represented a new set of challenges for me. I
was coming from the Stamford,
Conn., Public
Schools, a district that, similarly,
was racially,
ethnically and socioeconomically diverse but had
about one-tenth the number of students. I was
not taking over a school district in crisis.
Mont
gomery County had a well-earned reputation as
one of the nation’s best school systems, and my
predecessor, Jerry Weast, had led the district for
12
years, an exceptionally long tenure for a large-
district superintendent.
The size and the success of MCPS, as well as
the stability of its leadership,
made the need for
a robust, transparent entry plan even greater. I
spent my first year getting to know the district
and the community and allowing parents, staf1
students and community members to get to
know me.
Using a mix of traditional and non
traditional engagement methods, these entry
activities fostered honest conversations that set
the stage for the decisions I am making today.
The goals for my entry plan were simple
—
meet with and listen to as many people with as
many different perspectives as possible, show
the community that I was a capable leader
who could take our system to the next level of
success, and foster a new spirit of community
engagement and support for our schools.
Knowing the District
Even before my first day on the job, I asked a
team of insiders and outsiders to spend some
intensive time reviewing the major components
of MCPS, specifically around teaching and
learning, operations and culture/context. The
theory of action was clear: If this team did its
work well, I would begin the school year with
a solid understanding of the district’s strengths
and challenges. The transition team consisted
of current and former employees, superintend-
My Transition Plan: Knowing Where to Find Help
BY RANDY L.
RUSSELL
A
fter receiving the great news
that I
had been selected as the
superintendent of a small, rural
school district near Spokane,
Wash., I
was so excited I
couldn’t sleep.
The Freeman School
District in Rockford,
Wash., has an excellent reputation, and
the candidate pool for the position was
extremely strong. This would be a great
opportunity to make a difference in a
new leadership role.
After 48 hours, the euphoria had begun
to wear off.
My mind was running a million
miles an hour.
There were thousands of
details to address. I
would be leaving a
high school principalship of five years in
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho;
moving my wife and
children and selling our house; starting
work in a new community in a different
state; succeeding an admired superin
tendent who was retiring; negotiating a
contract with my new board; and working
for five bosses, not just one. I
knew I
would
need help to ensure a successful personal
and professional transition.
Useful help came from the Washington
Association of
School
Administrators, the
educational service district and colleagues,
all of whom smoothed out my transition
through timely assistance, professional
development and mentoring.
One read I
found especially valuable was
What Every
Rookie Superintendent Should Know:
Surviving Year One
by Robert Reeves.
Five Elements
Looking back
two
years now, I
find my
successful transition centered on these five
areas:
Building a relationship with the school
board.
Like most
educators who
become a
first-time superintendent, I’d never reported
to more than one person, let alone a
publicly elected body of
five
citizens serv
ing on the board of education. Building
positive relationships and developing a
cohesive team were important first steps.
That
meant ensuring the school board and
superintendent understood and respected
their respective roles.
We addressed the clarification of our
responsibilities through our initial school
board work session and through one-on-
one meetings with each board member.
This time together created an open, honest
dialogue leading to mutual trust.
We committed to a “no surprises”
approach that would keep both sides
informed and connected.
We also worked
on building superintendent-school board
goals together, connecting them directly to
the school district’s strategic plan.
Communicating openly with stakehold
ers.
Upon
coming to Freeman
—
a
school
district with 850 students spread over 150
square miles that includes several farm
ing communities
—
I
was a completely
unknown entity. Listening, learning and
gathering information from all parties was
necessary to appreciate the district’s cul
ture. I
considered every single student, staff
member and community member
—
not
just the superintendent
—
a spokesperson
for the school district, so I
had to know how
they viewed our schools.
Connecting with the local and state
legislators was important, as well.
Most
elected officials don’t have a deep knowl
edge and understanding of education
issues. To ensure they had accurate infor
mation, I
shared my cell phone number and
assured
local
legislators that I
would be
:1
i
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SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR NOVEMBER 2013
