Harford County Superintendent Characteristics

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Harford County Superintendent Characteristics

• www.mabe.org
• 
  Presented by
• 
  Bea Gordon, Lead Consultant
  
• Maryland Association of Boards of
  Education

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Stakeholder Forums January 27 28

• Staff
• Central Office Administrators Leadership Team
• Principals
• Employee Associations
• Teachers
• Support Staff
• Community
• Elected/Appointed Officials
• Parents/community
• Community leaders
• Written Feedback
• Received input from nearly 200 people.

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Questions

• Tell us the good things about Harford County
  public schools and community.
• What are the skills, qualities, and
  characteristics you would like to see in the next
  superintendent?
• What issues will a new superintendent need to
  know about to be successful here?

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Good Things - Community

• Rural, urban, and suburban
• Many academic and extracurricular programs to
  address a variety of educational and community
  needs
• Past superintendent was committed to hiring a
  diverse staff
• Friendly and warm with a good family environment
• School system and community are large but have
  managed to keep small town character and feel
• Located near the I-95 Corridor and many colleges
  and universities
• Easy distance from Baltimore, Pennsylvania,
  Delaware, and New York
• Economic growth
• Conservative but progressive

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Good Things - Schools

• Students come first
• School system is high achieving and is the crown
  jewel of Maryland
• Excellent principals and teachers Good
  students
• Numerous partnerships with businesses, agencies,
  and local colleges
• Good variety academic programs and activities
  such as boys and girls clubs
• Diversity
• Efficient One of the lowest costs per pupil in
  MD
• Many employees with longevity in the school
  system
• Test scores above national average
  instructional program is data driven
• Strong effort in Special education

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Leadership

• Visionary
• Practices evolution and not revolution is willing
  to study the current state then make changes
• Leader who is able to develop successive
  leadership
• Values students, teachers respects their
  capacity to succeed
• Value the parents, community, tax payers
• Ability to use teamwork to make the dream work
• Creative problem solver

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Boards Characteristic

• A successful instructional leader who can
  recognize and build on current successes has
  demonstrated the ability to improve student
  performance and narrow achievement gaps
  understands current educational trends

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Skills Qualities and CharacteristicsCommunicati
on/Relationship Skills

• Visible and active in schools and community
• Understands the politics of the County -
  Politically astute
• Willing to work with elected officials,
  government agencies, and MSDE
• Able to build partnerships with business,
  community organizations, and parents
• Excellent communication skills and ability to
  listen
• Ability to reach out to, and communicate with,
  all educational entities and community
  organizations
• Understand the needs and desires of parents,
  grandparents, and taxpayers

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Boards Characteristic

• An open and inclusive communicator who
  values input from all stakeholders is visible
  and active in the schools and community and
  effectively builds strong relationships with and
  among the board, staff, students, and community

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Boards Characteristic

• A consensus builder who works with and balances
  the needs of diverse groups involves all
  segments of the community and can work
  collaboratively with the board, local and state
  leaders

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Instructional Background

• K-12 experience
• Does not base all decisions on test scores
• Success closing achievement gaps
• Willing to try innovative ideas to meet the needs
  of all students
• Provides opportunities for well rounded
  development of students (extracurricular
  activities and the arts)
• Understanding of special needs students
• Understands needs of non-college bound students
  and values vocational/technical programs
• Understands technology and its role in education
• PASSION AND ENTHUSIASM FOR STUDENTS

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Boards Characteristic

• A student focused educator who understands
  curriculum development, instruction, and
  assessment is experienced meeting the
  requirements of NCLB and understands the need
  for high quality special education, vocational,
  technical, advanced placement, and gifted
  programs

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Administrative Skills

• Practices evolution and not revolution
• Willing to study the current state then make
  changes
• Has grit, thick skin
• Leader who is able to develop successive
  leadership
• Values students, teachers respects their
  capacity to succeed
• Value the parents, community, tax payers
• Ability to use teamwork to make the dream work
• Creative problem solver
• Proactive risk taker

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Boards Characteristic

• An experienced administrator with strong budget
  and financial experience and familiarity with
  growth and facilities management can attract,
  support, and retain a highly qualified workforce
  and has experience with succession planning

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Personal Attributes

• Wants every child to succeed
• Keep students first
• Honesty, integrity
• Approachable
• Sense of humor
• Excellent personal background

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Boards Characteristic

• An ethical leader who is strong and thoughtful
  has high standards of integrity, honesty,
  compassion, and courage respects all staff,
  students and community members.

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Boards Preferences

• Knowledge of the Maryland education system, laws,
  funding, curriculum and assessment and will
  become an active member of the Harford County
  Community
• Experience in a district with similar
  demographics and issues
• Doctorate Degree

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Issues

• Special Education
• The disparity along the Route 40 Corridor - Haves
  and have nots
• Discipline, safety, and gangs
• Diversity
• Finances budget transparent spending plan,
  Title I Schools
• Redistricting
• BRAC, Can handle change and growth
• Middle school reform, Comprehensive Secondary
  Reform, STEM
• Block Schedules, LICW
• Negative media and reporting
• Elected vs. Appointed Board
• Succession Planning

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Next Steps

• Advertise and Recruit
• February, March
• Screen Applications
• Begins March 23
• Initial Interviews
• Early May
• In County Interviews
• May 18 21
• Superintendent begins
• July 1
• bgordon_at_mabe.org
• www.mabe.org