Moving into the Superintendency: How to Succeed in Making the Transition

Too often, new superintendents—even if they have succeeded in other administrative positions—can undermine their successes by making critical novice mistakes, such as failing to recognize political stumbling blocks or unintentionally inviting school board member micromanagement. Moving into the Superintendency: How to Succeed in Making the Transition provides novice superintendents with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in their new roles. Thomas Kersten, a highly experienced school administrator with eleven years of superintendent experience, shares the most practical and useful strategies that will help new superintendents optimize their early successes. Guiding beginning superintendents throughout their telling first year, Kersten’s professional advice will shorten the office’s initial learning curve, guarantee a smooth transition into this role, and set a foundation of professional skills upon which superintendents will build their careers.

Table of Contents:
Foreword Preface: Making the Decision to Seek the Superintendency Acknowledgments 1Assessing Your Fit for the Superintendency 2Looking Before You Leap 3Getting Off to a Successful Start 4Establishing Your Leadership 5Working Effectively with the School Board 6Establishing Relationships Within the School District 7Building Relationships Outside the School District 8Making Personnel Selection and Evaluation Top Priorities 9Avoiding the Most Critical Leadership Mistakes 10Managing School District Financial Resources 11Working Smarter, Not Harder Closing Thoughts References About the Author

About the Author :
Thomas A. Kersten is associate professor emeritus in educational leadership at Roosevelt University in Chicago and Schaumburg, Illinois. He has served as an Illinois school administrator for twenty-eight years in the roles of assistant principal, elementary school principal, middle school principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent. He is also the author of Stepping into Administration: How to Succeed in Making the Move, which focuses on helping new administrators make the transition from teaching to school administration successfully.

Review :
Tom Kersten has succinctly captured the essential elements of not only making the personal assessment of whether to assume the superintendency, but has also fairly laid out the requisite dimensions of successful leadership from relationships to personnel, finance and decision-making. This book is a very solid read for any administrator giving consideration to or in the process of 'Moving into the Superintendency.' Accepting the position of superintendent is an awesome responsibility that requires administrators to make important decisions while learning on the job! Dr. Tom Kersten made the work of being a superintendent much easier by providing a compilation of practical ideas on key aspects of being a successful superintendent. While it is a great resource for administrators new to the position, it is also a great reference for veteran superintendents. Moving into the Superintendency: How to Succeed in Making the Transition offers many practical tips and ideas from a veteran, trusted colleague. A quick read that provides valuable information for all superintendents. Moving into the Superintendency: How to Succeed in Making the Transition is a must read for anyone contemplating the position of superintendent of schools. Dr. Kersten has clearly laid out significant issues anyone considering the superintendency must consider. This easy to read, but comprehensively constructed dialogue will give any superintendent candidate great insights and much to consider about the issues superintendents face before starting to build a foundation for success in superintendency. Kersten’s book is really a manual. Its well-conceived structure aids in usability, with each chapter presenting a specific introduction to a topic, such as how to work effectively with school boards, followed by several strategies to accomplish this. The author focuses on building relationships inside and outside the system and managing fiscal resources. Moving into the Superintendency concisely addresses the perils and pitfalls of the chief school executive in the view of a practitioner who combines research and practice as guidance to aspirants to the top role in our profession.