New superintendents take school reins in new school year

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ The start of the new school year will also mark the start of new duties for 52 first-year school superintendents. <br/><br/>Almost 10 percent of Oklahoma's 540 school districts

Sunday, July 31st 2005, 9:50 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ The start of the new school year will also mark the start of new duties for 52 first-year school superintendents.

Almost 10 percent of Oklahoma's 540 school districts will be led during the coming school year by a superintendent who has never before had the job.

``They want to be successful, and that means doing the right things for students and their community,'' said Ramona Paul, an assistant state schools superintendent who works with new superintendents.

The state Board of Education has adopted a policy requiring first-year superintendents to attend 11 days of professional development. Oklahoma typically has about 50 new superintendents each year.

The administrators get training on such topics as school finance, building community relations and legal issues including open-meeting laws.

``I think the school finance part is kind of a complicated animal,'' said Todd Carel, the new superintendent of the Union City School District. ``Unless you're in the business, there are a lot of things you don't realize.''

Carel is one of a few superintendents who also will serve as principal. His Canadian County school district has an enrollment of about 260.

Principals often deal with school staff members and students, while superintendents oversee district finances and ensure they're abiding by state laws, he said.

The superintendents study the state aid formula and other school finance issues, Paul said.

``Finance is the biggest surprise,'' she said. ``If they've been an assistant superintendent, then they have a lot more knowledge, but if they were a principal, it's a pretty big learning curve.''

The required professional development for superintendents started in about 1985. Paul said there were about 10 administrators in the first class. One year, there were 70 new superintendents.

During the state Education Department sessions, officials often invite superintendents who've been on the job for a few years to advise the new hires.

``It's wonderful to watch them build relationships and friendships,'' Paul said. ``The majority are from very small communities; to a degree, they're somewhat isolated, so developing that friendship is an important part of the leadership experience.''

The new superintendents are paired with mentors, she said. Tony Christian, the new Purcell superintendent, will be mentored by A.J. Brewer, superintendent for nearby Washington. Christian said they've known each other many years.

Christian said a big challenge will be keeping his district within budget. He also wants to improve test scores.

``The biggest push will be in our reading and math scores,'' he said. ``The biggest thing I'm looking forward to is seeing our academics come up; we'd like to be the top in the state.''

The new superintendents are scattered across the state, with seven in the three-county Panhandle.