The first day, my goal will be to meet with my primary staff to include the assistant superintendents and all department heads. The main objective will be for me to introduce myself and give the staff a feel for my administrative style. Prior to my reporting for work on the first day, I will have already requested a district flow chart of responsibilities and asked for a detailed job responsibility report from each of the people I will be meeting with on the first day. The objective for this meeting will be to get the opinion of the “cabinet” on where they think the district is, where it’s going, and what are its greatest strengths and areas of weakness. After a short group meeting, I will meet individually with all involved. The first person that I would meet with, prior to the group meeting, is my administrative assistant to cover basic ideas I have for how we will conduct day-to-day business and activities.
During the first week, my goal will be to be visible throughout the district. I will make visits to all campuses and facilities (i.e. bus barn, maintenance,) taking a short time to speak with the lead administrator on each campus. At this time, I will ask the principal to prepare me a short report on their view of their campus and the district. My administrative assistant will have contacted everyone to let them know the time and date I will be coming to the campus.
Taking all of the information I gathered in the first week of the job, along with information I had gathered in the meetings and discussions I had with district representatives during the job selection process, I would spend the first month prioritizing my year plan on what I feel needed to be changed, needed to have more support or some improvement, or was fine as it is. I would initiate bi-weekly principal meetings and weekly cabinet meetings. My “cabinet” would consist of district department heads and the assistant superintendents. During these meetings, we would collaborate on problem-solving and formulate the strategic plan for the district for the upcoming year. Consensus planning is important in the first month and year to make sure that you have a chance for your team to bond and work together.
I would not plan on making any drastic changes with in the first year unless it was a matter of student safety or district fiduciary issues. In the first year, my main goal would be implementing ways to support the district’s vision statement by establishing goals that can be relevant and measurable. Also, it is important for me to let the district know what I expect of myself and my expectations for them. Throughout the entire time I am a superintendent, I think it is very important to be a visible fixture across the district. It is just as important to attend the Christmas choir concert at the elementary school as the state football game. My belief of “children first” should be modeled daily through my behavior and that of my staff.
Familiarizing myself with community leaders and becoming involved in the community would be an important part of my first year plan. As the superintendent, I should be the chief cheerleader and supporter for the district. In order to get our message out, it is important that I’m visible in the community and at community events. If I didn’t live in the district prior to taking the job, I would move into the district within the first month of holding the position. It is important for people to know you are committed to the students and to the community, not just collecting a paycheck.
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