1. A PENNY WISE? OR A POUND
FOOLISH.
IMPLICATIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS FOR
THE PART-TIME SUPERINTENDENCY
Bradford G. Saron, Ed.D.
Louis J. Birchbauer, Ph.D.
2. A PENNY WISE? OR A POUND
FOOLISH.
IMPLICATIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS FOR
THE PART-TIME SUPERINTENDENCY
Bradford G. Saron, Ed.D.
Louis J. Birchbauer, Ph.D.
3. GOAL
Research: State of the Part-Time
Superintendency
Goal: Produce Considerations for School
Boards
As They Relate to School District Vision
As They Relate to Serving the Community
As They Relate to Kids
What about the profession of educational leadership?
4. TIMELINE AND INVOLVEMENT
Accepted,
Published,
Statewide and
Study and Disseminated
Composition
of Document
WASDA and
WASB
Collaboration
WASDA Small
Schools
Committee
5. CONCLUSIONS
Delegation
• Individuals in a part-time superintendent position, or compressed role,
delegate responsibilities to a much higher degree.
6. CONCLUSIONS
$$$
• The primary motivation for
a district going to a part-
time is to save money.
7. CONCLUSIONS
Priorities
• The administrative focus is on management tasks. Leadership work
relating (instructional and curricular matters, long-range visionary
planning, district cohesiveness and community relations) are most
difficult to achieve.
8. CONCLUSIONS
The Board
• The role of the school board changes when the superintendency moves
from full-time.
10. IMPLICATIONS (THE RESEARCH SUGGESTS)
Vision is Neglected
• ISLLC & NSBA
• The development, cultivation
and implementation of an
ethical and pedagogically
aligned vision requires time,
community engagement and
positive school-district climate.
11. CCSSO’S ISLLC STANDARDS
Vision for Learning
Culture of Learning and Professional
Growth
Management
Collaboration with Community
Integrity, Fairness, Ethic
Political and Cultural Advocacy
13. IMPLICATIONS (THE RESEARCH SUGGESTS)
Delegation
• Already Stressed
Delegation Ecologies
• Capacity, Certification,
Training, or Aptitude
14. IMPLICATIONS (THE RESEARCH SUGGESTS)
Time and Expectations
• Responsibilities involuntarily
forsaken, often because of
unavailability or lack of presence
• Uniform negotiation methodology,
past practice adherence and
navigation, and consistent
contract interpretation
16. SMALL SCHOOLS COMMITTEE-WIKI (CONT)
Cost Savings
Opportunities for Retired
Individuals
Consistency between Buildings
Still have Some Leadership
17. SMALL SCHOOLS COMMITTEE-WIKI (CONT)
-Undue task delegation
-Fragmentation of school vision,
mission or purpose
-Loss of important peer
support/collaboration
-Increased stress levels
-Multi-tasking overload
-Loss of leadership for
innovation
-Administrative compression
chips away at the significance of
our domain of expertise.
-Negatively effects the school
board governance process and
illegitimates the role of district
leadership as a partner in
governance
18. SMALL SCHOOLS COMMITTEE-WIKI (CONT)
-Inhibits the articulation of
policies developed by school
boards. (i.e., if there is not a
district leader to fulfill the
promise of well written and
thoughtful policies)
-Impedes consistent labor
relations with unions : uniform
negotiation methodology, past
practice adherence and contract
interpretation.
-Diminishes capacity for political
advocacy of schools who have
compressed administrators since
they don’t have time to be
involved.
19. SMALL SCHOOLS COMMITTEE-WIKI (CONT)
-Reduces opportunities for
consistent and lasting
engagement with the community
in an effort to initiate positive
feedback cycles vs ongoing
vicious cycles.
-Downgrades district capacity to
access a leader to assemble
solutions for chronic issues (i.e.,
There is a systemic problem. Who
will or have time to solve it?)
-Minimizes the ability of the
district leader to fulfill the role of
both change agent for the 21st
Century.
20. SMALL SCHOOLS COMMITTEE-WIKI (CONT)
-Decreases the likelihood of a
leader who has a true vested
interest in the community and who
is committed to the long term fiscal
health and sustainability of the
school district.
-Restricts the time available to
cultivate, develop, or articulate
vision, purpose, or strategic
initiatives.
-Curtails the role and function of
translator (the superintendent)
between the day to day operations
of the school district and the
overarching purpose of school
board governance.
-Requires leader to become jack of
all trades but master of none.
-Pulled to attend more meetings
and conferences to stay up-to-date
with important information.
21. CRITICAL QUESTIONS
OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
Why are you considering this organizational
change -- organizational effectiveness,
community responsiveness, instructional
improvement, improvement of teacher or staff
supervision, curriculum leadership, school board
effectiveness, budget reduction or something
else?
What will be the process to make school district
decisions on fiscal matters, safety concerns and
staff discipline when the part-time
22. CRITICAL QUESTIONS
OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS (CONT.)
What will the new organizational
responsibility chart look like for remaining
administrative staff, teaching and support
staff, parents, students and community
members? Does the change in leadership
bring about different responsibilities for board
members?
How will you measure success of this
organizational change?
23. CRITICAL QUESTIONS
ADMINISTRATIVE CONSIDERATIONS
How will you measure effectiveness of the part-
time superintendent as it relates to student
achievement, and who will report the academic
progress of students and the school district to
the community?
How will the school district’s human resources
function (hiring of staff, evaluation, monitoring of
collective bargaining agreements and
negotiation of staff wages and employment
agreements) be handled?
24. CRITICAL QUESTIONS
ADMINISTRATIVE CONSIDERATIONS (CONT.)
How will the school district legislative agenda
and its relationship with legislators be
maintained?
Who will promote and encourage a climate of
learning, trust and professional growth in the
district?
Who will develop and sustain productive
relationships with community members?
25. THE SECOND ACT (WISCONSIN ACT 10)
Evaluation of principals/teachers
Individually contracted employees
Merit/Contingency pay
Nondiscrimination policies
Handbook implementation and alignment
Unprecedented reductions in revenue
Unparalleled time for advocacy
(RTI, Common Core, PBIS, SBAC, Google
Apps)
26. GOAL (REVISITED)
School District Vision?
Serving the Community?
Rural Kids?
What about the profession of educational leadership?
28. DON’T HESITATE TO CONTACT US
Louis J. Birchbauer
lbirchbauer@wasb.org
141.218.2805
Bradford G. Saron
saronb@cashton.k12.wi.us
608.654.5131 e. 201
