Self Assessment reflection

 

When I began this assignment, I looked at the first self-assessment that I did in EDLD 5396, and reviewed many of my answers.  I’m not real sure if at that time my answers were accurate to my actual ability in each of those areas.  It did however give me a beginning point to compare and make a more accurate analysis.

I have been placed in a unique situation of having a Superintendent Job, while actually completing this course work and it has provided me with a real understanding of what level I am really on within each of these competencies.  Whereas, when I began this program, I only had ideas about certain competencies. 

Many of my strengths come from competencies 1 and 2.  I feel as if competency 1 is my strongest asset as a Superintendent and as a person.  If an individual has integrity and good ethics then in most cases these traits will carry over into their everyday jobs.  The reason that I came into the educational profession was to help children succeed academically and in life as well.  I have a strong desire to help others and it gives me satisfaction when I can benefit someone else.  While striving to help students be successful it is imperative that we do this in an ethical manner and be fair in every situation that arises even if it’s not the popular thing to do. Some instances bring about decisions that will not always be popular with everyone, but when it’s in the best interest of the school and student, then these hard decisions must be made.  As educational leaders it is difficult to always make those decisions, but we must remember that we can’t always do what is popular with everyone, only what’s right.

Competency 2 deals with shaping district culture that provides a vision of learning that is supported by the educational community.  I also feel as if this particular competency is strength of mine.  While working as a Superintendent the past 5 months, I feel as if I have been most successful in this area.  We have been able to set a high level of expectations and most everyone has bought into that mindset.  The district that I am currently at has been of the old school thought process and not real receptive to new ideas and innovative thinking.  With much help from the principal and site based teams, we have been able to implement many programs, strategies, and activities that we hope will benefit not only our students, but our school culture as a whole.  These changes were met with some resistance from teachers and students alike, but we are beginning to see them transition and I believe that they will bring about positive change for our district.

Competency 3 is an area in which I feel comfortable in, but do have room for improvement. I communicate well in certain areas, but when it comes to actually speaking in front of community members and expressing concerns, I still struggle.

 

Within competency 4 I have improved in working with the different governing bodies of the educational setting in order to improve the overall school environment and meet high expectations for students

 

The three competency areas that I have improved upon, but still need to master are competency 5-7.  To me these are all very similar in that they have to do with curriculum, instructional programs, and staff development for teachers.  Each of these three competencies deal with students and them actually gaining the pertinent information that molds their academics. It is so important for administrators to be strong within these competencies in order for students to have the best possible education available.  When administrators have a strength in these areas and it’s relayed to the students, then great things can be achieved.

I feel like Competency 10 is also a strong area of mine.  As an administrator, I have always had a knack for making sound decisions and being involved in problem solving that is in the best interest of the school.  When I began my career in education, I really struggled with making tough decisions and working with problem areas, but I made it a priority to work through those struggles.  I was able to apply this while being a coach and dealing with the daily issues involved with that particular job title.  I think that recognizing a weakness and having the opportunity to work on that that particular weakness allowed me to become proficient in this particular competency area.

 

One area of concern for me right now in my career is that in competency 9 and dealing with the district’s physical plant.  Many times people take the physical plant for granted and think things just run on their own, when in fact a lot of work and planning go into ensuring the physical plant in up and running effectively.  I have learned real fast that one must pay particular attention to all aspects of the physical plant and have a working relationship with the maintenance director in order for it to run effectively.  Not only does the physical plant contain many different working parts, there are also many regulations and rules that must be followed for safety reasons and it’s imperative that a Superintendent be aware of these.  The physical plant is a very broad area ranging from transportation to food services to the actual operation and maintenance of the facilities.  I have gained a great deal of knowledge within this competency, but I realize that I have a ways to go and I think with on the job experience, I will get a better understanding of the process.

 

The last area of concern for me lies within competency 8 and deals with budget and financial aspect of a school district.  This is the most complex process within a school district that I have been a part of.  During the summer after I took this Superintendent position the retiring Superintendent agreed to stay through the summer and guide me through some of the budgetary process.  I learned a great deal about the budget and finance, but there is so much more that I don’t know as of now.  I honestly believe that it will take several years of working through the financial part of the school business to get a true understanding of how it all works.  The interesting thing about the whole process though is that every time I look at a budget template or talk about some aspect of finance with someone I actually learn something new.  There is something about public school finance that really gets my attention.  I think the fact that I know very little about it and the complexity of it really intrigues me to want to learn as much as possible.

Throughout this whole internship I have learned a great deal of the position of Superintendent.  I’ve had a unique situation in which I was actually working as the school Superintendent while completing the course work and I think that has actually enhanced my overall internship experience.