0.3 Preparing and training superintendents for the mission of  (Page 6/23)

Superintendents seldom are well trained or experienced to simultaneously lead and manageschool bureaucracies.The not too surprising result for urban superintendents is failing to raise test scores and bringing about institutional reform. Theynever get the management“system”to sufficiently support instructional programs (Hess, 1999). In short, the hub of the wheelcannot support the spokes. Managerial ineffectiveness by superintendents in smaller districts may also hurt instructionalprograms, but the task of fixing these systems is less difficult.

An excellent example of“fixing”a large organization is the Chrysler Corporation under the leadership ofLee Iacocca. When the Chrysler board hired Iacocca, the corporation was on the brink of bankruptcy. Iacocca immediately hired a teamformerly working with him at Ford and began working on rebuilding corporate management systems. They did not immediately rush to thecar assembly plant lines correcting the poor quality of Chrysler cars. This was a later step after corporate management was rebuiltsufficiently to manage needed changes in the production lines corporate image and creating a future for the corporation (Iacocca&Novak, 1987).

This is an excellent illustration of the need for effective management systems to be in place before visionaryleadership dominates the district leadership paradigm. Urban school systems would be well advised to look at how failing corporationsare rebuilt from the top down. Reform efforts since A Nation at Risk have been generally bottom up.

Superintendents and the Management Imperative

The following managerial tasks are common to every school district regardless of size and wealth. They areprescribed actions both in highly centralized or decentralized organizational structures. Most are closely monitored by statedepartments and other regulatory agencies. In brief, they constitute a non-negotiable managerial imperative forsuperintendents to supervise, coordinate, perform and be held accountable to the school board and community. If performedefficiently and effectively fiscal costs to the district can be substantially reduced creating an opportunity to transfer“saved”dollars to“instructional”accounts.

If not managed properly district credibility with the community, state, and staff suffer making all districtoperations more difficult. More superintendents are dismissed for mismanaging finances with the exception of a poor relationship withthe board (Glass, Bjork,&Brunner, 2000).

Finances

A school district is a trustee of both the community’s children and its tax dollars. Efficient and appropriate management of public tax dollars is a key responsibility for everysuperintendent. Inarguably, this is a complex and time consuming task for superintendents in districts of all sizes. Schooldistricts are not“stand alone”businesses in managing revenues and expenditures. Instead, they are part of large state school fundingprograms that are complex and difficult to comprehend and implement at the local level. Lack of competent fiscal and operationalmanagement skills is a leading reason for board dismissal of superintendents. High quality financial management is acharacteristic of academically high performing districts. The following are fiscal management components found in alldistricts.