Interview with Dr. Xavier De La Torre, Superintendent,
Socorro ISD,
El Paso, TX
1. What is your definition of leadership?
Leadership is the ability to build relationships, gain consensus, and motivate people toward a common vision.
2. What are the positive aspects of being in a leadership position, like Superintendent?
The most positive aspect is being in a position to influence a great number of people for the success of students. It is an exciting thing to see something you have envisioned come to fruition.
3. What are the negative or difficult aspects of being in a leadership position?
You have to come to terms with the fact you can’t make everyone happy. No matter what decision you make, someone will react negatively. Another thing is your life is not as private as it was before. You are a public figure, so not only your employees are watching, but the public and the media take note of not only your school district decisions, but you and your family’s actions.
4. What do you believe are the attributes of a good Superintendent?
Attributes of a good superintendent are good listening skills, the ability to analyze underlying causes of problems, to provide a strong, clear vision to lead by and to surround yourself with knowledgeable people that can help inform you in the decision-making process.
5. Superintendent Competency 1 emphasizes the importance of integrity, fairness and ethical behavior. What does ethical leadership look like?
Ethical leadership means taking into account all stakeholders in making decisions in the best interests of the students and the district.
6. Competency 2 discuss the role of the superintendent in shaping campus culture by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the educational community. How do you work to develop a shared vision?
Everything has to go back to data-driven decision-making. I make sure my people have the means to collect the right kind of data that can be used effectively. Professional development is very important as well and it must be on-going for the leadership team, administrative campus leaders and teachers. With on-going professional development and holding each other accountable by collecting, analyzing and monitoring data, professionals at all levels are well aware of what our expectations and goals are. By identifying strengths and weaknesses, we can work together to provide the best kind of training to support teachers in honing their skills. Empowering everyone to contribute to this process in a positive way helps create a shared vision.
7. Competency 3 discusses the importance of the Superintendent to communicate and collaborate with families and community members, respond to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilize community resources to ensure educational success for all students. How should a superintendent evaluate the effectiveness of communication strategies in the school district and encourage the engagement of the community to benefit all students?
Open communication is the key. I feel it is important to have a person in place to monitor the media, community groups, families, and set up different kinds of community forums. My communications director is really like my chief operating officer. I depend on her to make sure my message gets out and to keep her finger on the pulse of these relationships. She alerts me when I need to address certain concerns that I may not be aware of and monitors public relations. A feeling of openness needs to be maintained. In leadership meetings we often discuss how our message is being received by the community. Setting up community meetings, attending those scheduled by different groups, and being visible at school functions is important. At the forefront, the community needs to know that the best interest of the students is our top priority.
8. Competency 4 focuses on the importance of the Superintendent responding to and influencing the larger political, social, economic, legal and cultural context, including working with the Board of Trustees, to achieve the district’s educational vision. How does the Superintendent build a good working relationship with the Board?
Building trust is paramount. By making sure board members are informed and aware of your initiatives you put in place, they won’t be caught off guard.
The first 4 competencies looked at the Superintendent as Leader of the Educational Community. Competencies 5 – 7 examine the Superintendent as Instructional Leader.
9. Competency 5 examines the importance of the Superintendent planning and implanting strategic planning that enhances the teaching and learning, ensures alignment of the curriculum, curriculum resources and assessment; uses the current accountability system; and promotes the use of varied assessments to measure student performance. How does the Superintendent accomplish such wide ranging strategic planning?
As I said before, working in teams to use data in determining goals and making sure professional development is on-going to achieve those goals is critical. Once the goals are determined, assessment tools need to be in place to monitor progress. A superintendent needs to check progress of teams to determine the degree of success they are having and what needs adjusted.
10. Competency 6 emphasizes how Superintendents must advocate, promote, and sustain an instructional program and a district culture that are conducive to student learning and staff professional growth. How does a Superintendent promote and sustain a district culture that emphasizes student learning and professional development?
It is easy to get distracted; however, with every decision it must be clear that student success is the most important reason we are here. Also, leading by example to constantly improve my understanding about the most up-to-date developments in best practices is the model that sets the standard for all other professionals in our district. Providing opportunities for administrators and teachers to learn techniques, making time for them to do this, emphasizes the value the district places on learning for all.
11. Competency 7 discusses the importance of the Superintendent implementing a staff evaluation and development system, and selecting appropriate models for supervision and staff development to improve the performance of all staff members. How do Superintendents address these issues aimed at improving the performance of all staff members?
It should be part of the district culture that learning is important for all. By making sure professionals have different venues and opportunities to continue and update their skills, we build that into district expectations.
Competencies 8 – 10 focus on the Superintendent as Administrative Leader.
12. Competency 8 examines the importance of Superintendents knowing how to apply the principles of effective leadership and management in relation to district budgeting, personnel, resource utilization, financial management, and technology application. More or less, the Superintendent has an immense responsibility in carrying out these tasks. How should Superintendents approach the management of everything from budgets to technology applications?
