Working with your Central Office Staff, Leadership Team, and Board Dennis R. Coe, Superintendent Henry County Schools

Is this your staff?

Central Office Transformation Primary focus should be on improving teaching and learning! Demonstrate servant leadership skills Leverage specific supports for teaching and learning improvement

Leadership clip

Central Office Transformation Engages the entire central office in reform Set high standards for maintaining professional atmosphere Force staff to re-think how we work with schools and with each other Schools shouldnt operate the same as the 1960s, why should the Central Office?

Superintendent Everyone Else Board Members Not Just an Organizational Chart

Learning focused partnerships with school principals Assistance to the central office-principal partnerships Reorganizing and re-culturing each central office unit Stewardship of the overall transformation process Use of evidence to support continual improvement 5 Dimensions of Central Office Transformation

Focus on building capacity of principals to be a true instructional leader Designate central office staff to support individual principals based upon their own particular needs Model for principals how to act as an instructional leader (board meetings, principal meetings, school faculty meetings) Redesign principals meetings to focus on academic issues ONLY! Learning focused partnerships with school principals

Assistance to the central office- principal partnerships Provide PD to the Instructional Leadership Team Re-structure duties to free up time for team to devote to helping principals EVERYONE, not just Leadership Team, responsible for school performance.

Have each central office administrator answer these questions: Who are the principals in the schools I am responsible for? What are the principals and their staff doing to improve teaching and learning? What can I do to help them? Reorganize and re-culture each central office unit

Evolution of HEART Assist schools in Developing School and Continuous Improvement Plans Coordinate budget meetings and priorities around CIPs. Organize frequent walkthroughs to observe the implementation of the CIPs. Help guide schools in a more efficient use of available funds; identify academic problems within the school; instill a sense of urgency with staff to increase the level of student performance!

Ingredients for a successful Roundtable Co-workers you can TRUST! Co-workers who are committed. Co-workers who are open-minded. Co-workers who are goal oriented. Most importantly… Co-workers who are squirrels!

If your schools mission is to climb trees, do you hire a squirrel ……

or train a horse?

Realize that transformation is fluid and specific support actions may change Communicate that the process will not change and that improvements in teaching and learning will always be at the central core Be strategic in the use of resources and relationships to support the transformation efforts (budget process, walkthroughs, specific professional development) Stewardship of the overall transformation process

Continuously look at student data to inform decisions about work at the central office Dont just rely on standardized test information Use data to support continual improvement of work practices and relationships with schools

Servant Leadership Part II

Ultimately… The litmus test for ALL budget, discipline, personnel, scheduling, transportation, nutrition, and curriculum MUST be: How does this decision affect student learning?

Tips for Working with your Board

Get them trained and in touch with AASB as soon as possible Encourage participation in AASB activities Go with them to meetings when more than 1 is attending! Training, training, training!

If you dont have one, develop one for your system. Differences between elected and appointed boards, and elected and appointed superintendents Plan a board retreat Have occasional eating meetings And MOST IMPORTANTLY……. Personalized Boardsmanship

Be able to count to 3; in some cases 5