When you do a lot of speaking and writing, at some point your own words will come back to bite you.
I have often used a sports coach analogy when speaking about the superintendency. The argument being that like sports coaches, no matter how good they are, superintendents very often have a shelf life. And at some point change is necessary and it is far easier to change the coach than the players. It is an argument that is often made more generally around school administrators as well – that there is a term – somewhere about 5 years which is the right length of service for any school.
It is always interesting to see data around the superintendency out of the United States where in many urban districts the position can turn over every few years. While I do not have Canadian data, I suspect the tenure of the average superintendents is much longer. We seem to have less of the “sports coach” mentality north of the border. Perhaps disappointing those on both sides of the argument, the research out of the Brown Center on Educational Policy suggests neither long-term superintendency nor the hiring of a new superintendent have a link to improved student achievement.
I am writing this post as we are bringing the 2016-17 school-year to an end. This marks my 10th year in West Vancouver, here in the position of Superintendent that I was appointed to more than seven-and-a-half years ago, and have held for six-and-a-half years. Along the way I have become the longest-serving Superintendent in Metro Vancouver and one of the longest-serving in the province.
And I have changed my tune. I am far less absolute about the sports coach analogy. Maybe this is a case of you don’t know what you don’t know. I do find a need to ensure we are continuing to have a culture that embraces fresh ideas but there are other ways to do that than just changing the Principal or Superintendent. I know for us some things that have helped keep ideas current and the challenging of the status quo constant have included: hiring of a mix of internal and external candidates for leadership position, using outside experts to provoke our thinking in our district, continuing to visit schools and districts with unique programs and ideas, and staying very focused on the overarching goals of the Board’s Strategic Plan and our own objectives within this larger context.
There is a definite danger in complacency that we need to continually challenge over time. When a new principal arrives at a school or a new Superintendent in a district, there is a burst of energy. Whether the predecessor was highly regarded or the community was glad to see a change, the change brings curiosity, which in turn often leads to engagement and excitement. Of course change is not the only way to bring about this energy. I often hear from staff at the school and district levels that they can “wait out” any leader as they just come and go. When the culture of leadership changes, so does this attitude. I think of several schools of ours where principals have been in the school for five or more years – no longer is there talk about “outlasting” them – some of the cynicism is gone and people are getting down to work together.
In the beginning one of my greatest positives I offered was that I was from outside and came with ideas about different ways of doing things. Now, 10 years in, I bring the assurances that come from people knowing who I am, what I believe and how I think we can move forward together. It is also incredibly rewarding to not only start initiatives, but to see them through. Longevity helps ensure we are committed to short-term and long-term results.
I am a little nervous in writing this, that some will read it that I am about to leave or perhaps I will never leave. I have no plans either way, but my thinking has evolved. I have come to realize there are more ways to ensure a district stays fresh than reshuffling the leadership deck chairs.
Finally, on the topic of year-end, here is a video celebrating the 2016-17 school year in West Vancouver:
cultureofyes.ca 