Vantage point: Superintendent evaluations support student success
By:
CSBA President Cindy Marks
Published: May 1, 2013
In my last column, I outlined an important task for spring—seizing opportunities to strengthen and expand partnerships for your schools. Another critical responsibility for boards every spring is the annual evaluation of the superintendent.
CSBA provides useful tools to guide boards in the evaluation of superintendents. Every district is unique, and the annual goals of the superintendent are typically gleaned from the strategic plan crafted by the board and local communities, so there is no off-the-shelf process or evaluation form that will fit every situation. Nevertheless, CSBA’s resources are a good place to start.
Our local board is in the process of preparing for our superintendent evaluation, and I have a few tips for you to consider:
Before you begin the process, you may want to open your personal profile on Engage, CSBA’s new member-only online forum. There, you can pose questions of fellow board members who have recently gone through a superintendent evaluation. The new portal is invaluable to our governance community because it gives us a chance to exchange best practices and to share the lessons learned in a closed, member-only environment that cannot be accessed by non-members. Feedback from colleagues may help frame the process you use.
Begin the process immediately because the end of the school year is around the corner! Review the superintendent’s contract, the strategic plan and the annual goals the board established for him or her. Then, consider the district’s successes and new initiatives. Review previous board packets that include summary reports illustrating progress made on academic performance, the fiscal stability of the district, etc.
Create a process that will allow for full board participation. In my district, we met to reaffirm our timeline and process, discussed the progress made on the 2012-13 goals and determined the goals for 2013-14. It is very helpful to have a facilitator to assist in that discussion and create a summary document that can guide the evaluation process.
Identify one area of improvement or a new area of focus even if you have a great superintendent. Identify one area that the board and superintendent can work together to improve. This next year, for instance, there could be a focus on finding innovative ways to garner the resources needed to successfully implement the Common Core State Standards. We recognize that the superintendent isn’t the only individual responsible for this massive undertaking. But, as board leaders, we want the superintendent to initiate and lead us toward resources that will help us to be successful.
I urge you to set up your profile today on Engage and start a dialogue about this topic. We can all benefit from our collective experiences in leading superintendent evaluations.
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