There is little doubt that educational leadership has become more and more diverse in recent years. The superintendency, a field historically dominated by older white males, is now reaching across cultural and generational lines.
While young educational leaders have always been found at the principal and even the superintendent/principal level, those under 40 are not often found in the superintendency. In fact, a 2006 study by the American Association of School Administrators showed nearly 60 percent of superintendents are between the ages of 50-59.
But change is in the air with the appointment of one of California’s youngest superintendents. At 32, Anthony Ranii became superintendent of the 1,470-student Hillsborough City ESD in July. With only a decade of educational experience under his belt, Ranii moved up the career ladder quickly, proving he does indeed have what it takes, despite his youth.
"Our mandate was clear," said Board President Shawn Christianson. "We were charged with finding a superintendent with an understanding of our community’s commitment to educational excellence, the vision to equip our students for leadership in the 21st century, and the ability to inspire confidence in a very high achieving district. Anthony has both this vision and the ability to implement it."
Previously, Ranii was principal of West Hillsborough School since 2006, having begun his career as a teacher in Sunnyvale SD. He established himself as a teacher trainer and mentor, language arts coach, and developer and writer of curriculum. In 2001, he was named Teacher of the Year.
Ranii credits the support of those above him for his fast ascent to district leadership. His principals often called on him for help when they needed someone to assist.
"I did what I could to become a leader," he said. "My principals gave me a lot of opportunities. I could act as principal when the principal was gone."
He also credits his predecessor, retired Hillsborough Superintendent Marilyn Miller, for her support and encouragement along the way.
"She gave me the chance to learn and grow," he said.
While he never thought he’d end up in school administration, Ranii knew from a young age he would enter education. His mother was a superintendent, and there was little doubt as to his career path.
"I never thought I’d be a principal. I loved teaching. I loved being a teacher," he said. "I wanted to teach my whole life. The leadership role happened organically."
Ranii realized that as a principal, and later as a superintendent, he could have a far greater influence on students than as a teacher.
"It was a matter of making a bigger impact for children," he said. "I loved helping the kids in my classroom, but I wanted to help more. In administration, everything you do has a bigger impact on children."
Ranii said he has never seen his age as a factor in the workplace or school community. He is a dedicated, hard-working leader who clearly has the same objectives as any other stakeholder: student success.
"I’m usually the youngest person in the room, but it never bothers me. As soon as I establish a relationship with someone, it doesn’t bother them either. My philosophy of leadership is that I have to earn it to make a change," he said.
Besides, Ranii said, age is just a number. He said he knows many veteran teachers who act more Gen Y, and many Gen Yers who act more like those from the Greatest Generation.
"A lot of people break those stereotypes," he said.
Ranii said having generational diversity is nothing but beneficial to a school system, as it brings different perspectives to the table. Any kind of diversity – whether it be age, gender, culture or race – serves to help students in the long run.
"It’s really powerful in a team," Ranii said. "You see things from different vantage points. There’s nothing worse than sitting at a table when everyone agrees with each other."
However, Ranii said one area in which younger generations have a running start is in technology. Growing up with technology – even as simple as it was 30 years ago – set a foundation for its use today. For example, Ranii remembers how difficult the early Atari gaming systems were for his grandmother – she was unable to look at the screen and use the joystick at the same time.
"Those who were able to use technology, especially e-mail and the Internet, early on have more fearlessness," Ranii said. "Otherwise it has to be taught."
Ranii’s forward-thinking approach to technology and education – reflected in his support of the use of interactive whiteboards in the classroom – is one characteristic that stood out during the search for a new superintendent in Hillsborough.
"He is visionary, inclusive, technologically savvy, confident and reflective," said board member Gregory Dannis, president of the education law firm Miller Brown & Dannis. "He is just a wonderful package of talents that we believe is uniquely suited to our district."
Another district leader who hails from Generation X is James Hammond, superintendent of Davis Joint USD. Hammond was just 33 when he took his first district leadership role in Washington state in 2001. In November of 2007, he came to the 8,500-plus student Davis district.
Having worked as teacher, dean and principal, Hammond said he moved quickly up the career ladder, thanks to quality mentors.
"I was blessed with great mentorship," he said. "I had tremendous examples in front of me every day."
Like most educators, Hammond’s passion was helping students. While he could certainly help his students as a teacher, he wanted to take it to a higher level. Luckily, those above him encouraged him to strive toward these higher goals.
"I wanted to work with a bigger community," he said. "My principal encouraged me to get my master’s and move up. I was encouraged from a very early age."
For Hammond, his youth did affect his role as a district leader. Often, those around him judge him solely on his appearance and not on his abilities. "A challenge is constantly having to negate your youth," he said. "If people would take the time to look at your experience they’d see it has been extensive. I try not to allow myself to get sucked into the negative. I keep it a kid-centered conversation. That’s what we all have in common. Once that comes to the table my age becomes secondary."
Hammond said unlike previous generations, which are often focused on method and procedure, his generation is more focused on outcome. The push for college and career is evidence of this – success beyond school proves success in school.
"We tend to ask, ‘what does success look like? What does it look like each year, and each sequential year?’ That drives what we do every day," he said.
One benefit to youth is that Hammond is free from what he calls "institutionalized best practices." That is, he instinctively thinks outside the box and is constantly searching for new, innovative ways to get things done. Luckily, Hammond sees more school leaders follow his lead.
"More so than ever in K-12, we often look to other sectors to see how things get done," he said. "There can be inefficiency in education. Often, people believe things can only look one way…but a good leader has to be a risk taker. They have to take calculated risks and learn to accept the outcomes."
This kind of revolutionary thinking is necessary, considering the current state of public education. Leaders today are forced to do more with less, and have fewer resources to get the job done. Therefore, they must look for creative solutions. For example, Hammond predicts one creative solution that may occur with many districts concerns staffing. As more certificated positions are cut, more classified staff will fill in the gaps.
"I think the role of classified staff is going to be elevated," he said. "There is going to be a pendulum shift. The bottom line is we have to do more with less people."
Hammond said that despite age or generation, all people have varying work styles. What’s important to remember is that the common denominator is the same: children.
"Educators get into education because they want to make a difference for kids, regardless of age or position," he said.
A range of generations working under one roof forces an acceptance of work-style differences, Hammond said. It also forces an acceptance of other differences as well, such as culture and race – which is especially important in this era of globalization.
"Globalization will force us to look at very untraditional ways to do things," he said.