A few years ago, I had glasses with transition lenses. Outside, the lenses were dark and my eyes were protected from the sun. Once inside the lenses gradually changed to clear. I liked not having two pairs of glasses, but the transition was never quick enough for me. The last two months professionally have been similar. I’ve been in a state of transition, moving from the position of business administrator/elementary coordinator to that of Superintendent/K12 Principal.
I’ve been in the same office for sixteen years, so the first transition was actually the physical move to the office next door. It was wonderful to move into a clean office with a clean, organized desk!
The transition of duties has been a little tougher. Our district is contracting much of the business function to our intermediate school district. As I know how capable our ISD staff is, this is a very comfortable shift. Logistically, we’ve had have to hammer out a few details, like how to get the invoices to the ISD, changing signatures at the bank, etc. Now that all the audits are over, the processes and daily practices should fall into place more quickly.
Perhaps most difficult has been the mental transition from business manager to superintendent. Because I’ve been in the district a long time, much of June was filled with questions from staff, wondering how I was going to change this, or what would I do about that? I tried to be very careful as to not step on the toes of our retiring superintendent. He was still the boss until June 30! Now, there are decisions to make every hour, especially with the economic challenges of Michigan and school funding. Another part of the transition has been to work with our board members, three of whom were new in July. Educating the board and the public on the challenges facing our district has been a big part of my first two months. I continually access MSBO resources to provide another source of trusted information.
I know I am not the only one in transition, either. Within our district, teachers are transitioning from one grade to another due to staff changes. In almost all districts in Michigan, due to layoffs or attrition, employees are learning how to perform their jobs with less support than previously. With Michigan in a state of transition, we are all figuring out the new rules of the game. Education itself is in transition as well. With new technological resources, such as E20/20 and Compass Learning, the classroom as we know it is changing. As school leaders, we need to stay as current as possible with the changes occurring in the legislation, know how it affects our own districts, and have a plan. Flexibility is going to be ever important as we proceed through the next few tough years. Always have a plan b, or c, or z…
My last really big area of transition has been to find the balance. As a self-professed workaholic, it is so easy to spend every waking hour trying to get everything completed. I’m working to make sure my plan includes time for my family and me. As we start a new school year, find your balance in spending time with family, fishing, reading, or gardening. Plan for that time and enjoy it! You deserve it!