Profile: Michael H. Lin
A Precision Operator
By Marian Kisch/School Administrator, December 2015

Michael Lin

As Michael Lin stood on the mound ready to throw the opening pitch at an Anaheim Angels game, he wanted to make sure he did it properly. He drew on his aeronautical engineering background to calculate the proper angle, threw it a little high toward the catcher and landed what he deemed “a decent pitch.”

Lin, superintendent of Corona-Norco school district located 45 miles southeast of Los Angeles, has been doing his daily work precisely for years. Though he started as an engineer, he admits his heart wasn’t there. “I could do the job technically, but it wasn’t where I wanted to spend the next 40 years,” he says. “I have always been happiest working with children.”

So when the aircraft manufacturer that employed him offered the chance to take courses, Lin ran with it, eventually obtaining a master’s degree and becoming a high school math teacher. Three years later, he secured his first administrative post as an activities director and later landed in his current district as assistant superintendent of human services. Four years later, he was selected for the top position at the 54,000-student district.

Lin admits he was surprised by aspects of his new role, especially the “overwhelming sense of responsibility in this job. It drives everything you do.”

First up, Lin had to restructure his relationships with the school board, his former peers, unions, PTAs, businesses and civic organizations. He also had to hire more than 50 new administrators during his first two months on the job. When Lin sought advice, Kenneth Young, the Riverside County superintendent, told him: “Selecting leaders is the most important thing you will do.” And Young says Lin has done “an exceptional job at choosing extraordinary leaders.”

The secret to hiring the right people is more of an art than a science, Lin insists. He looks for good core values and tries to uncover the true temperament of candidate finalists. Are they collaborators or enforcers, proactive or reactive? Does he need someone to blend in or to make quick, bold strokes?

Lin rattles off the chief characteristics of a successful superintendent: flexibility/agility, competency and the ability to simplify complex ideas.

Not one for protocol and formality, Lin prefers to be called Michael instead of Dr. Lin. His off-site meetings in coffee shops with staff and community members are legendary. “Engaging one-on-one fits my style,” he says. “I like to be approachable.”

That extends to drop-in visits. Board member Cathy Sciortino recalls the time Lin had lunch with an office painter, a novel experience for the 40-year district employee. “He talks to you like a real person,” says Theodore Hammond, head maintenance trades worker.

Sciortino portrays Lin as a humble leader who deflects personal recognition, speaking rather about team efforts. Nevertheless, his profession recognized him as a region-level Superintendent of the Year and one of Education Week’s 2015 Leaders to Learn From.

At Corona-Norco, Lin has accomplished a lot in three years, overseeing passage of a $400 million bond issue, promoting career and technical education, raising expectations for students and staff, expanding Common Core training and collaborating with the unions during a financial crisis.

Lin remains grateful to his parents who gave up everything to relocate their family from Taiwan to the U.S. for the better education opportunities. “Democracy rests on a successful public education system,” Lin says, “and I’m proud to be part of that.”


Marian Kisch is a freelance education writer in Chevy Chase, Md. E-mail: mariankisch@verizon.net





BIO STATS: MICHAEL LIN

Currrently: superintendent, Corona-Norco Unified School District, Norco, Calif.
Previously: assistant superintendent of human resources, Corona-Norco Schools
Age: 49
Greatest influence on career: My father decided to immigrate our family from Taiwan to the U.S. when I was 13 to provide his children the best in life, starting with attending the best education system in the world.
Best professional day: When I became a high school math teacher. As a former aeronautical engineer, I left a highly technical profession to pursue a career that is profoundly meaningful. As an educator, I have had the best time in my life.
Book at bedside: The Principal by Michael Fullan
Biggest blooper: I showed up at a school celebration thinking I was to sing karaoke with a group. It turned out to be a solo performance in front of 300 parents. Needless to say, I was not prepared but managed to get by with much grace from the audience.
Why I’m an AASA member: AASA allows members to get involved in a national network of professionals who deeply care about the public education system. AASA provides a great platform for school leaders to learn and share best practices.