One Hundred Days of

Listening
Molly Yerkes

Superintendent Entry Plan

August 4, 2014
Ed 593-J12 Summer

Communication:
Create a relationship and communication feedback loop with each of
the individuals and/or groups listed below. Discuss with each group
how they would prefer this to look for their group or organization. It
could be weekly, monthly, or quarterly meetings pre-arranged with the
simple objective of receiving feedback on issues that concern each
entity. A starting point with some groups could be to share the districts
Strategic Plan and ask for feedback on current district initiatives. At
the same time allow stakeholders to share their own concerns and
beliefs at to where the district should be putting its energies and
attentions.

Media:
Publicly announce a listening and learning period.

Use radio,
newspaper, web site, and any social media the local community
follows.

Share the purpose of the learning period i.e. to model being a life
long learner who values gathering facts and perceptions before
creating an action plan.

Develop relationships with the education writers and editors of the

local newspapers.

Develop relationships with the local radio

operations/programming
director, on air-staff, news director, news reporters, public relations
director, producers, and their web master.

Develop relationships with radio, social media, and newspaper sales

and marketing directors. This could potentially lead to relationships
with possible financial supporters of future district initiatives.

Political Leadership:
State

Develop relationships with the governor, his chief of staff, and

the head of
constituent relations.

Develop relationships with

the local senator and

representatives and their chiefs of staff.

City

Develop relationships with the Mayor and Assembly Members.

Develop relationships with the Deputy and City Manager.
Develop relationships with the Head of Public Works, the Head
of the Planning Commission, the Chief of Police, and the Director
of Community Development.

Education

Develop relationships with the Deputy Commissioner and the

Commissioner of Education.

Develop a relationship with local University School of

Education and Educational Leadership Staff.

Develop relationship with the State Director of Assessment,

Accountability and Student Information.

Develop a relationship with the State Board Chair.

Develop relationships with the Alaska Association of School
Boards.

Community Leadership:
Develop relationships with local organizations.

If for example, if the

community were Juneau one might contact organizations such as the
Goldbelt Heritage Foundation, Alaska Network on Domestic Violence
and Sexual Assault, Filipino Community, SeAlaska, local religious
organizations, Juneau Arts and Humanities Council, Juneau World
Affairs Council, the Rotarians, Southeast Regional Resource Center,
Alaska Womens Network, Territorial Sportsmen Foundation, Juneau
Youth Services, Johnson Center, PTA, Site Councils, Tlingit-Haida
Regional Council, Any Given Child Group, United Way of Southeast
Alaska, etc.

If one were to enter a community, which they were not familiar with
one might solicit recommendations for groups to contact from each
person or group they meet with.

Hold open public meetings at locations outside of the schools.

This
might encourage the participation of disenfranchised families or groups
who are not comfortable attending meetings within a school building.

District Senior Staff:

Establish weekly meetings with key district leaders ie. the director
of teaching and learning, human resources, finance, facilities, and
student services. Require weekly updates on any potential crisis
issues.

Establish bi-weekly meetings with principals.

Depending on the size

of the district this might be all principals, or separate elementary,
middle and high school meetings.

School Board:
Develop a close relationship with each individual board member.
Invite them to participate in the period of listening with you. Allow
them to attend site walk-throughs with you.

Individually deliver the board packet to each board member before

each meeting. If there is a contentious issue discuss it in advance with

each member individually. Know how the board will vote on any issue
before the vote.

Establish a clear protocol for communication.

Union Leadership:

Develop a relationship with the heads of all unions in your district.

Establish clear lines of communication and protocols for grievances.
Establish quarterly feedback loop meetings with each union.
Request a rep. from each school for each meeting. For example, if the
district were Juneau hold quarterly Juneau Support Staff Union
meetings and ask for a rep. from each of the six elementary schools,
two middle schools, and three high schools.

Teachers, Office Staff, Custodian,

Maintance Staff, & Para Educators:

Become a regular presence in each school in the district.

Schedule
weekly unannounced school walkthroughs. Go into classrooms and
unobtrusively speak with students. Take the time to talk to as many
members of the staff as possible.

Schedule lunch meetings at each school whereby teachers can give

feedback without interrupting their classroom instruction.

National Leadership:
While National Leadership is something that is addressed in several

examples of incoming superintendent entry plans this is not an area on

which I would choose to focus during the first one hundred days in a
new role as Superintendent. Perhaps once a clear district action plan
was developed and in progress that would be the time to focus a
portion of my time nationally.

Next Steps:
Compile the qualitative data acquired during the One Hundred Days
of Listening.

Share the information you have learned with the School Board.
Incorporate the consistently heard areas of concerns/areas of
growth into the Districts Strategic Plan.