District Administration - June 2010 - (Page 48)

Special report States of Debate The Die-Hard Communicator Margaret Smith, the superintendent of Volusia County (Fla.) School District, uses her collaborative leadership style to get the job done. By VICtOr rIVerO I N the SIx yeArS SINCe her appointment as superintendent of Volusia County (Fla.) School District—a district that has 63,000 students in 16 cities, including Daytona Beach, in the heart of Florida’s east coast—Margaret Smith has had her share of success. But what makes her so different from other superintendents is her ability to reach out. Dan Domenech, executive director of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), says that Smith collaborates with others, choosing not to work in isolation, which a lot of other superintendents do, according to AASA studies and Domenech’s own observations. “She’s taken a leadership role in working with AASA to provide leadership development and information to her colleagues,” says Domenech, himself a former superintendent. Candace Lankford, the Volusia County Board of education chairwoman and Florida School Boards Association president-elect, pointed to a recent story in the Orlando Sentinel that features Smith above the fold as a superintendent who is 48 June 2010 MargareT a. SMiTh Superintendent, Volusia County (Fla.) School District Age: 69 Salary: $171,665 Budget: $445,493,234 (2009-2010) Number of schools: 82 Number of staff: 8,245 Number of students: 62,416 Percentage qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch: 53.5% Ethnicity: Asian 1.7%; Black 14.5%; Hispanic 16.2%; White 62.9%; Multiracial 4.4%; American Indian/Alaska Native 0.2% (2008-2009) Graduation rate: 82% (2008-2009) Web site: myvolusiaschools.org doing a good job of keeping district costs down. In April, she attended an AASA meeting in D.C. to discuss federal education policy. “She’s a much better multitasker than her predecessor,” Lankford says. “Mr. Bill hall was a fine man, but he faced a much different environment than the one facing Dr. Smith.” Tough Leader for Tough Times Volusia County is a rapidly growing, progressive area. Daytona Beach, DeLand, Deltona, Ormond Beach and Port Orange are its largest metropolitan areas. It’s Florida’s 10th-largest school district and the largest employer in the county. All its teachers are state certified; and during Smith’s tenure, Florida voters passed a classroom size reduction amendment, which the districts have implemented, and she has faced declining student enrollment—the first time in over 25 years that there was no gain in students in Volusia County in the 2007-2008 school year—and weathered the dramatic and devastating statewide budget shortfall. “Not an easy time to lead a school district of 62,000 students,” says LankDistrict Administration http://myvolusiaschools.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - June 2010

District Administration - June 2010
Contents
From the Editor
Letters
News Update
Sustainability
Conversations
Administrator Profile
District Profile
Innovative Leaders Take the Phone and Run
A New Dawn in the Sunshine State
The Die-Hard Communicator
Cybersafety in the Classroom
Persuading Teachers to Go Rural
Product Focus
Research Corner
Professional Opinion

District Administration - June 2010