Discussing my internship plan with my superintendent

My superintendent came to my campus to discuss my internship plan. She said that the plan looked good and was very thorough. Last year she went through the Region IV superintendent certification program and said they did not have to do such a detailed plan. She said they had to do one big project and then try to match all of their hours to the competencies after the fact. She said it was good that we made a plan and already know towards which competencies our hours count. She did not make any deletions or revisions. She did give me dates for various meetings (cabinet, principals, technology, etc.). She suggested several specific activities that would complement my more general activities listed in my plan.

Superintendent Interview

I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Leland Williams the retiring superintendent of Dickinson ISD. The transfer officially took place on September 1, 2011. Dr. Williams is currently serving in an advisory role through November to assist the new superintendent Vicki Mims, who was the Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services. Dr. Williams was the superintendent for Dickinson ISD for 16 years. He was the longest-seated superintendent in Texas. He has served students in Texas as an educator for more than 30 years. One of the first things he said was that as you progress higher through an organization, you must trade management skills for leadership skills. You cannot do everything, so you must give up control in order to gain leadership ability/capacity. He defined leadership as the ability to understand the parameters of a situation and be able to work with others in that situation so that they will follow you. He also said that leadership cannot be taught, but it must be learned. The positive aspects of leading a school district include having the opportunity to select the right people and place them in the right position to achieve the goals of the organization. He described a good superintendent as having the following qualities: high energy, good listener, understand problem solving, highly visible, and always “firm, fair, and consistent.” He had good advice about working with boards of trustees: communication is crucial; you must set high expectations; do not ever lecture them; lead by actions and conversations; understand where they are coming from; let them have the power but not the control; inform but don’t offend; and be consistent over time. With regards to strategic planning, he referred back to the idea that one person cannot do it all; you must hire the right people, put them in the right place, and get out of their way. He said you must lead by conversations and not directives. He clarified the difference between strategic plans and tactical/action plans. Strategic plans are visionary and long-term; the war. Tactical/Action plans are concerned with daily operations and have specific objectives and activities to fulfill the strategic plans; the battles. Then he quoted General Patton in reference to Texas Aggies, and said you may lose a battle, but you want to win the war. In fact, sometimes you lose a small battle on purpose. I could go on. Dr. Williams was a wealth of knowledge and wisdom. Our interview lasted an hour and could have lasted all day. If I can be half the superintendent he was I’ll be golden.

