Interview with the Superintendent

Interview with the Superintendent

I interviewed Dr. Darrell Myers, Superintendent of schools where I work, Livingston Independent School District.   Dr. Myers was easily assessable and eager to help me.  In setting up the interview I just explained to him the assignment and we put a convenient time down on both our calendars to complete the task.

Dr. Myers’ definition of leadership was, “the ability to build consensus among people to reach a common goal.”  How true is this?  This seemed to be such a simple answer but when truly thought about, the difficulty in accomplishing this goal can be quite enormous.  Leaders work with a diverse group of people and must utilize skills that reach each one.  The ability to get a group to work together for the common good takes a leadership style that has effective communication skills and an ability to allow people to be a part of the process of reaching the goal.

Many of the thoughts Dr. Myers’ has regarding the attributes of a good superintendent are aligned with what I want to see in a superintendent.   He answered the question listing characteristics.  High on his list was having integrity and being ethical.  He thought it was imperative that the superintendent be a good listener and even keeled.  He talked about the importance of not making “knee jerk reactions” of any kind.   He also thought it was important to have a good thorough knowledge of school finance and have a strong background in academics.  In listening to his answer, I thought it was a reflection of him and his leadership style.  Dr. Myers is a great listener and never over reacts.  He has always been a man of integrity and high ethical standards.  His knowledge of the superintendent’s position is shown through his actions and the state of our district.   Sense his tenure our district has improved every year.

One of the answers I was eager to hear is how the superintendent builds a good working relationship with the Board.  Dr. Myers explained his style was to always be honest and forth right.  He said that when he made a mistake, “he owned up to it.”  Most importantly, he said to take responsibility for what goes on in the district.  I do realize it is critical for the superintendent to develop a relationship with the school board.  Being from a small town I have always known school board members and they were my friends.  It is interesting to see from a professional side how to develop the relationship; clear, open and honest communication is imperative.

I loved the answer on how the superintendent accomplishes such wide ranging strategic planning.  Dr. Myers philosophy is to utilize leadership teams. He works with his leadership team of campus administrators so that they can take information back to the campus level.   He gives the site based decision making teams on each campus the opportunity to come up with strategies and implement a plan for the campus.  Dr. Myers understands that it takes a lot of people working together to prepare and implement a task of this magnitude.

When asked how a superintendent should approach the management of everything from budget to technology applications Dr. Myers has a team philosophy.  He hires candidates in that area that are considered experts.  He trusts them to know their specialization and to do their job, but he also holds them accountable.  By involving the leadership team, it is a group advocacy that serves the district better than by doing it yourself.   Dr. Myers truly believes that involving people in the decision making process gives them ownership and is the best way to lead.

After reflecting on Dr. Myers’ answers in the interview, it was quite indicative that he relies on the leadership team he has built to help him accomplish the vision of having “successful students by meeting their needs.”  His answers to the questions seemed so simple, but with more thought, the true meaning of his answers have a deep message and major implications.    His true belief, as the leader of the district, is “to do what is right for the students and be a servant leader.”  Dr. Myers always seems to do what is right regardless of the political implications.  What better way to leave on a Friday, by knowing the philosophy of your superintendent, a man working for the success of students with high standards of character and helping those around him to become better and having their best interest at heart.

This interview taught me that I wanted to instill these same skills into my leadership style.  I learned that I want to surround myself with intelligent, capable, and hardworking people that have an array of specializations that will work together for the best of the students.  These people need to have high standards of character and integrity.  Having effective communication skills will be instrumental in bringing everyone together to achieve a common goal.  I realize this interview was just a start to the in depth understanding of the role of the superintendent.