A Good School Superintendent Sets The Tone for a School System

A school superintendent sets the tone and directions for a school system, so it is imperative that DeKalb County School System finds a great one in its next search.  The DeKalb County School Board must get it right as there is too much for the DeKalb County Community to lose by making another bad decision.

A school superintendent must have a cooperative relationship with the school board members.  Together they set the vision of the school system.  A school superintendent must be a great communicator to communicate the needs of the school district to all stakeholders.  A school board member must be flexible and be able to work collaboratively with others.   Sometimes they run into difficulty with make-up of school boards.

A school superintendent must be an instructional leader that has the right leadership skills so others will follow.  He or she must know that the most important jobs he or she has is to make sure students are learning and achieving at the highest level possible according to the students’ ability level.  The school superintendent must be knowledgeable of the best practices for maximizing student achievement.  The school superintendent must support his or her teachers and administrators in their tasks of educating the students.

A good school superintendent must be a good listener and use his staff to think outside the box and come up with strategies and problems that work for the community and that work for the students so success is not an option but a reality.  A good school superintendent must work with the business leaders and local politicians to ensure the school system is meeting the needs of the community.  Without good schools a county, city, or state will miss opportunities for all its stakeholders.

A good school superintendent must be a good manager.  He or she must always be evaluating the employees to assure the goals and vision of the school system is being met.  Once meet, the school superintendent must push for constant progress of achievement for all students.

The school superintendent is in charge of hiring quality teachers, administrators, and staff to run the individual schools throughout the district who assure the vision of the district and the students are achieving to their maximum ability.

To be a good leader it is also important that the school superintendent has the ability to make meaningful relationships with staff from assistant superintendents to all employees.   He or she must be able to handle the political challenges of being a school superintendent.  He or she many times may need to work on the loyalty of its employees and retention of good employees.   Happy employees produce better results.

It is imperative that DeKalb County School System finds a great school superintendent in their next search.  The DeKalb County School Board must get it right for the students and the stakeholders of DeKalb County.