My DRAFT Internship Plan

1	2	Analyze the school’s vision/mission statement as it relates to the school’s master schedule. Determine if the vision statement is reflected in the reality of the master schedule.	Jeff Pack	May 2012
2	2	Review the strategic plan for the district. Note the personnel involved in the plan’s development, implementation, and evaluation. Investigate support and concerns from the various parties involved.	Vicki Mims	May 2012
3	2	Review board policy and administrative regulations regarding data collection, assessment, and evaluation. Evaluate the degree to which the policy and/or administrative regulations are being implemented. Write a reflective statement about ways in which the leader would seek to improve compliance in this area. The intern will prepare a policy/administrative regulation proposal for board consideration.	Laurie O’Donnel	May 2012
5	2	Choose a current issue in the district (504 testing accommodations). Use steps for issue resolution with a small group of concerned parties. Reach consensus for a plan to resolve the issue and/or critique on areas where the resolution failed.	Laurie O’Donnell Laurie Goforth	May 2012
6	2	With permission of the superintendent, observe a district cabinet or district administrative team meeting where the leader plans to use collaborative decision making. Observe the leader’s behaviors in outlining goals/problem definition, seeking information, providing information, clarifying/elaborating, challenging viewpoints, diagnosing progress, and summarizing.	Vicki Mims	May 2012
4	3	Review board policy and administrative regulations regarding how communications will be managed in the district. Assess the level of compliance with policy/regulations, and write a reflective statement describing how communications might be improved.	Robert Cobb	May 2012
25	3	Interview one or more persons involved in district public relations. The interview will include strategies for effective communication to and from the community and the issue of community politics.	Tammy Dowdy	May 2012
26	3	Examine the current policy and procedures for parent involvement in the district. A brief summary of the district’s initiatives in parent involvement will be included in the notebook.	Anne Gunning	May 2012
27	3	Examine and evaluate the school library with regard to resources that address the heritage and values of culturally diverse populations.	Cheryl Tippit	May 2012
28	3	Compile a list of social agencies that are available to help and support the students, faculty, and administration.	Jamie Harbuck	May 2012
29	1, 4	Obtain a copy of the job description and evaluation instrument used for the principal position. Analyze the correlation between the requirements listed in the job description and the performance standards of the evaluation.	Renee Casey	May 2012
30	1, 4	Find a retired educator or elderly community member, and conduct an interview. Focus on the oral history of the community and school system. Note significant events that effect the district today.	TBD	May 2012
31	1, 4	Meet with a group of school staff members (e.g. secretaries, clerks, etc.) to discuss their perspectives of ethical/unethical behaviors employed by certified personnel in the district. Seek recommendations for policy changes, additional training, and/or consequences to ensure increased ethical practices by certified personnel.	MJHS Staff	May 2012
32	1, 4	Develop the following interpersonal skills throughout the school year: -          Acknowledges the accomplishments of others -          Seeks to know and understand others When leading meetings: -          Encourages others to participate -          Encourages consideration of varying perspectives	Jeff Pack	May 2012
33	1, 4	Review the board policy manual. Interview  the assistant superintendent to discuss the compilation and updating process of the manual and the role of the board in the process.	Robert Cobb	May 2012
7	5	Interview persons involved in the implementation of district curriculum. Describe the implementation process, and note successes and concerns/problems with its implementation.	Rhonda Parmer	May 2012
8	5	Participate in the process of student class scheduling.	Jeff Pack	May 2012
9	5	Observe one  instructional assistant (academic coach). Note duties, time, and expertise in academic assistance to the students.	Shelby Cruse	May 2012
13	5	Work collaboratively with one teacher in the planning and supervising of a cocurricular activity.	TBD	May 2012
34	5	Attend one special education meeting involving initial placement or annual review.	Trish Newby	May 2012
10	6	Meet with a group of similar subject-area or grade-level teachers and review the current curriculum and lesson plans. Compile the amount of traditional, behavioral, cognitive, and experiential learning objectives used. Solicit methods for utilizing more cognitive and experiential objectives in the curriculum and lesson plans.	Laura Chaffiin	May 2012
11	6	Interview persons responsible for assessing technology software. Describe the process used. Evaluate the process used, and discuss concerns and any recommendations for improvement.	Trudy LeDoux	May 2012
12	6	Form and lead a team of teachers to study and develop a plan for improving test scores. The area chosen should be an area of identified as a weakness in school achievement. The plan should be feasible but may require additional funds and/or a broader base of support for its implementation.	8th grade science teachers	May 2012
16	6	Examine the district discipline policy and provide an analysis of its strengths and weaknesses.	Robert Cobb	May 2012
36	6	Compile a list of current issues that affect teaching and learning. Use research literature and perspectives from administrators, teachers, students, and parents in compiling the list. Assess the degree of importance and urgency for each issue.	Various	May 2012
14	7	Collaborate with an experienced staff developer in one staff development activity.	Rhonda Parmer	May 2012
23	7	Interview the person responsible for district personnel. Major requirements and issues to be discussed will include the planning, recruitment, selection, induction, compensation, evaluation, and dismissal of personnel.	Renee Casey	May 2012
18	8	Review the job descriptions and evaluation forms for the key office personnel in the district (e.g. secretary, administrative assistant, attendance officer). Compare  these to the actual work demands.	Various office staff	May 2012
19	8	Meet with the district attendance officer. Discuss the rules, procedures, and ramifications of attendance on law, finance, and general district operations.	Ernest Hubert	May 2012
24	8	Interview the administrator responsible for the district finance/budget office. The interview will focus on administrative responsibility, guidelines, training, and any other major needs or concerns.	Ryan Boone	May 2012
37	8	Contact several persons experienced in the superintendent position, and compile a list of professional associations, service organizations, and local, state, and federal agencies that provide expertise and service to the position.	TBD	May 2012
38	8	Compile a list of books, publications, training manuals, and district or state publications used or recommended for the superintendent.	TDB	May 2012
20	9	Meet with the director of maintenance to review job responsibilities and schedules of staff. Observe one custodian or maintenance person for a period of time.	Jimmy Anderson	May 2012
21	9	Interview the director of transportation to discuss current issues and needs for transportation. The discussion will include costs, maintenance, personnel issues, training and safety, and student problems.	Brian Cmaidalka	May 2012
22	9	Interview the district director of food and nutrition services to discuss the current requirements, concerns, and issues of the program.	Judy Lee	May 2012
15	10	Review board policy regarding innovations and change in the district. Select two or three readings from respected journals, and discuss the content with faculty and administration. Assess the degree to which change theory is used to facilitate innovation and changes in district programs and operations.	Robert Cobb	May 2012
17	10	Participate in a career or educational program session with a counselor and a student.	Counselor	May 2012
35	10	Choose a current issue in the district. Find two persons on either side of the issue. Meet with the persons, and devise a resolution.	TBD	May 2012