District Administration - January 2011 - (Page 11)

Br iefings Newsupdate PeoPle Watch Renegade Lunch Lady Renowned chef ann cooper has partnered with Whole Foods Market to create the Let’s Move Salad bars to Schools project, which has raised $1.4 million to install salad bars in 564 schools. The project is working with First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative. Second in command Shael Polakow-Suranksy, a former principal and official at the New York City Department of Education, has been appointed deputy to the city’s next chancellor, Cathie black, to help compensate for black’s lack of education experience. FoLLow my Lead Former Florida gov. Jeb Bush encouraged education leaders to follow Florida’s example of pay for performance and higher graduation standards at the Nov. 30 conference of the Foundation for Excellence in Education held in Washington D.C. ReSegRegation? william Barber, state conference president of North Carolina NAACP, joined the NAACP’s national CEO and president, benjamin Jealous, to discuss Wake County (N.C.) Public Schools and why ending its busing system will cause resegregation. Scott’S new team Florida Gov.-elect Rick Scott has named former D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee as part of his education transition team, which has many speculating that she’ll be named the state’s next education commissioner. by Marion Herbert The Changing Face of the School Superintendent A decAde since it lAst did so, the American Association of school Administrators (AAsA) has again revealed the ever-changing characteristics of school administrators. “The American school superintendent: 2010 decennial study,” released dec. 8, is the latest report in a series that has been conducted every 10 years since 1923. The study, which electronically surveyed nearly 2,000 school superintendents nationwide, yielded surprising results in the demographics of superintendents, their changing responsibilities under federal guidelines, the influence of technology on their jobs and the educational environment, and where they see themselves in the coming years. “This is a landmark study,” said AAsA executive director dan domenech following the study’s release. “This report provides a clear view of how a key group of educators can make education work. We can use this data and its conclusions to improve the quality of our leaders.” One major finding is that the American superintendent is less likely to be male than ever before. in 10 years, the amount of female superintendents has jumped from 13 percent to 24 percent. The amount of minority superintendents, however, has only grown slightly, and minority respondents were more than twice as likely to report discrimination in their climb up the education ladder. The role of the superintendent itself has changed, as well. “technology has raised the expectations for communications among key stakeholders and the community,” said ted Kowalski, co-author of the study and professor and Kuntz Family chair of educational Administration at the University of dayton. The explosion of technology is one factor influencing the changing roles of Daniel Domenech, executive director of AASA, announces the results of a 10-year study examining both demographics and responsibilities of superintendents nationwide. the superintendent. The federal government, says Kowalski, is another. “Most are a little leery about both federal and state mandates—more so today than ever,” says Kowalski. “There are more that believe no child left Behind is a liability than an asset.” According to Kowalski, superintendents are struggling to do more with fewer resources. This growing pressure— coupled with the aging demographic of superintendents nationwide—may be why 51 percent of respondents report they do not see themselves continuing to be a superintendent by 2015. This study, says Kowalski, provides a longitudinal profile on superintendents to allow school boards and researchers to gain a better understanding of their characteristics and the problems they encounter. copies of the study can be purchased at www.rowmaneducation.com. January 2011 11 www.DistrictAdministration.com http://www.rowmaneducation.com http://www.DistrictAdministration.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - January 2011

District Administration - January 2011
Contents
From the Editor
Letters
News Update
Administrator Profile
District Profile
Conversations
Crisis Response
Going Mobile
Online Edge
Professional Opinion
K12 Guide to Audio/Visual Solutions
Product Focus
What’s the Value in Value-Added?
The Politicization of Bullying
Holding On to Parent Voices
Tough New Issues Refocus Health Education
New Products
Books

District Administration - January 2011