Board-Savvy Superintendent
Your Case for an Executive Coach
BY PEG PORTHSCHELLER/School Administrator, February 2021

EDUCATION LEADERS, and the rest of humanity, have been challenged in 2020-21 as never before. The coronavirus has done more than upset the proverbial apple cart. It has upended how we do what we do as school system leaders — and that’s before we even touch on the staffing, budgetary, communication, curricular and other challenges that accompany this far-reaching pandemic.

One of the newly appointed superintendents I’ve been mentoring during the past year said to me at one point: “They sure didn’t teach me about this in my superintendent prep program!”

How do superintendents, especially those in the early stages of their careers, handle these major challenges — that layer upon all of the “normal” challenges of the position?

Rationale for Coaching

In my portfolio of consulting work, I serve as an executive coach for several superintendents (and others working in school district administrative positions) and have been doing so for the past dozen years. I have come to think of this work more along the lines of serving as a “thought partner” and less as a coach in the traditional way we think of coaching. I strongly believe all leaders deserve a thought partner.

School board members, subordinates, other community leaders and superintendents in neighboring districts all can be helpful and supportive to a new or experienced superintendent.

But only an objective outsider, someone who is genuinely and singularly concerned with the conditions and dynamics facing the superintendent, can truly be a thought partner — to ask the “what if” questions, to think through scenario options, to conduct an “after action review” following the implementation of an initiative, to conduct an analysis of where the landmines might be and more.

And trust me, spouses and significant others do not want to serve in this role nor should they be expected to do so.

Some years ago, a veteran superintendent I knew encountered a situation he had never faced. An administrator in the district had been accused of sexual harassment by an employee in his building. Standard procedure would dictate the administrator be placed on administrative leave during the investigation.

Unfortunately, a school board member married to the accused administrator became disruptive to the investigation. It fell to the superintendent to deal with this challenge. A thought partner in this case proved extremely helpful not only in the discussions of appropriate actions to be taken but the “who, what and when” of such actions.

Securing Resources

So how does one go about securing an executive coach or thought partner as a superintendent?

The absolute best way is to build it into your contract, especially as part of your first contract with the board of education that hires you. In the event you already have a negotiated contract in place, the next time your contract is discussed, include the idea in your conversations with the board.

In the event your contract terms already are defined and determined, build it into your budgetary conversations and include hiring an executive coach in the superintendent’s budget.

Marketing the Idea

So how would you go about selling this idea to school board members? I encourage superintendents to begin the conversation with the board chair. Seek her/his support before taking the idea to the board as a whole. While the board chair may not entirely understand the complexities of the job, the time demands of the job and the responsibilities of the position, the chair will understand and appreciate that the board’s success, as well as the organization’s effectiveness, is directly tied to the success of its chief executive officer.

From there, take the idea forward to the entire board. It is definitely worth the commitment of dollars in terms of return on investment.

Lastly, testimonials from other superintendents who have experienced the benefits of working with an executive coach might prove useful.

Regardless of your approach, I encourage you to go for it! Every accomplished musician, athlete, dancer and actor has a coach. Your performance is likely to be enhanced with a coach as well. You and your organization will be better for it.