principal’s  central  role  in  every  aspect  
of quality schools.  Therefore,  one  of  the  most  important  of  a  superintendent’s  tasks  is  
hiring principals and other members of the administrative cabinet.

You probably participated on teacher-hiring teams as a principal or district-level

administrator. Hiring principals has a much higher profile in the community and much
higher stakes for the success of the school and district with regard to educating the youth
of the community.

As superintendent of Foley Public Schools in Central Minnesota (student population

1,685) I had the opportunity and responsibility for guiding the process to hire four
administrators within 15 months. I worked with Bruce Miles of Great River Consulting to
develop a checklist that achieves the following four significant aims of successful
administrative hiring:
1. Creates the performance target that details the leadership needs and strengths of
the  building  or  department  that  will  be  matched  with  a  leader’s  talents,  interests  
 and aptitudes. (This goal is outlined in The Jossey Bass Academic Administrator’s  
Guide to Academic Hiring, by R. Levin and J. Rosse.)
2. Creates multiple points of involvement for staff, community, school board
members and students (in the case of secondary administration), yet retains the
superintendent’s  role  to  ensure  a  good  fit between the superintendent and
principal or administrator.
3. Focuses on the skill sets and performance record of the candidates with multiple
measures to clearly identify the candidate who best meets the leadership needs of
the building and district. (Douglas  Reeves  discusses  this  point  in  his  article,  “New  
Ways  to  Hire  Administrators,”  in  the  May  2007  issue  of  Educational Leadership.)
4. Creates the transparency and a paper trail to build confidence, support and trust
that the best available candidate was selected and recruited to serve as principal
for the specific building in your district and meets the requirements for public
disclosure and non-discriminatory hiring.

We can conceptualize the four-part process as an athletic tournament. First you prepare
for the tournament—you do the work necessary before the position is posted. Second,
you participate in the early rounds—you collect applications. Third, you participate in the
quarterfinals through the finals—you launch the selection process and identify the final
candidate. Finally, you award the trophy—you negotiate the contract, get board approval
and present the selection to the press and community.

Visualize center court Wimbledon this past July when Venus Williams and Roger
Federer each hoisted the trophy in front of adoring fans. That is the vision of a successful
administrative hiring, with your new principal holding up the trophy. I outline here in
detail, steps leading to that victory celebration.

Step One: Preparation Prior to Posting a Position (3–9 months in advance)

o Negotiate  changes  in  the  principals’  master  agreement  to  reflect  any  new  
language or benefits the board would like for new principals.
 o Update the job application to include waiver of rights to damages for references
and to penalize falsehoods with immediate dismissal.
o Discuss and create an agreement with the board on roles and responsibilities in
the hiring for you, the board, staff, community and students (in the case of a high
school principal or district activities director).

True Story: I use an organizational chart to show that I am the immediate supervisor for
administrators, so if in the hiring process, a clear consensus #1 candidate emerges, the
decision about who makes the final recommendation is a moot point.

But if there is no clear #1 and several acceptable candidates, who makes that final
determination? The board agreed, somewhat reluctantly on some points, that in the
screening and interviewing stages they would provide input to me about the candidates,
but the recommendation of a candidate for hire would be mine. They would vote on that
recommendation.

o Discuss and create an agreement with the board regarding the budget for the
selection process, role of a consultant and process for contracting with a
consultant.
o Discuss  with  the  board  a  salary  range  if  not  determined  by  the  principals’  master  
agreement.
o Have the consultant (or a good facilitator who has no stake in this decision)
facilitate in separate groups the staff, community/parents, board/administration
and students (for high school administrator and activities director) to develop the
vision for the building, priorities for the building and the hard and soft skills
desired in a principal. Organize and feed these back to all the groups.
o Revise the job description based on the visioning activity and any other
administrative assignments included in the position.
o Create a brochure or web slide show highlighting the building and include
information from the visioning activity.
 o Create  a  page  on  the  district’s  website  that centers on this particular hiring with all
the relevant information: brochure or slide show, visioning activity results, job
posting, job application and links to other websites of interest to candidates such
as the chamber of commerce, local paper, state reports, or comparisons such as
the school report card produced by the state department of education.
o Set dates for résumé review, e-mail question screening, and interviewing.
o Recruit applicants as needed or desired.
Step Two: Receiving Applications and Preparing the Selection Process (1 month process)
o Applicants complete an application and submit a letter of interest, a résumé, their
transcripts and a copy of their license.
o The administrative assistant logs all applicant information into a spreadsheet and
begins e-mail correspondence with applicants, apprising them of the status of their
materials.
o The  administrative  assistant  uses  a  marker  to  create  a  “blind”  copy  of  the  letter  of  
interest, résumé, and transcript (blocking out the name and address).
o Teams representative of the stakeholder groups are assembled for the résumé
review, e-mail question screening and interviews.
o You and a small team of stakeholders consider the vision, priorities and hard and
soft skills, and create a score sheet to rate the résumé on whether the candidates
demonstrate a high, medium or low level of competence on those skills.
o The same or a different team creates a bank of 40–50 questions based on those
visions, priorities and hard and soft skills. Four to six of the questions—each of
which reflects a critical skill set—become the e-mail questions.
o Assuming one of your critical skill sets is using data to analyze student
achievement data to guide instructional improvement, assemble the student data
you want the candidates to examine.
Good Advice: As Douglas Reeves observed in his Educational Leadership article (May
2007), how well a principal analyzes student data is an important skill not readily
observable in a standard interview. E-mail the data or the links to each candidate and ask,
“What  do  you  notice?” The richness of the responses will tell you a lot about the
candidates’  ability  to  analyze  data  or  to  find  a  quick  source  for  such  analysis  on  short  
notice. A follow-up question in the face-to-face interview can identify the candidates who
intimately  understand  the  school’s  data  and  the  those  who  had  some  help.

