Superintendent Entry Plan

I need a little help with this. The example in calss was much longer with appendixes. Tell me what you think. Do I need to add anything?


Superintendent’s Entry Plan



By the time I start any superintendent position I will already have the basic information on the district, meaning that information that is published and readily available to anyone. I would also hope to have a little deeper understanding of the culture of the school and those relationships with stakeholders that will influence operations in the school district. Actually being on the job and developing those relationships will be the only true way to assess the true culture of the school and those relationships with stakeholders. Similarly, research will identify weaknesses of the district, but actual experience there will be the only way to know how stakeholders influence ways to address those weaknesses.


The First Day

The first day on the job will most likely be in the summer. Things I would like to accomplish that day are:

• Set up lines of communication with all board members
• Set up lines of communication with all administrators
• Set up lines of communication with outside entities that are involved with district operations such as lawyers and other contract personnel
• Schedule a meeting with the administrative team within one or two days

I know this isn’t much, but communication is important. Also it will allow time to prepare for the administration team meeting.


The First Week

• Meet with each board member, individually and as a group
 Discuss where the district is and where they want it to be

• Meet with the administration team
 Discuss upcoming staff development, how and why specific training was chosen and does it meet the needs of the district
 Discuss where they believe the district is and where it is going
 Discuss areas of needed improvement

• Meet with individual building principals
 Learn specific building needs and concerns
 Learn individual goals and how they relate to district goals

• Meet with other supervisors/directors to discover concerns; Transportation, Maintenance, Food, Athletics, Music
• Meet with Central Office personnel
 Business manager to get started on our relationship (hope he/she is good)
 Curriculum coordinators
 Special Education directors
 Technology

• Plan for at least one visual enhancement of each campus
 Not a major overhaul, yet. Something like new garbage cans, painting something, or planting something. Anything that shows that we are taking pride in our schools and campuses and that we are going to work to improve the district.


The First Month

• Be visible and accessible. Realistically I will begin in a small district where visiting the campuses is easier.
• Meet the teachers and staff, make a point to remember names and faces
• Attend some of the staff development, show it is important
• Meet with the board
 Set up district goals and evidences of attainment
 What do they expect of me
 Set up the rules of how we will operate as a team

• Be a spokesperson for the district. A lot of people will have questions and concerns. Tell them the positives we already have and ways we are going to improve our weaknesses.
• Set up weekly meetings with the administration team
• Set up monthly meetings (at least) with other directors
• Identify those influential stakeholders that can help improve school/community relations
• Set up ways to effectively communicate with staff and stakeholders
 Newsletters, internal and external
 Distribution list on e-mail
 Staff meetings
 Phone call system
 Open door policy, central office as well as building level
 Effective parent/teacher communication


The First Year

• Be diligent in communication
• Use the information from weekly and monthly meetings to improve district performance and meet district goals
• Constantly work on the budget and communicate that with the board, don’t let it be a surprise in the Spring
• Be visible, be on the campuses and in the community
 Observe teaching/learning
 Eat in a building cafeteria once a week (pushing it, I know)
 Ride a bus route occasionally
 Be at sporting and academic events
 Attend a parent/teacher meeting
 Attend local club meetings when asked
 Let people know that the success of the school, in all areas, is important

• Ensure that plans to improve district performance are implemented
• Meet the goals adopted by the board and be able to show it
• Identify areas of need that may require a more substantial cost from the district and plan ways to address them.
 Involve the community, teachers, staff, and all stakeholders


Some planning in the district will take longer than a year. The district needs to have a plan in place to address those items that need to be replaced or repaired periodically. For example:

• Technology – the district needs to have a plan to replace a percentage of the computers every three to five years to keep up with changing demands and to avoid one massive, costly overhaul at once.
• Transportation – A percentage of school vehicles need to be replaced periodically to ensure safety. There also needs to be a plan for regular preventive maintenance.
• Physical plant – All buildings need to be on a regular maintenance schedule. Flooring, air conditioning, painting, and other areas need to be addressed.

Academic plans also need time to develop. It is improbable to improve state rankings from acceptable to exemplary in one year, but a plan to address the weaknesses can be implemented and monitored over a period of time. In a period of three to five years progress should be made.