Some Final Thoughts from the Professor - Response Not Required

I have had time to reflect and read about your experiences this semester. I still contend that the experiences that Scott, Gloria, Debbie, Jeff, Roland, Israel, and Tracie organized on our behalf were some of the finest professional experiences I have seen for future administrators during the 15 years that I have been a professor of educational administation within the Texas A&M University System. Truly professional and insightful. For those who made the most of each opportunity, you are richer for it. For those who were for any reason unable to get focused or fully appreciate the experience it was a missed opprotunity. I was so busy enjoying the experience myself, I did not fully notice until I began reading the blog postings, what level of learning took place. Your writing certainly reflects your learning.

Writing that was detailed and factual with insights revealed the highest degree of learning. Writing that was general, disengaged, and impressionistic without detail or substance showed a lack of interest in processing the experience and learning opportunities and lack of respect for the reader, including the professor. Did I see any such writing? There was some. I am not basing a grade on that; just providing professional feedback to you so that you can be about the business of taking control of your own learning and getting better. Some of us already have reached that higher level of engagement and respect. It was reflected in your writing and I appreciate it. You are ready to assume more resonsibility in education. Some of us have a ways to go.

At the beginning I asked each of you to indicate why you were selected for your position and not someone else. Many of you identified that your patience kept you from doing something you later might regret. Some identified care in how you manage friendships so as not to have adverse impact on your career. The humor of the hacky-sack moment revealed that in an unguarded moment we could lose everything we have worked so hard to gain.

Something we did not discuss is the fact that the "hacky sack moment," the moment when professional judgements are made about us, about our fitness to fill a particular role, may actually be based on something far more subtle than a full blown temper tantrum. This can happen in a job interview. It can happen at meeting in central office. There comes a moment when, unexpectedly, someone can a make a judgement about each of us aspiring to leadership roles. This might be based on choice of words, inappropriate comments, lack of focus. It can even be seen in our writing. This can also happen in graduate classes in leadership preparation as you interact with peers who will in the future be potential colleagues or even competitors for the same position.

When we get past the masters degree and are in certification programs or doctoral programs for leadership preparation, we reach a zone of high visibility. People who previously we haver never met, become, as each of you did, members of a cohort. There tends to be high levels of comradery, focus on purpose, and shared common experience. On another level, the professional level, personal likeability aside, there is a more profound and deeper assessment that is taking place. As you look around the class,from among your peers, as many as two or three individuals may very well become superintendents within the next two to four years. Opportunities to develop professional credibility among other professionals is on the line each time you come together on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

There are opportunities in professional preparation activities to work hard and gain respect. Many of us did both as planners and as participants. There also exists the opportunity to slack off and just get by. If each of you was to make a judgement as to who you would most find worthy as a future subordinate or superior, who would you identify as individuals you most might want to work with? How would you rate among your peers? Would they select you if the situation arose?

As you move into the next phase of the superintendency program I encourage you to think about these things. Some things that struck me were how common technology has entered our lives. As common as I-phones, blackberries, and I-pads have become, what impression do you make on superintendents or architects addressing us when your attention remains focused on your electronic communicator as much or more than on the presenter? When walking about a school facility with the architect are you right with him gaining every insight possible? Or do you remain at a distance, obviously bored, having side conversations, smacking your bubble gum? Do these kinds of things make an impression? Absolutely.

But what is different now, at this level of professional learning, is that the unintended consequence of either due diligence or contrastingly, of slacking, probably will not be reflected in a grade. That is why we do not have summa, magna cum, or summa cum laude in graduate programs. Both highly diligent learners and slackers can earn an A by fulfilling minimum requiements. Where your level of effort will be reflected, however, is in the impression you make on a daily, moment-to-moment basis with professionals that may one day be a potential employer or professional reference. It is about opportunities realized and opportunities missed. That is where we all need to grow and begin seeing each other and ourselves differently.

I encourage each of you as you move into the next phase of the superintendency preparation program to exercise self-direction and develop a keen understanding that each interaction you have with each other leaves both a personal and a professional impression that is lasting. Two individuals might come to like each other personally but based on judgements made, might not ever want to be in a professional relationship with one another. When this happens, it is a lost opportunity to begin building and developing one's professional network.

That is where we revisit the notion, how did I rise to my current level? What will it take to make the next level? By being keenly aware of what kinds of things will create judgements of my character, my intelligence, my diligence, my reliability, etc. I hope that each of you develops a keen sense of how you can work together in coming years to develop respectful relationships, mentor one another, learn from one another. Reach a level where you identify your personal brand and defend it to the end by being careful how you present yourselves to one another and to others...both in professional classes and on the job. Keep learning and growing as individuals and professionals. Your journeys are just beginning. I predict some good things will happen when you take the extra effort to show respect to each other. Be mindful of the fishbowl, especially in informal situations. dh

Final Posting on Superintendent as CEO

There were several opportunities we had to learn about board superintendent relations, including the central office administrator Jim Martin as he planned educational facilities with the school board. As a summary I ask you to compare the experiences of all the superintendents, their designees, and planning professionals in securing funding, designing schools, and relationships that are formed in running a school district. A huge theme was board constituency changing over time and the impact that had on the district. Again I will reflect in response to your reflections. dh

On opening Jim Martin Elementary

Please post your reflections, observations, or other thoughts regarding the administrative side based on conversations with Jim Martin and Ms. Evelyn Cobarruvias. Please write out your thoughts completely; four inches of linear text is the minimum standard. I will post my responses to your responses. dh