Hazard and Young Report - Candidate Profile

Waukegan Public Schools
Waukegan, Illinois

Leadership Profile

Introduction

This report presents the findings of the Leadership Profile Assessment conducted by Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, Ltd. (HYA) on October 3 and 4, 2001 for the Waukegan Unified School District #60. After the Board selected HYA to be its consultant in its search for a new superintendent, an assessment form was prepared to solicit input which would be used to assist the Board in identifying the characteristics desired in the new superintendent. At the same time, the Board identified a number of individuals and groups that were invited to meet with the consultants to discuss these characteristics in greater depth.

Over 112 individuals participated in the interviews, focus sessions and public forums facilitated by Sam Mikaelian and Molly D'Esposito. In addition to interviewing each board member, the consultants met parents, teachers, union leaders, administrators, principals, support staff and ten students. The consultant also met with representatives of city government, NAACP, former board members, retired teachers, clergy, PTO officers and other community representatives. A combined total of 17 people attended two of four community forums held on October 3 and 4. Many of those who were unable to attend a focus group or community forum submitted a Leadership Profile form. Approximately 180 completed questionnaires were returned and are summarized in this report.

In developing the leadership profile, the consultants sought opinions, recommendations and general comments with the respect to preferred candidate traits and qualifications, as well as District strengths, issues and concerns which could bear upon future leadership requirements for the next superintendent of schools. At the interviews and meetings, the consultants noted that the Board was seeking the views of a broad range of individuals to assist it in the search process. It was agreed that the consultants would report the findings to the Board without revealing the identity of any individual contributor, enabling the Board to use the data as it proceeded to define the leadership characteristics and selection criteria for the next superintendent.

The assessment instrument, which was used to solicit responses, provides the framework for reporting the data compiled by the consultants. To highlight broad theme within each topic, data are aggregated into seven response groups. Under the category 'consistent' are the comments that were frequently heard from the many of individuals or groups. Comments heard less frequently are listed under the respective group as designated on the Leadership Profile Assessment Form: Board, administration, community, faculty, parents, students, and support staff. Under each of these groups, the comments heard or submitted with some regularity are listed alphabetically. It should be noted that the data are not a scientific sampling, nor should they necessarily be viewed as representing the majority opinion of a group. Items are included if, in the consultants' judgment, they were repeated by a sufficient number of respondents to warrant the Board's attention.

We commend the Waukegan Board of Education for its effort to include representatives from many organizations. Due to the efforts of thoughtful and concerned stakeholders in the school district, the number of completed Leadership Profile Assessment Forms provided a wide variety of opinions. The views and comments of all respondents were carefully read and are included in this report under the appropriate group heading.

Sam Mikaelian, Ph.D
Molly D'Esposito

Question #1:
What do you consider to be the two or three most significant strengths of the District?

CONSISTENT

• Community support services such as the Park District, YMCA, YWCA, and county
• social service agencies
• Dedicated and experienced teachers, administrators, and support staff
• Diversity of the student population
• Facilities maintained at a reasonable level
• Good basic curriculum
• Innovative, specialized programs addressing multiple levels of ability
• Technology availability
• Waukegan's history and richness of culture, landscape and people

BOARD

• Effective alternative school option
• Starting teacher salaries
• Willingness of Board to work with new superintendent

ADMINISTRATORS

• Co-operative relationships among administrators, faculty, staff, students and parents
• Strong commitment to meeting the needs of all students

COMMUNITY

• Ability to accomplish many successful outcomes within current financial constraints
• Cooperation with non-public schools
• Meeting the needs of a diverse student body

FACULTY

• District poised for positive change and redevelopment
• Dedicated School Board
• Good students
• Knowledge of cultural and linguistic needs of students and parents
• Teacher training opportunities

PARENTS

• Community involvement in schools
• Growth opportunities for staff
• Maintenance of schools seems to be improving
• Non-neighborhood schools

STUDENTS

• Potential of students
• Small learning groups
• Work together as a community on problems

SUPPORT STAFF

• Administrators care about the students and staff
• Students receive a good basic education
• Strong work ethic
• Students

Question #2:
What do you consider to be the two or three most important issues or concerns facing the District?

