Moving into the Superintendency: How to Succeed in Making the Transition

Too often, new superintendents—even if they have succeeded in other administrative positions—can undermine their successes by making critical novice mistakes, such as failing to recognize political stumbling blocks or unintentionally inviting school board member micromanagement. Moving into the Superintendency: How to Succeed in Making the Transition provides novice superintendents with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in their new roles. Thomas Kersten, a highly experienced school administrator with eleven years of superintendent experience, shares the most practical and useful strategies that will help new superintendents optimize their early successes. Guiding beginning superintendents throughout their telling first year, Kersten’s professional advice will shorten the office’s initial learning curve, guarantee a smooth transition into this role, and set a foundation of professional skills upon which superintendents will build their careers.

Thomas A. Kersten is associate professor emeritus in educational leadership at Roosevelt University in Chicago and Schaumburg, Illinois. He has served as an Illinois school administrator for twenty-eight years in the roles of assistant principal, elementary school principal, middle school principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent. He is also the author of Stepping into Administration: How to Succeed in Making the Move, which focuses on helping new administrators make the transition from teaching to school administration successfully.