Superintendent Interview

Superintendent Interview

I had the opportunity to interview Mr. Jeff Bailey, Superintendent of the Rockwall I.S.D. This is Mr. Bailey’s second year as the Superintendent and third year in the district. Prior to his current role, he served one year as the deputy superintendent. During his first two years as the Superintendent, Mr. Bailey made positive changes to the district. He brought a new vision and new policies to the Rockwall I.S.D. For the past, two years, our district has partnered with Dr. Robert Marzano to improve classroom instruction. During the interview several of these topics were mentioned.

My first question asked for his thoughts on leadership and what were the benefits and challenges in a leadership position, like Superintendent. Mr. Bailey stated that individuals in leadership positions must enjoy what they are doing, be competent and know how to lead. School leaders must have a passion for raising the level of success for the organization.  Leadership is all about teamwork. Everyone in the organization has a role in the success of a school district. It is important that the leader, in this case, the Superintendent must share information with his team. There are cross overs from each department, so it is important that everyone has all of the facts. Transparency is important to the teamwork, in order to improve the organization. When discussing challenges in the position, he said education is challenging with all of the mandates and policies implemented by the state and federal government. It is crucial to hire the right leaders who are willing to raise the bar and not accept status quo. The decisions that the organization makes, impacts the future of the community and state’s economy and welfare.

I asked my second question about the attributes of a Superintendent. Mr. Bailey responded by saying the Superintendent must be engaged in all areas of the job. An effective superintendent must be approachable, communicate with the public, and be involved with the community. It is important to have a vision to improve education. You must provide the staff and public with accurate information, so that everyone has all of the facts about the happenings of the district. A superintendent must surround themselves with the right people in the right positions. Most importantly, a superintendent must make the people in the organization look good. It is all about teamwork.

The third interview question of the interview dealt with developing a shared vision.  Mr. Bailey discussed how important it is to grow public trust, when developing a vision for the district. The vision will eventually benefit the local municipality. He also stated that the district must have partnerships with the parents in order to grow trust and communication. This partnership is ongoing.

My fourth question asked how the Superintendent builds a working relationship with the board. I thought this was an interesting question. Mr. Bailey stated that he works closely with board members. They attend Team of 8 training, which includes seven board members and him.  This training deals with board protocols. Transparency is very significant. Board members must be informed about current issues and mandates. He also works with board members on board subcommittees. Communication between the Superintendent and the board is important.

The fifth question pertained to competency eight. I asked Mr. Bailey, how should Superintendents approach the management of everything from budgets to technology applications? He responded by saying that he meets with his central office staff on a weekly basis. The district leadership team will meet to discuss and update each department. He also stated that he meets weekly with each member individually, so that he is informed. It is necessary that each department knows what the others are doing. There are crossovers from every department. Teamwork and transparency was also mentioned, which seemed to be the common thread to every answer. Mr. Bailey also meets with a student advisory group to gather input from students. He mentioned that it is very beneficial to stay in touch with the students. Students always bring up points and ask posing questions. Mr. Bailey said that the higher you move up in the school system, the more that you are disconnected from the classroom.  It is necessary to stay in touch with the students and teachers.

Overall, this was an eye opening interview into the world of the Superintendent. I learned that trust, communication, transparency, and relationships are key factors in this role. I walked away with some valuable information which can help during this Superintendent certification program.