You need to have an organizational system of checks and balances so you don’t have something come up you’ve forgotten or left out. A good administrative assistant is essential to keep things in order. Surrounding yourself with the best, most knowledgeable people on your leadership team that you can trust is important. You have to delegate and trust people will follow through, but be able to keep tabs on developments. Having a system helps keep things flowing.
13. Competency 9 states that Superintendents must know how to apply principles of leadership and management to the district’s physical plant and support systems to ensure a safe and effective learning environment. What leadership and management principles help Superintendents supervise the physical plants and support systems to ensure a safe and effective learning environment? And please talk to us about developing organizational leadership skills.
You need to make sure if you don’t have a good grasp of the physical plant and facilities, you get up to speed with basic knowledge. As I said before, it is essential to have someone with in-depth knowledge and expertise in this area. Find out if the person in charge of facilities is an expert. Even though that person is the expert, it is up to you to make sure you stay in contact to monitor systems. Even if things seem to be going well, they should not be ignored until a severe problem arises. Having an organizational plan making sure people are checking in with you on a regular basis so you can monitor and trouble-shoot avoids surprises.
14. Competency 10 addresses how Superintendents apply organizational, decision-making and problem-solving skills to comply with federal and state regulations and facilitate positive change in varied contexts. Please discuss the importance of organizational leadership, as well as decision-making and problem-solving skills in addressing these compliance areas and maintaining positive change.
Have systems set up so you know where the trouble spots are, monitor work, and know what the procedures are when emergency situations come up. Make sure you are kept in the loop so you are aware when there are problems that need addressed.
15. What additional experience, learning, or advice can you share to help me (our student’s) develop an effective internship?
Be kind to yourself. Remember why you are in this business- the best interest of the students. And that you can’t please everyone, so stick with what you know is right for kids.
Reaction to 5 Responses
1) In question 3, Dr. De La Torre states that one of the most negative aspects of the superintendent’s job is not being able to please everyone. It is true that some people can never be satisfied with whatever happens. I think this may be one of the biggest things to learn to deal with. It can be difficult to deal with unhappy stakeholders, but focusing on doing what is in the best interest of the students is something that can anchor an educational professional.
2) In question 6 about shared vision, I definitely see a correlation with how this is being developed in our district. The goal of improving instruction was outlined, but there has been a tremendous amount of staff development on every level to impress upon everyone in the district we will do this by continuous classroom visits and gathering data. Sometimes the data is for general purposes across a school or department, sometimes to monitor techniques used by teachers, sometimes to gather data on student behavior. However, it all goes toward looking at how we can deliver instruction more effectively.
3) In question 7, the concept of having a specific person help monitor communications with the community came across very strong. It is obviously a critical area since public perception impacts a district. I does need to be monitored because if things go awry, it can take years to change the image of a school or a district.
4) Question 12 relating to management of so many things made an impact on me because with so many things to be accounted for a strong system needs to be in place to keep a superintendent organized. The worst thing would be to be caught off guard.
5) Question 13 having to do with the physical plant was interesting. I know I need to improve my knowledge of these things so I know what I don’t know instead of the other way around. The idea of again having a system in place to make sure people check in with you, whether for facilities or other areas, was something I had not thought about. You don’t want to over-manage, but you do need a relationship with the people in charge of different areas so they let you know what is going on regularly.
Reflection
This exercise was exciting, interesting and valuable on many different levels. I felt honored that Dr. De La Torre spent so much valuable time with me and was so open with me about his thoughts. He told me when he arrived from El Paso from California to his first superintendent position, it completely blew his mind. There is so much going on, being thrust into a new job was overwhelming. This is when it really brought home to me the need for organizational system to help me with handling the demands of the position. I need some concrete examples and guidance in developing systems that will work for me and help organize my thoughts and priorities.
So many relationships need to be built. Since the Board of Trustees hires the superintendent, this is the first relationship that needs to be built, strengthened and maintained so the superintendent can be successful and do her job. That bond of integrity that a job offer comes from has to be nurtured so a board member never feels the superintendent has held something back or acted rashly. Next, Dr. De La Torre emphasized how critical it was to have people on the cabinet that were knowledgeable, trustworthy and dependable. Having some kind of system to evaluate this when a superintendent comes on the job would be useful. I wonder how other superintendents evaluate this before they get in a situation that could get them in trouble. Of course building trust with other leadership professionals at the district and the campuses has to be done since this is the backbone of the organization. These people are the ones to help carry out the vision and make sure teachers and staff members come on board. It seems to me that building these relationships cannot be left to chance, there has to be a comprehensive plan to do this as well.
I am looking forward to learning more and getting involved in a deeper way with strategic and organizational planning. Working on how organizations react and can be molded will be a challenge.
Jody, I,like you, am excited to learn more about strategic management and organizational planning from the perspective of a superintendent. Great interview and reflection.
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