First-Year Experiences of Successful Superintendents

Dr. Kerry Roberts currently is an assistant professor in the Superintendent Program at Stephen F. Austin State University. He received a doctorate in 1983 from Washington State University in school administration and has over 10 years of superintendent experience.Dr. Shellie Hanna earned her doctorate in school administration at Oral Roberts University. She has been in the field of education since 1991.Dr. Sid Womack has been a band director, elementary teacher, and special education teacher in public schools in Texas and Oklahoma. He also was a teacher educator in Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. He teaches courses in secondary education school law, special education, and research methods.

• Your Authors3Introduction 51. What Kind of People Become Superintendents?92. What the “Moving In” Day was like223. What Kinds of People Visit Superintendents Right Away?304. Discovery: The Real State of the Fiscal Union375. That First Board Meeting486. First Meeting with Supervisory Staff567. What was the first encounter with an angry parent or patron like? 658. School property and the “proprietary role”809. School bond elections8410. First Significant Legal Challenge9911. First Evaluation of Supervisory/Administrative Staff11512. Trends in Academic Achievement the First Year(s)12713. Knowing When It is Time to Move138References157

The First-Year Experiences of Successful Superintendents by Kerry Roberts, Shellie L. Hanna, and Sid T. Womack is a must read for aspiring educational leaders who want to become superintendents and for novice superintendents. This book is written from a practitioner’s perspectives and includes professional day-to-day experiences of superintendents from conducting their first board meeting and to receiving their first formal summative evaluation. The reader is able to apply the contents of this book to his or her daily practices by engaging in reflective activities. Last, but certainly not least, this book addresses the personal characteristics and traits of successful superintendents. These personality traits are couched in the 4H’s of leadership. The reader will discover how the 4H’s of leadership such as hustle, heart, humor, and humility, illuminates the dispositions of successful superintendents.