The Savvy Superintendent: Leading Instruction to the Top of the Class

Citation

Casey, P. (2012), "The Savvy Superintendent: Leading Instruction to the Top of the Class", Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 50 No. 3, pp. 389-390. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578231211232040

In The Savvy Superintendent: Leading Instruction to the Top of the Class, Linda K. Wagner (2010) offers practical advice and hand‐on strategies for current or aspiring superintendents. Wagner incorporates ideas and suggestions based upon her own professional experience and reinforced with excerpts from interviews with more than 50 current and former superintendents and other district and county administrators. Practical suggestions for improving student achievement are undergirded with anecdotes, quotes from interviewees and scenarios to provoke discussion.

Wagner describes steps educational leaders can use to improve student achievement and, thereby, schools. The seven chapters categorize fundamental steps in a process of district level leadership for change. Each chapter begins with an overview and general topic description and then targeted suggestions for practitioners are introduced. The text is supported by scenarios with questions to guide discussion, numerous quotes from interviewees, and specific, bulleted recommendations for implementation.

The first four chapters: The First Year; Communicating Leadership Characteristics that Build Trust; The Governance Team and Personnel Issues emphasize the impact of effective communication and relationship building. The last three chapters: Instructional Leadership; Assessment and Accountability and Equity are more focused on the business of teaching, learning and assessment.

The first chapter contains targeted advice for first‐year superintendents, beginning with a discussion of the uniqueness of the superintendency position itself. Because expectations for superintendents vary widely between districts or between board members, the author recommends new superintendents begin by:

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  understanding what the position expectations are,;

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  being thoughtful about balancing the job with one's personal life; and

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  spending the first 90 days (at least) getting to know the history and culture of the district and the people.

The second chapter offers guidance on establishing effective communication with stakeholders, building trust, and staying visible. The chapter includes advice focused on the process of conducting uncomfortable conversations. Servant leadership is recommended.

The effective operation of the district rests on the ability of the governance team to work together for the benefit of the students. Chapter three outlines steps for effective superintendent – school board relations. Wagner suggests superintendents employ good communication and board education/training to establish a successful partnership and solidify an effective governance team. She furthers that successful superintendents address challenges of, for example, working with a dysfunctional board, a split board or a board member who bullies.

The fourth chapter concerns personnel issues such as hiring, retaining and dismissing faculty and staff. Wagner cautions that superintendents must hire and keep only the best staff. With a constant focus on school improvement, a superintendent must have the courage to push for progress while dealing fairly with people.

Chapter five describes the superintendent's instructional leadership actions starting with an overview of the SMART (Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time Bound) model of establishing goals (p. 92). The author posits that effective instructional leaders have SMART goals, make strategic plans to enhance student achievement, schedule time to be in classrooms weekly, and coach or mentor subordinates. Chapter six focuses on creating and implementing systems for assessing student achievement: collecting, analyzing and using data.

Chapter seven furthers the discussion of assessment to include use of data to examine achievement gaps and to encourage conversations about educational equity. Wagner recommends that superintendents initiate and hold conversations about equity. Although the conversations may often be uncomfortable, such conversations may lead to solutions for problems and result in improved student achievement.

Overall, two things distinguish this book. First, Wagner's clear and driving focus on the superintendent's role as that of an instructional leader distinguishes this book from other books that offer tips or advice. Second, although the author relies heavily on personal experience, each topic introduced is situated in her professional experience as a superintendent and supported with quotes from the 50+ superintendents and other administrators that she interviewed. Conversational in tone, the book employs a liberal use of quotes from practicing administrators, vignettes, stories, anecdotes, and examples provide rich description of topics addressed. The easy to read, step‐by step organization, and heavy use of stories and vignettes based on authentic experiences bring the content to life. Although, the book is heavily infused with Wagner's professional experience and excerpts from her interviews, appropriate and judicious employment of findings from related research literature would support the recommendations and enhance the credibility.

This book would appeal to novice or aspiring superintendents. The examples and excerpts from interviews make the text easy for the reader to understand and to visualize how s/he might apply the author's advice.

Licensing programs may find it a useful supplement because it employs the experiences and advice from dozens of successful superintendents. The book would be useful as a supplemental text for large or small group discussions in a preparation class that was focused on district level instructional leadership and change.

The book is engaging and easy to read. It integrates concepts essential to the work of a superintendent as the leaders of instruction. The numerous examples, stories, quotes, vignettes, and bulleted summary points make it easy for the reader to visualize the suggestions/strategies, and how they might work for his/her own system.