CONSISTENT

• Bilingual program's structure, goals, and teachers
• Cultural diversity
• Financial instability, including the budget and the inability to pass two referendums; subsequent cut backs in programming and staffing levels; overcrowded classrooms and inadequate classroom materials
• High dropout and truancy rates
• Inadequate communication among and between administration, faculty, parents and community
• Inconsistent administrative practices, including favoritism, inequity in allocating
• Resources among school buildings, and ineffective enforcement of codes and regulations
• Lack of trust among all stakeholders
• Leadership and differences between the Board and the administration
• Low morale among administrators, faculty and staff
• Low standardized test scores
• Mobility of students
• Neighborhood school issue
• Population growth causing stress on financial resources
• Public perception of schools perpetuated by negative newspaper coverage
• Security issues, including gang influence
• Teacher training, retention and lack of competitive salaries
• Weak and inconsistent parental support

BOARD

• Articulation between middle schools and high school
• Board role and responsibilities
• Concern about facilities including maintenance and the need for additional classrooms
• Degree of politics in decision-making
• Lack of long range planning
• Low expectations for students

ADMINISTRATORS

• Hiring practices
• Lack of community awareness of problems facing school district
• Negative image of the city of Waukegan
• Readiness of the children beginning school
• Teachers' union issues
• Teachers who lack cultural sensitivity

COMMUNITY

• Lack of accountability by teachers, administrators
• Lack of common vision, goals and the leadership to implement them
• Language and cultural differences
• Need to get back to basics of education for all students
• Old and deteriorating facilities
• School day needs to be lengthened
• School district appears 'top heavy'
• School fees not being paid
• Shortage of qualified teachers
• State of Illinois funding formulas
• Teachers and staff do not reflect the cultural diversity of the student body
• Weakening of school district hurts city; weakening of city hurts school district

FACULTY

• Community's perceived lack of commitment to education
• Critical that referendum passes in March, 2002
• Facilities in disrepair
• Need for racially diverse faculty
• Need to improve technology availability and maintenance
• Schools need to be more 'client' centered
• Social promotion practice should be revisited
• Students unprepared to learn
• Threats to eliminate services and programs

PARENTS

• Computer training does not occur early enough in curriculum
• Discipline in the middle schools
• Failure to pass two school referendums
• High teacher turnover
• Lack of communication and partnerships with business community and government entities
• Lack of professional development opportunities for teachers and staff
• Low academic achievement reflected in low ISAT scores
• Mistrust of school board and administration over how deficit occurred
• Special education students need more structured resources

STUDENTS

• Issues related to school safety
• Keep the well being of the students as most important objective
• Lack of respect from adults to students
• Need for community unity
• Passing period between classes is inadequate

SUPPORT STAFF

• Challenges presented by diverse population
• Consider year round school calendar
• Discrimination
• Lack of harmony and cohesiveness in schools
• Lines of authority unclear
• Not meeting students' needs
• Unstable tax base
• 'We vs. They' mentality

Question #3:
Please share two or three characteristics which you would like to see in the new superintendent.

CONSISTENT

• A person of integrity who can be trusted by all stakeholders
• Ability to bring together disparate groups with diverse agendas
• Ability to empower staff and hold them accountable
• Experienced superintendent in urban district that has faced similar challenges
• Good communicator and listener with a direct, open, and honest manner
• High-energy team builder who will create a positive, open atmosphere
• Knowledge of financial planning and experienced in implementation of sound budgeting practices
• Leader who has a vision for the school district
• Possesses leadership characteristics which will engender pride and a sense of forward movement in the school district
• Proven effectiveness in the fields of fiscal management, curriculum, technology, special and bilingual education
• Solid organization and management skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Visible in schools

BOARD

• Delegator of responsibility and uses staff effectively
• Hands-on superintendent
• Intelligent
• Open and honest manner in dealings with all Board members
• Open to suggestions
• Person seeking a challenge
• Politically savvy
• Possesses the courage of his/her convictions, decisive and self confident

ADMINISTRATORS

• Ability to evaluate, develop, reward and remove staff; desire to build qualified staff
• Ability to work collaboratively with teachers' union
• Able to improve low-performing district
• Ability to make decisions in the best interest of children rather than for political reasons
• Culturally sensitive
• Healer
• Politically astute with connections at local, state and national level
• Strength of character: fair, impartial, honest
• Understands technology as it applies to curriculum and instruction

COMMUNITY

• Ability to establish consensus with Board members
• Ability to speak Spanish
• Commitment to district and community
• Decisive, take-charge, decision maker
• Experience as a classroom teacher
• Innovative thinker
• Positive, outgoing personality
• Promote spirit of excellencev
• Put the needs of the students first
• Recruit and retain outstanding teachers
• Someone who commands respect, even if you disagree with him/her
• Successful experience in passing referendums

