Internship Site Supervisor Conference

I met with my site supervisor, Patti Kieker, on Wednesday, September 26, 2012.  Mrs. Kieker serves as deputy Superintendent of Richardson ISD.

We spent the first 15 minutes or so getting acquainted as we do not work closely on a regular basis.  We discussed our district, our goals, as well as comments related to our current Superintendent, Dr. Kay Waggoner.  I commented on how impressed I was with Dr. Waggoner (during my interview earlier in the course).

I presented Mrs. Kieker with the Internship Field Manual, letters of agreement, and draft internship plan.  Mrs. Kieker expressed her inexperience with the Lamar Superintendency Internship.  She had served as a site supervisor for internships prior, but never for a Lamar intern.

We discussed opportunities available to me this year and agreed that there are many upcoming opportunities that will be added to my Internship Plan (as we progress through the year).  My ISD was recently named to the High Performance Schools Consortium by the Commissioner of Education (Michael Williams).  Because of that, I will be a top level operative in my district on that project.  The initial meeting in Austin will occur in late October.  Until then, we are not 100% certain of our activities.

Mrs. Kieker and I will add to, and modify existing activities throughout the year as opportunities present themselves, to possibly include an Action Research activity.

We left things very fluid and very much in a DRAFT form (by mutual agreement and design --- pending the meetings in Austin in late October).

Interview with Dr. Kay Waggoner of Richardson ISD

On Tuesday, September 11, 2012, I had the fortunate opportunity to meet with Dr. Kay Waggoner.  Dr. Waggoner is the Superintendent of Richardson ISD.  Her prior Superintendent experience came in the Red Oak and Grapevine-Colleyville ISDs.

Our meeting was very helpful to me as I learned more about the superintendency and all that it entails.  What follows is a sample of our interview.  The meeting was not recorded, thus what follows is not a true transcript.  With the exception of any portion that contains quotation marks, all responses should be considered a paraphrased rendering of her responses.

What is your definition of leadership?

Leadership is when you surround yourself with like-minded, passionate people.  A good leader will communicate their expectations clearly, and hire good people and let them “do their thing”. 

A strong leader will temper their responses and control their responses when faced with crisis or uncertainty.  They will place subordinates into positions in which they can grow, succeed, and become better leaders themselves.  Leaders must always keep their eyes on the ultimate evidence of our success as educators…learning.  After all, “That’s why we are here.”

What are the positive aspects of being in a leadership position, like Superintendent?

Dr. Waggoner indicated that the greatest aspect of being Superintendent is the ability to spend time with – and see growth in our students.  She enjoys visiting campuses and spending time with students.

What are the difficult aspects of being in a leadership position, like Superintendent?

Dr. Waggoner indicated that the overall demands of the job made it very difficult.  As Superintendent you must always “be on”.  The Superintendent must be able to manage their time effectively.  You are the face of your district twenty-four hours a day, thus the need to maintain yourself as a positive role-model. 

Dr. Waggoner added that in today’s legal and political environment, one must maintain a keen awareness of current events and issues of the day.  The Superintendent can (and will) be called upon, day or night, to discuss policy.  Finally, service as the Superintendent is all-consuming.  There are no set hours.  The days are long and subject to change at a moment’s notice.

What do you believe are the attributes of a good Superintendent?

I have listed as bullets:

·         Passion

·         Honesty

·         Integrity

·         Fairness

·         Ability to listen

·         Ability to communicate

·         Connection to the community

·         Thick Skin

What additional experience, learning, or advice can you share to help tomorrow’s leaders develop an effective internship?

Again, response presented as bullets:

·         Volunteer for projects / initiatives

·         Get your hands dirty” --- get involved --- don’t be a spectator

·         Volunteer for leadership positions / opportunities

·         Seek exposure to ALL things education

·         Visit other campuses for inspiration / motivation

·         Become literate in current events and modern educational issues

For time and space purposes, I will stop here.  I hope to continue my interview notes in a future posting.

Thank you Dr. Waggoner!

Professional Vita - A Work in Progress

I have created a professional vita as an assignment. I am still working through the process.  Through feedback and reflection, I will be working to improve the content over the next few weeks.  Once I feel it is done, I will maintain it as I add career experiences and professional development.

Please post feedback.

How ed leaders might use blogs...

Looking forward, I believe that blogging is a medium in which conversations can occur among peers that ultimately lead to the advancement of ideas.  Blogging, when used in conjunction with micro blogging (Twitter, etc.), enables educational leaders to utilize the internet as a larger-than-life discussion board.  Discussions can occur with the documentation of ideas being archived in perpetuity.

As a second strand of thought, I also believe that blogging can serve as an outlet for meaningful reflection upon one's thoughts, concerns, and ongoing activities.  By sharing your reflections publicly (or privately -- blogs can, after all, be private) it creates an ownership of and responsibility to one's actions, thoughts, and ideas.

By blogging, educational leaders are brought out from the isolation of their administrative duties and committed to an active, visible presence that allows for collegial support from other like-minded educational leaders.

Action Research

In education, there are typically no easy answers.  Administrators are often forced to make difficult decisions.  Decisions that have wide-ranging ramifications call for a systematic, scientific approach.  Action research is a powerful tool that, when utilized, can lead to improved (informed) decision-making.  Action research-based decisions empower the researcher to utilize their findings to enhance their professional practice.

In the P-12 setting, administrators are expected to perform as teacher-centered leaders and model professional leadership behaviors.  The process of change within a school is one of the most important modeling roles the administrator can fill.  Common areas in which action research is conducted include:

• Curriculum
• Professional Learning Community (PLC) development
• Parental involvement (or lack of involvement)
• Professional development needs
• Instructional Practices

By utilizing action research, the 21st century school leader chooses an area in which to study, creates their action plan, collects and organizes data, analyzes and interprets the data, and then shares their findings.  Upon sharing their findings, then an intervention / implementation plan may be put into place to institute change or, in many cases, put supports into place to maintain a system that has been proven to be effective.

Action Research serves as a model that models inquiry, collaboration, reflection of practice, and analysis of data to all subordinates (faculty and students alike). It allows administrators to address their own professional practice, inspires teachers to reflect upon their practices, and ultimately improves student learning and achievement.