Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
1. Welcome to the Superintendency
2. July and August: Reflecting and Getting Ready for the New Year
Organizing and Preparing for the Year
Taking Care of Yourself and Your Family
Ensuring Schools Are Ready to Open
Focusing on the Year Ahead
3. September and October: Starting Smoothly and Settling In
Opening Year Communication
4. November and December: Checking In and Celebrating Progress
Solidifying Board Relationships
Building Positive Board Communication
Monitoring the Current Budget
Monitoring Programs and Student Achievement Data
5. January and February: Taking Stock and Planning for Next Year
Developing a Long-Range Plan
Budget Forecasting for the Next Year
Reviewing the Curriculum and Establishing Goals
Communicating New Focus Areas and Priorities
Sharing the State of the District
6. March and April: Staying Focused and Facing Challenges
Planning for Facility Upgrades
Targeting Personnel Actions
Monitoring Curriculum, Instruction, and Student Testing Plans
Planning Board and Leadership Team Workshops and Retreats
Begin Evaluation of Administrative Staff
7. May and June: Wrapping Up and Celebrating
Reviewing New Staff Hiring
Superintendent Evaluation
Debriefing With Board Members
Scheduling Attendance at Year-End Events for You and the Board Members
Planning Time for Handling Difficult Issues
Finalizing Summer Activities
Finalizing Plans for Next Year's Pre-Opening Activities
Reviewing the District Media and Communication Plan
Completing Summative Evaluations of the People Who Report to You
Preparing the Internal Meeting Calendar for Board and Senior Staff
8. The Routine and Expected
Planning, Leading, and Attending to Meetings
Monitoring for Accountability
Establishing Relationships and Building Community
Building Internal Leadership Capacity
9. Crises, the Unexpected, Caveats, and Musings
But Then, There Are the Wonderful Things
Resource A: School Site Inspection
Resource B: Site Readiness Inspection Sheet
Resource C: Summary of School Inspections
Resource D: Key Actions Checklist
Resource E: Custodian School Inspection Sheet
Resource F: Playground Inspections
Resource G: Portable Building Inspections
Resource H: Human Resource Annual Calendar
Resource I: Meeting Schedule
Resource J: Administrator Evaluation Form
Resource K: Administrator Evaluation Process
Resource L: Budget Guidelines
Resource M: Budget Calendar
Resource N: Planned Priorities
Resource O: Organization Chart
Resource P: Information for Board Members
Resource Q: School District Responsibility Chart
Bibliography
Index