FACULTY

• Aggressive risk taker
• Avoid conflicts of interest
• Charismatic leader; energetic
• Experienced classroom teacher who is knowledgeable about curriculum and instruction
• Fluent in Spanish
• Focus on raising standards
• Place an emphasis on early English learning, school attendance and graduation
• Positive role model for entire community
• Put children's need above all others
• Statewide leader in battle to change education funding
• Vision for long-range change

PARENTS

• A change agent
• Accessible
• Knowledge of community
• Leader who is honest, fair, courageous
• Raise the standards of the district
• Reinvigorate pride in the community

STUDENTS

• Bilingual
• Fairly presents needs of diverse educational community to the school board
• Flexible, open-minded, understanding
• Involved with community, particularly minorities
• Motivator
• Trustworthy
• Willing to talk and listen to students

SUPPORT STAFF

• A problem solver
• Can rise above factionalism and create a team mentality
• Capable of dealing with challenges of diverse community
• Discerning among competing priorities
• Experienced in labor negotiations
• Fair-minded
• Genuine concern and compassion for the people in the district
• Inclusive management style
• Leader who is a unifier
• Trustworthy
• Values special education
• Will put students' needs before other concerns
• Will support principals

Leadership Ranking of Characteristics

SUMMARY

The information obtained through interviews and completed questionnaires reflects many similar views across all groups with respect to the Waukegan Public School District's strengths, issues and concerns. Respondents take pride in aspects of the district's educational programs, but are very concerned about its future. A plurality stated that it was imperative that the school referendum in March, 2002 pass. The successful completion of a referendum would dive encouragement to all stakeholders in the school system that a new beginning was possible. It would be the first step toward reestablishing the perception that Waukegan's schools would once again reclaim their place among respected districts in the state.

District strengths consistently cited by all groups are: the competence and dedication of most teachers and administrators; excellent special programs; and the many facets of racial and cultural diversity of the community. County and community support services were also sighted as an important strength. Many respondents talked about their loyalty to Waukegan and their pride in its history.

Dominating the litany of concerns expressed by all groups was the financial instability and the devastating impact the shortage of funds has had on the entire District. Low morale was pervasive among all groups interviewed, in part due to overcrowded classrooms, lack of school materials, lack of professional development opportunities, and working conditions. Although many respondents identified areas of concern such as the bilingual program, neighborhood schools and the growth in enrollment, there were diverse opinions expressed as how to solve these challenges.

Respondents stated that they want to be treated fairly, that they want to trust the Board and the leadership of the District and Board, they want to trust the Board and the leadership of the District and Board, they want resources allocated equitably among the schools and they expected policies to be applied consistently. They do not feel these situations exist at the present time. Improved communication between and among administration, faculty, parents, and community could increase trust and credibility among groups. Greater visibility and participation in the community by the superintendent was repeatedly requested. Statements about the press and its negative focus on the District's deficiencies and its disinclination to report positive accomplishments were repeatedly emphasized.

Additional concerns involved the pressures felt by the District due to the influx of new students and their needs. The 'old' vs. 'new' Waukegan mentality is evident when respondents discuss two failed school bond referendums. Concerns over lack of parental involvement and payment of student fees were two regularly cited issues. Interviewees stated the importance of understanding that the success of the District is dependent upon a strong, stable school system. Yet there seems to be little interaction between the problem solvers in each organization.

Addressing concerns within the educational framework of the District, all groups cited the high rates of the student dropout and truancy as unacceptable. They stressed the lack of standards and accountability for student, teacher and administrator performance. They pointed to the need to improve student achievement, particularly as reflected in ISAT test scores. Many felt that curriculum and program changes were made too abruptly to determine their effectiveness, looking for a 'quick fix' rather than a long-term solution. Some respondents felt that the unions' issues often inhibited the flexibility in the District.

The Board of Education was recognized as an experienced group who cared about the schools, yet often did not accomplish some of the usual tasks of a board such as long-range planning and maintaining fiscal balance.

In aligning the many concerns reported above with the attributes to be sought in a superintendent for the Waukegan Public Schools, the respondents recognized the need for a charismatic, effective educational leader with excellent communication, interpersonal and public relation skills. He/she must be collaborative, a consensus builder and sensitive constituents. The new superintendent must possess organizational and management skills and understand the importance of advocating for Waukegan schools with local, state, and national political decision makers. He/she must be able to motivate, delegate and hold individuals accountable. The successful candidate should be able to develop, articulate and implement a shared vision for the District.

The consultants feel that, with a dynamic educational leader who enjoys challenges, in tandem with positive support from all constituent groups, there is great potential for the Waukegan Public Schools to rebuild the reputation that its citizens desire and be among the respected district in the state.

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