Authentic Optimism: Developing an 'I Get To...' Attitude

The Superintendent Collaborative’s May meeting welcomed Dr. John Marschhausen, superintendent at Dublin City Schools in Ohio, for a discussion on fostering "Authentic Optimism" and cultivating an "I Get To..." attitude within educational settings. 

The meeting dived into the many challenges faced and paths for strategic solutions that Dublin City Schools have taken on, with a significant portion centered on the pressing matter of responsible staffing. Several key points emerged from the discourse:

1. Addressing Diversity and Budgetary Constraints

Like many school districts within the Collaborative, Dublin is within a largely high-minority, economically disadvantaged community, compounded by the additional challenge of accommodating a yearly influx of ~300 students. This demographic complexity, coupled with budgetary constraints, underscores the critical need for innovative approaches to staffing and resource allocation.

2. Strategic Employment Practices

Dr. Marschhausen emphasized the importance of establishing a comprehensive culture playbook, delineating district values and guiding principles. These frameworks have helped Dublin facilitate transformative shifts in staffing strategies, including recruitment and retention initiatives tailored to meet evolving educational needs.

An emphasis on professional development (PD) emerged as a priority, with initiatives such as offering a free PD day incentivizing educators to invest in continuous learning. Additionally, soliciting input through polls to identify preferences for learning topics underscores a commitment to aligning professional development endeavors with the overarching mission and goals of the district.

3. A Responsible Staffing Plan

A large portion of the discussion revolved around staffing inefficiencies, including instances of overstaffing juxtaposed against stagnant or slow student enrollment. For Dublin City Schools, they introduced an external staff audit conducted by New Solutions K12 to gain insight into optimizing scheduling efficiency and resource allocation.

Through rigorous self-assessment, districts aim to identify organizational strengths and areas ripe for improvement, laying the groundwork for informed decision-making within the context of responsible staffing plans (RSP).

Q&A: “How do you navigate systematic changes and community influence — even when they’re aligned with your vision?”

During our discussion, a question was raised regarding the implementation of systemic changes amidst potential resistance from stakeholders, particularly concerning perceptions of class size. 

Dr. Marschhausen advocated for transparency in communicating fiscal realities, articulating the necessity of balancing educational quality with budget.

Strategies such as adopting a semester-based, college-like structure for certain classes offer a potential solution to mitigate resource constraints while maintaining educational integrity. 

Overall, transparency is key. Fostering open dialogue and community engagement remains more important than ever in garnering support for transformative initiatives like Dublin City Schools has implemented.

A huge thanks to Dr. Marschhausen for joining this month’s meeting and for sharing insights on embracing adaptive leadership practices and championing innovative solutions!

Resources

The slides from this meeting, along with any additional resources, will be shared in The Superintendent Slack channel. If you are not a member and would like to join, please reach out to Matt Miller. 

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