o The other lists of 12–15 questions are for the board and for the staff/community
interviews. Ensure that all major skills sets are probed on each question list and
that each list has an appropriate opening and closing question.
Step 3: The Selection: Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Finals (1 month process)
o Candidates with completed application materials have made the quarterfinals or
résumé review stage.

Tip: Because you want to attract quality candidates and because quality candidates
are busy people with current responsibilities, make the application process easy by
putting all the necessary information on one web page that is accessible by one click
into your district website. Provide the application, hiring timeline, brochure or slide
show about the district, a contact button to the administrative assistant handling the
applications, and links to the state education department, local newspaper, city and
chamber of commerce websites.

o The résumé review team reads all résumés in one room on one day. All readers
use the same score sheet and individually pick their 10 semifinalists (fewer if you
have fewer than 40 quarterfinalists). You need as many score sheets as the
number of completed applications times the size of the review team. In other
words, alot.
o Candidates chosen by 75% or more of the résumé review team are automatically
semifinalists; those chosen by 25% or fewer are automatically eliminated. Discuss
the semifinalists with respect to the skill sets and pare the number to 8–10
semifinalists.
o Some local candidates may not be in the final pool. Discuss whether for political
reasons these candidates should be added to the pool.
o The administrative assistant e-mails the semifinalists the questions with strict
rules about when their answers must be returned—usually within 36 hours. Each
 e-mail question asks that the candidate list a reference (with contact information)
who can attest to the response.
o The administrative  assistant  organizes  all  the  candidates’  e-mail responses by
question  rather  than  by  candidate.  This  lets  the  reviewers  compare  all  candidates’  
answers to one question and thereby determine evidence of knowledge and skills
in each particular area.
o The e-mail review team members read the e-mail responses on the same day and
each uses the score sheet developed for the résumé review to determine the level
of skill and knowledge in the skill sets demonstrated by the e-mail responses.
Then, each chooses five finalists.
o Finalists chosen by 75% or more of the e-mail review team are automatically
finalists; those chosen by 25% or fewer are automatically eliminated. Team
members discuss the candidates with respect to the skill sets and end up with four
to six finalists.
o Some local candidates may not be in the final pool. Discuss whether for political
reasons these candidates should be added to the pool.
o The e-mail review team can call references on e-mail questions of each finalist to
ensure the veracity of the candidates’  answers.  Divide  up  the  calling,  go  over  the  
reference check procedures, and tell the team members they can begin calling
references  36  hours  after  the  candidates’  questions  have  been  reviewed.
o The administrative assistant calls to inform the finalists of their status, schedules
them for an interview and tour of the facility, and tells them when reference calls
will begin.
o The administrative assistant creates folders for each interviewer with complete
application materials (with names) of each finalist, the e-mail questions and
responses  and  a  question  list  and  scoring  sheet  for  each  finalist.  Each  finalist’s  
materials are color coded so interviewers can keep the information together easily.
Interviewers may pick up these materials one or two days before the interviews so
they can become familiar with the candidates.
o Reference phone call results are compiled, color coded by candidate, and
provided to the interviewers the day of the interviews. There should be at least
 three reference phone calls for each candidate. Instruct the callers to e-mail the
responses to you so you can clean up the grammar and ensure each candidate has
a minimum of three references.

