Michael Schwanenberger

"He was angry when he left the school district, and he didn't want to provide any assistance or guidance to whomever followed."

“Some information I received from my predecessor was helpful, but she did not leave behind a lot of files, so my first year was spent recreating work that had probably already been completed.”

These comments, solicited from first-year superintendents, illustrate what many superintendents face when they transition into their new leadership role. Preliminary findings from a new multistate study of transitions in the superintendency conducted by the authors indicate only one in four superintendents report that their predecessor was helpful in transitioning to a new role.

Superintendent turnover, while inevitable, often becomes a highly disconnecting and disconcerting occurrence for school boards, central-office administrators, school-based personnel and others. Yet there are steps superintendents can take to help their successors transition effectively during this period.

Move Rationale

Of course, mobility of superintendents occurs for a multitude of reasons. For the most part, the career moves fit into one of two disparate categories:

» The incumbent superintendent leaves the district under a positive set of circumstances with full knowledge and support of the governing board and the community; or 

»The incumbent superintendent leaves the district under less transparent and favorable circumstances, either through mutual agreement or removal/nonrenewal of the contract.

Regardless of the circumstances that lead to the incumbent’s departure, the three of us — all current or former superintendents — believe the superintendent transition should occur with integrity and foresight on the part of both the incumbent superintendent and the governing board.

Preliminary Queries

Change is inevitable, and the pace of change seems to be escalating today. Most superintendents no longer stay in a single school district for their entire career. Many may move on to new professional challenges. At other times, a school board and/or a superintendent realize that changed community circumstances or school system needs have rendered ineffective what once was a good match and an effective partnership. Knowledgeable and pragmatic governing boards and education leaders understand that relationships and partnerships do not last forever.

During a time of transition, all superintendents should ask themselves a few simple questions prior to their transition:

(1) What have I accomplished during my tenure with the district?

(2) What am I most proud of and what programs, initiatives, student learning opportunities and activities do I want to ensure the governing board and school district leadership continue with after I leave?

(3) What are the core values of the school district that are most important, and which must be maintained no matter who sits in the superintendent or governing board chairs?

(4) How will I work with the governing board to ensure my answers to these questions influence the superintendent transition process?

Frank Davidson, a former superintendent, is an assistant professor of educational leadership at Northern Arizona University.

Transition Readiness

A strategically planned transition process that assists the board, prepares the staff and community and puts in place helpful resources for the incoming superintendent can have a huge impact. Regardless of whether the incumbent superintendent is moving on to a new post or retiring, the plan serves to ready the organization for change and to set the new leader up for success. Exiting superintendents who are thoughtful about this process leave their districts with integrity, which can bolster their professional reputation and ensure a positive legacy.

So what should be considered in a well-developed transition plan? First, exiting superintendents must help the board understand the stages of transition. Superintendents themselves, along with their boards and other individuals in the school district, will need to work through the stages to achieve a healthy transition.

William Bridges, in his influential book Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes, first published 35 years ago, identifies three stages that individuals (and we believe school organizations) experience during the transition process.

First is the “ending stage” where we grapple with the conclusion of a season in our lives. Next is the “neutral stage,” a time when we ponder what the transition means for us or the organization. Finally comes the “new beginnings” stage, a period when excitement about the possibilities becomes our focus, and we start to look forward in our lives.

Four Possible Routes

Once we have helped board members understand the stages of transition, we can assist them in thinking through what they desire for the district moving forward. We believe four potential scenarios exist, and boards must reflect upon which fits their particular context.

»Option 1 — Does the board itself want to set a new direction for the district? In this situation, the board would establish a new strategic path and then hire a superintendent who can carry out that new direction.

»Option 2 — Does the board prefer a superintendent who will bring a new direction to the district? In this situation, the board would hire with an eye toward someone who has the knowledge, background and ability to set a new direction. Likely this would be a leader with a change agent mentality. Note: These first two options will be more disruptive to the system, but without disruption, transformative change cannot be accomplished.

»Option 3 — The board likes the current direction, and although tweaks may be needed, the board generally desires the current path. In this scenario, the board would look for someone who philosophically aligns with the current direction and has an interest in following that course. Likely this would not be a change agent personality, but rather someone who is a good organizational leader and can make the system more efficient and effective as time progresses.

»Option 4 — The board wants a consensus-based direction established and is willing to let that process play out as it will. In this scenario, the board hires a superintendent who will work with constituent groups to determine the direction to be pursued. Typically, this process does not lead to major change, but adjustments are made to current practice. It is not as disruptive to the system as hiring a superintendent who will personally bring a new direction, but it usually leads to greater change than does Option 3.

In addition to considering the four options, we must assist our board in identifying which current programs they value. The goal in this process is to help the board figure out what they hold near and dear so these desires can be communicated to the search consultant.

The more we can help the board reflect on and understand the foundation upon which they want the district to operate in the future, the more smoothly and effectively the process will go for all involved.

Howard Carlson is superintendent of Wickenburg, Ariz., Unified School District.

District Duties

During the school year, several tasks can be completed to prepare for a superintendent transition. Though each district’s situation will differ, we see a few common activities to be considered.

One such task requires each department director and principal to complete a short document (no more than two pages) that provides the incoming superintendent with information to quickly come up to speed on the district’s operations. The following components ought to be included:

»Director/principal’s name, background, education and contact information;

»Office location, number of employees and specific employee job duties;

»Current initiatives (including goals, successes, challenges and next steps); and

»Major external entity relationships.

The transition documents ultimately will be reviewed by the incoming superintendent and provide vital information upon which an effective entry plan can be built. A primary goal is to expedite the transition time for the new superintendent.

A second transition task is for the exiting superintendent to develop a task/activity/timeline spreadsheet, which might provide the new superintendent with a good sense of current year accomplishments. In essence, this document provides a view into the most important tasks that the incoming leader must complete.

Every school district has its own distinctive activities that an incoming superintendent must not overlook. This document becomes the guide.

Updated Thinking

As school boards consider the four optional scenarios we’ve identified for a transition in leadership, constituent groups must recognize that superintendent transitions can be politically charged, complex, critical, ever-changing and challenging for all.

School boards may need to unlearn their old transition methods in which a new superintendent will ride into town, kick the old sheriff down the road and lay down the new law of the land. The traditional way of transitioning from superintendent to superintendent may have consisted solely of a meeting or series of meetings between the outgoing and incoming superintendents.

Based on the preliminary results of our multi-state study of transitions in the superintendency, which included superintendents from Minnesota, Washington and Arizona, half of the 240 respondents rated the assistance from their predecessor as “not at all use-ful.” In contrast, participants rated the assistance from superintendents in other districts as the “most useful assistance” they received.

A successful superintendent transition can make an important contribution to the lasting success of any school district. 

MICHAEL SCHWANENBERGER, a former superintendent, is department chair of educational leadership at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Ariz. Twitter: @MSchwanenberger. HOWARD CARLSON is superintendent of the Wickenburg Unified School District in Wickenburg, Ariz. FRANK DAVIDSON, a former superintendent, is an assistant professor of educational leadership at Northern Arizona University.