After over a year in this superintendency, I’m achieving one of the most important goals I set in my entry plan. When I started the job, I made a commitment to visit every classroom. It probably goes without saying that I’ll be more effective as a leader and make better decisions as I come to know our district well. One of the ways I can do this is by spending time in our classrooms.
However, that’s been easier said than done for me. After starting in December of 2008, there was definitely a transition period when I was learning 1000+ things at once while making decisions, developing relationships and trying to do a good job of it all. But even after this year started, I still struggled to make the time to leave all of the office work behind and head to the classrooms. There’s just so much in this position that I never even imagined existed when working in other capacities within a school system.
Problem solved now. I asked my secretary extraordinaire, Maureen Pitts, to help me be a better superintendent. Since she has access to my calendar, she agreed to schedule me for “unscheduled” classroom visits. By doing so, it’s a part of my daily routine and I don’t decide to work on something else instead. She’ll schedule me for two or three teachers at a time, all in close proximity to each other. I get the chance to see what our kids are learning, come to know our teachers a little bit better and to show that what happens in our classrooms is the most important thing that happens in our district every day. I’m focused on learning. (Thanks Mrs. Pitts!)
It’s especially important as we set forth to follow our BOE vision for the district of “Learning with Passion, Innovation and Leadership”. If we say that learning with passion, innovation and leadership is what’s most important to us as an organization, then I need to walk it, not just talk it.
And the learning I’m seeing in our classrooms every day? As varied as the teachers and students in them with wonderful opportunities for learning at every level. Once again I’m reminded that Randolph Central is exactly the district where we can move forward as our learning opportunities become more and more filled with passion, innovation and leadership—–we’re well on our way already!
I had to chuckle at “secretary extraordinaire.” Maureen was dubbed “Saint Maureen” by one co-worker at her previous employer (coincidentally my previous employer too). We missed her when she left, but it’s great to have her at RCS. Enjoy your classroom visits.
Kim, it’s so important (and so difficult!) for superintendents to get out into classrooms. Dr. Richard Elmore at Harvard University has been talking a lot lately about adopting a ‘medical rounds’ model for superintendents to visit each others’ classrooms. We have some superintendents that are doing that with Dr. Elmore here in Iowa. It’s been real eye-opening for them and lots of good discussion has occurred. You can contact the School Administrators of Iowa to find out more about that project.
Glad to see you’re blogging again! Woo hoo!