Tip: Everyone involved in the search can be involved in reference calling, and in
fact I have found it helpful because you get more candid responses from multiple levels
of an organization when you have administrators, teachers, board members and education
assistants calling. Provide everyone with a standard set of five questions as follows:
1. How long have you known the candidate and in what capacity?
2. What  are  the  candidate’s  strengths?
3. Would you hire or like to see the candidate hired (or rehired) as your
principal? (Here you need to coach the callers to listen to how quickly and
how enthusiastically  the  reference  responds,  as  nearly  all  will  say  “yes.”)
4. If we were to hire the candidate as principal, are there things we should be
concerned about or watch for? (This is a way to probe for weaknesses
without using the word. In “Challenges of Hiring Well,” published in the
June 2004 EduExec magazine, Lynn Little suggests the  question,  “What  is  
the worst thing you can say about the candidate?
5. What  should  we  know  about  the  candidate  that  we  haven’t  already  talked  
about?
o The administrative assistant creates two summary sheets for each interviewer.
One is an interview scoring summary and one is a forced choice score sheet. Let
the collective wisdom work by letting the numbers do the talking rather than the
loudest person or group.
o The administrative assistant creates a spreadsheet to track this information and to
weight the board/superintendent interview team scores equally with the
staff/community team scores, as normally that team is two or three times the size
of the board/superintendent team.
o This information  is  rank  ordered  for  “the  reveal”  to  the  combined  teams  at  the  
conclusion of the last interview. All team members get their individual summaries
back and a printout of all the summaries of all interviewees.
 Tip: A flip chart works well to show the board and staff/community/student rankings
side by side for both the interview scores and, on the next sheet, the forced choice
rankings. Having  the  top  sheet  blank  allows  you  to  get  everyone’s  attention  before  
you  flip  that  over  and  “reveal”  the  interview score rankings and then the forced
choice sheet.
Step 4: Awarding the Trophy and Conferring the Prize (1-5 day process)
o “The  reveal”  will  eliminate  50%–75% of the finalists with no discussion, as they
clearly  didn’t  score  as  high  as  the  top  one,  two  or  three candidates.
o Often the reveal will surface a consensus candidate who was ranked #1 on both
types of rankings. Then the question becomes, who are the #2 and #3 choices if
the first or first and second choices turn down the financial offer or if they are no
longer interested in the position?
o Sometimes a #1 candidate will emerge, but the interviewer teams may have some
nagging questions they want answered. If that is the case, a small team needs to
have an extended conversation with the candidate about those issues. Then that
team needs to be empowered to either offer the job or go to the #2 candidate.
o If there is no clear #1 choice, and if two to three candidates are generally
acceptable, then you as superintendent thank everyone for their time and input
and select one of these two or three candidates, maybe after an extended
conversation with each and some more reference calls.
o When the finalist is chosen, you offer the job, send the contract or master
agreement and negotiate salary and side issues (48–72 hours). Your board chair
needs to be wired with you on the negotiations.

Word to the wise: Do not be surprised if the candidate does not accept at once; in
fact,  you  want  someone  who  thinks  this  over  carefully  before  saying  “yes.”
Usually the finalist needs to consult with a spouse and family. Sometimes the
salary needs to be sweetened or perhaps moving expenses included. For your part,
always say you need to consult with the board chair before responding to
additional requests. This gives you time to think it over, reinforces the chain of
 command and provides political cover. Remember, you want a unanimous vote at
the trophy ceremony.

o When you have a faxed, signed agreement, you let the board know the terms.
o At the board meeting, which if you timed it right is very soon, you introduce the
new administrator and his or her family if possible, to the public and the board.
o The board votes unanimously to approve the contract.
o There are handshakes and smiles all around, as well as press photos and
interviews.

Your job is not done: Add the newly hired administrator to your administrative e-mail
distribution group and include him or her on all the administrative e-mails. Encourage
colleagues to contact the new administrator to talk about transitioning to the new
community. You should do the same, opening doors in the district and in the community
when necessary and possible.
 CANDIDATE RESUME/E-MAIL REVIEW

Total
CANDIDATE # ________________

REVIEWER_______________________________________

Candidate’s  Experiences

SEARCH PRIORITIES 4 - Excellent 2 - Average 0 – Not Rated

Communication:
Written

Open and Approachable

Knowledge:
Budget / Grants

Scheduling

Special Education
Effective Middle School Programs (advisory,
Targeted Services, core/non-core areas)
Best Practice Methods / Instructional
Strategies
Experience:
Upper Elementary Students (4-6)

Middle School Students (6-8)

Behavior Expectations and Discipline

Technology
Staff Development
Leadership / Coordinator
Vision and Direction
Supervise and Manage Curriculum
Community Involvement
Extra Credit:
Information Media
Other
Other
Total
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