A new “package” offered by ACSA is designed to provide valuable support to the dozens of new district superintendents expected to take the reins of district leadership in the coming years.
Developed by ACSA’s Educational Services Department and Superintendency Council, the “New Superintendent Support Package” consists of the professional learning programs Leading the Leaders, Executive Leadership Coaching, Superintendents Symposium and New Superintendents Workshop.
These are not new ACSA services, but the New Superintendent Support Package puts district and county leaders together in a highly recommended, comprehensive aggregate of complementary and coordinated professional development components at a significantly reduced price, if taken as a whole.
Last year there were nearly 100 new superintendents recruited to serve in counties statewide. This year there may be more. Sixty percent of California’s districts are in declining enrollment. The state is experiencing a downward cycle in funding, demanding significant cuts in personnel and programs, while the expectations for student achievement grow higher every year.
Thousands of baby-boomer teachers are retiring, requiring creative recruitment, hiring and development programs on a larger scale. Forty percent of the state’s principals are expected to turn over in the next three to four years. Today’s superintendent is being called upon to lead districts in systems thinking and development, and to guide complex processes of sudden and significant change while building capacity for sustained and continuous improvement. Given these circumstances, new superintendents deserve a coordinated and comprehensive support system.
The New Superintendent Support Package provides research-based training; coaching in contextualizing, adapting and personalizing implementation of that training; and networks of support with both new and well-established superintendents throughout California.
Leading the Leaders
Leading the Leaders is a year-long learning opportunity for first- and second-year superintendents. Program cohorts meet four times a year for two-day segments for a total of 40 hours of training.
Experienced, successful superintendents facilitate each session In addition to meeting in a workshop setting, LTL participants are contacted by e-mail and continuously updated on current state educational issues and provided resources that will support their leadership.
Sessions examine issues impacting learning and teaching, curriculum evaluation, instruction and student achievement data, evaluating and developing employee performance, building positive productive superintendent-board relations, and visioning and planning. LTL participants also explore finance, negotiations and facilities needs.
Executive Leadership Coaching
The Executive Leadership Coaching included in the New Superintendent Support Package provides 15 hours of individualized, goal-oriented, confidential coaching offered by a successful, experienced, up-to-date, recently retired superintendent who has been trained and certified in blended coaching strategies and resources.
New superintendents and executive coaches are carefully matched, with the input and involvement of the new superintendent.
Executive Leadership Coaching offers consultation to fill in the gaps in knowledge and resources; collaboration, if needed, with a successful, experienced partner who has walked in the new leader’s shoes; and facilitated reflection and feedback regarding attributes, bias, communication, and modeling to promote independence and leadership growth.
Superintendents Symposium
ACSA’s Superintendents Symposium, held at the end of January every year in Monterey, is a professional development experience that is planned by superintendents and exclusively for superintendents.
Outstanding, cutting-edge general session speakers are complemented by dozens of workshops carefully selected by the symposium planning committee to address the needs of today’s district leader.
While all benefit greatly from the array of formal training opportunities, most find that both the structured and informal networking opportunities with other superintendents from around the state are equally beneficial and have a lasting impact on their effectiveness.
New Superintendents Workshop
The New Superintendents Workshop is a day-and-a-half “pre-conference” before the Superintendents Symposium. Each year the majority of California’s new district superintendents participate.
Formal training is presented by both experienced superintendents and by recently hired superintendents who have successfully transitioned through their first year and can relate to the challenges and issues confronted by new superintendents. Again, the New Superintendents Workshop provides a tremendous opportunity for networking, sharing challenges and successes, and building lasting supportive professional relationships.
The cost of the New Superintendent Support Package is expected to be $4,100. This represents a significant savings over the regular cost of these professional development components if purchased separately.
For more information on ACSA’s New Superintendent Support Package, contact Michael Bossi in ACSA’s Educational Services Department at (800) 608-ACSA or mbossi@acsa.org.