Statewide Superintendents Mentoring Meeting

9.19.13

Each of the following scenarios is intended to capture situations in which you may find yourself. Because your situation will likely be unique, please feel free to adjust the scenario to fit the conversation you need to have. Then, either role play this conversation with the new superintendent in that role and the mentor as the other party to the conversation, or process the scenario as a team, sharing insights and examples.

Scenario 1:

Mr. K, a parent who participated in the interview process and supported your hire, has come to your office to discuss the football coach. Mr. K tells you that he is very concerned that the coach has been with the program for 20 years, but has not really changed his coaching tactics in that time. He has had 14 winning seasons but has not captured a state title, and Mr. K believes it is because he is “stuck in 1985.” Additionally, Mr. K is concerned that coach is committed to playing upperclassmen regardless of the talent of the underclassmen. Mr. K, an active participant in the booster club, tells you that he is connected in the community and many of his friends and acquaintances would like to see a change in the coaching. In fact, the athletes, according to Mr. K, do not respect the coach. Mr. K says he knows that you are the person who can see the potential of this athletic group of young men and that you will ensure the community can be proud of its football team. Mr. K has a sophomore son who plays football.

Scenario 2:

Several association members (elementary teachers) have approached you with concerns about their elementary principal. They feel he operates the building from a dictatorial stance and is inflexible in his thinking. For example, when the building leadership team proposed revising the daily schedule to support a common intervention time at each grade level so that multiple teachers in the building would be available to target groups of students and their respective needs, he indicated that each teacher would need to be responsible for meeting his or her own students’ needs. He was not open to exploring options for best meeting students’ needs.

In your opening speech when you suggested common formative assessments would be a target for our work, he returned to his building and told his staff they would need to have a common formative assessment in place in math within two weeks. The teachers are concerned that he perceives everything as black and white. The association members reported feeling as though he was always spying on them or checking up on them. They worry he doesn’t understand instruction very well and is making decisions without all the information he needs. They want to know what they should do and what you can do.

Scenario 3:

You have been working diligently to cultivate relationships with all staff members. One teacher, Mrs. J, has sent you emails affirming your leadership and has welcomed you into her classroom. You have visited her room when you have been in the building. Mrs. J has had a rough start to the year. Her mother passed away at the end of August, and she took 5 of 10 bereavement days available to her. Her father-in-law passed away shortly thereafter and she took her remaining 5 days of bereavement. This week her grandmother passed away, and the funeral is 500 miles away. She requested 2 days bereavement even though she has no days left. Her principal, very apologetically, denied her leave. She has come to you to plead her case. Unfortunately, she took her only 2 personal days to take her daughter to college, so that is not an option. She is asking to be able to use her sick leave to go to the funeral. “The former superintendent always allowed for such use of sick leave.”

Scenario 4:

The chief negotiator is very excited to visit with you about interest-based bargaining (IBB). She has been waiting eagerly for a change in leadership because she is convinced that this approach to bargaining will strengthen the relationship between the administration and the teaching staff. She indicates that “a great majority” of teachers support IBB. She needs to solicit support for training and would like you to commit to this great idea as soon as possible, preferably within the next couple of days.

Scenario 5:

A group of parents and your teachers of foreign language want you to initiate a modern language program at the elementary level. They feel students are at a disadvantage having to wait until later in their schooling to learn another language. They claim the board has shown interest in an elementary program, but they have not made it a priority. They know you will make it a priority. They even have a plan to support the program—one of the Spanish teachers at the high school can work with her principal to make a schedule change that would provide her time to teach at the elementary. They would like to field test the plan beginning in January.