“One of the joys of reading is the ability to plug into the shared wisdom of mankind.” — Ishmael Reed.
Learning opportunities come in many forms. One way in which I have always found to be important to supporting my growth and development is through independent reading. A good book I would highly recommend for aspiring superintendents and superintendents alike, or others interested in a realistic view of school leaders is “Tales from the Top: Stories Only School Superintendents Could Tell.”
Public school superintendents have one of the toughest jobs and yet experience some of the richest stories to come out of the more than 16,000 school systems in the nation. Being a good storyteller is a natural part of their demeanor. This book is filled with a rich collection of interesting stories and an excellent learning experience. The authors suggest, “current superintendents may take solace in knowing that others have gone through similar experiences. Prospective school superintendents may get a realistic “taste” of the types of issues they may encounter that are not covered in traditional graduate school programs.”
About the authors: Tim Quinn and Shelley Keith, have been my mentors and wonderful friends for almost 15-years. Tim is a former superintendent, college president and has been recognized nationally as a pioneer in superintendent preparation, coaching and support; Shelley is a prolific writer, confidant, and advocate for education leaders with over 20-years experience in higher education in the areas of human resources, planning and governance. The biggest lessons learned from my relationship with Tim and Shelley were affirmations around mental toughness, being politically astute, and morally fit to serve in the superintendency (which by the way also have profound life applications).
Although they are now retired, their goal was to reach out to their network to gather at least 100 great stories for the book from various districts and superintendencies across the nation (e.g., large, small, urban, suburban, rural, rich, and poor). Profits from the book sales will go to scholarship funds for high needs children.
Enjoy the read and wishing all of our current superintendents, their staff, and students every success—keep the faith and keep making a difference in the lives of children and families, placing the greatest priority on the health and safety of all.