“Dr. Olson has the full support of the school board.”
That finding from a Minnesota school board president is about the best-case scenario for a superintendent evaluation, particularly during these politically divisive days.
“Dr. Olson,” by the way, happens to be Bemidji Area Schools Superintendent Jeremy Olson, who, in his first evaluation after a year on the job, was praised for forming strong relationships, improving outcomes for students and building his own leadership skills, The Bemidji Pioneer reported. “He has been working tirelessly with students, staff, families and the Bemidji community to empower each learner to succeed in our diverse and changing world,” the board’s chair said.
In New York’s Buffalo Public Schools, Superintendent Tonja M. Williams did nearly as well, receiving the second-highest ranking possible a year after being promoted from interim superintendent, The Buffalo News reported. Overall, Williams was rated as “effective,” with her highest scores earned for school board and community relations, instructional leadership and meeting annual goals.
“The culture in the district has changed significantly,” Buffalo school board President Sharon Belton-Cottman was quoted as saying by The Buffalo News. “There is a bright light in our district that has not shined for a long time.”
Less sunny side of superintendent evaluations
One complication is that the process for superintendent evaluations is not always entirely clear to the leaders whose careers and salaries depend on these reviews. While about 90% of superintendents’ contracts require an annual evaluation, less than half say their contracts specify what measures or indicators the school board will use to rate their performance, according to AASA’s 2022-2023 State of the Superintendent survey.
Perhaps surprisingly, six in 10 superintendents told AASA that their performance reviews were not linked to student outcomes.
And plenty of other superintendent evaluations conducted this summer were less glowing than those delivered in Bemidji and Buffalo. Cincinnati school board members apparently felt moved to issue a vote of confidence in Superintendent Iranetta Wright after she received low ratings on a mid-year performance evaluation at the same she was facing pushback from staff unions, WCPO 9 reported.
More from DA: One firing, a superintendent’s second suspension and 4 sudden departures
Wright, who became Cincinnati Public Schools’ superintendent in early 2022 after having served as deputy superintendent for the Detroit Public Schools Community District, was rated “below expectations” or “significantly below expectations” for what board members saw as a failure to effectively communicate with them and with staff and parents. Wright was also marked down for her efforts in recruiting, developing and retaining staff, WCPO 9 noted.
This summer’s evaluations have also revealed marked improvements. Last year in Kentucky, Marshall County Schools Superintendent Steve Miracle scored “developing”—the second lowest rating—in five of the review’s seven categories. This year he ranked “accomplished”—the second highest rating—in four of the standards, WPSDLocal6.com reported.
In many cases, school boards themselves are divided over superintendent evaluations. During East Baton Rouge Parish Schools Superintendent Sito Narcisse’s most recent evaluation, one school board member called him a “visionary” while others said he needed to improve his communication efforts, BRProud.com reported.
A recent performance review at the Norwin School District in Pennsylvania resulted in a worst-case scenario; worse than—or just as bad as—terminating the superintendent. Four members of the school board are now suing its president and two directors, claiming their comments and scores were excluded from a 2022 assessment of Superintendent Jeff Taylor, according to TRIBLive.com.
The review found that Taylor was meeting expectations but those four board members are asking the court to void the evaluation so it can be revised, TRIBLive reported.
