New Superintendents’ Program

Nebraska Council of School Administrators (NCSA)
2023-24 New Superintendents’ Program

­Dr. Keith Rohwer, NCSA, fgrkeith@gmail.com
Dr. Michael Sieh, NCSA, misieh1@wsc.edu
800-­793­-6272, or 402­-476-­8055 


The 2023-24 school year marks the seventeenth year of an organized NCSA New Superintendents’ Program. The goal of the New Superintendents’ Program is to initiate a planned, purposeful, and effective program of activities and training development opportunities in order to promote success for new first-­time Nebraska superintendents and experienced superintendents from other states that are new to Nebraska as a superintendent. In reality, we welcome any superintendent that would like our assistance including those returning to work or those working as an interim superintendent. The mission of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators is to serve as a leader for quality education and to enhance the professionalism of its members. The New Superintendents’ Program is intended to specifically meet the needs of new superintendents and to provide them with professional development and training that assists them to perform successfully in their respective schools and communities.

Specific leadership objectives will focus on the following: 

  • Expand leadership skills specific to the needs of new superintendents.
  • Provide opportunities for technical training on specific topics. 
  • Use data from a variety of sources and transform that data into information that informs decision ­making and promotes accountability. 
  • To enhance the opportunity to effectively communicate with the school staff, community, and general public. 
  • To promote the opportunity to participate with peers and share in a yearlong professional development experience to improve leadership skills. 
  • To provide practical applications, advice, and expertise in a manner that will promote success as a superintendent. 
  • To discuss current and relevant topics in a timely and appropriate manner.
  • To provide ongoing and unconditional support to new superintendents through the use of    superintendent mentors and business manager mentors. 
  • To provide Zoom meetings on important topics and to allow interactive communication opportunities with colleagues. 
  • To allow the new superintendent to successfully communicate appropriate information to staff, parents, and the school community. 

The objectives of this program are met through various activities that may include group meetings, personal consultations, e-mail communications, webinars, virtual meetings and more. The New Superintendents’ Program will include recommendations to attend specialized professional development learning opportunities that are scheduled in conjunction with existing professional development events such as Administrators' Days, School Law Update, Labor Relations Conference, The NASA/NASB State Education Conference, Legislative Preview, Education Forum, and NASBO State Conference. Please contact us at NCSA if you would like to arrange for a personal conversation at any of our events.  The opportunities to meet in conjunction with regular scheduled NCSA events are designed to reduce your travel and time away from the district. 

In addition, and at the recommendation of new superintendents, NCSA may facilitate topic specific events designed for new superintendents. Each new superintendent is encouraged to attend as many of the NCSA scheduled activities as possible in order to maximize their first-year experience. Please keep abreast of NCSA programming and events on the NCSA website (https://www.ncsa.org/upcoming-events) and NCSA communications.

Mentoring is a critical and important component to the success of this program and can be attributed to the willingness of fellow colleagues to serve as mentors. A current and experienced superintendent will be made available to serve as a mentor for each new superintendent. In addition, each new superintendent will also be paired with a Business Manager to serve as a mentor in order to discuss specific school business and finance functions. 

The mentoring experience is designed to ensure that each new superintendent will have the opportunity to receive the guidance and support in order to be successful as a superintendent. The NCSA Associate Executive Director will confer with the respective Educational Service Unit Director for each new superintendent in determining a mentor for each new superintendent. Mentors and the new superintendent will communicate and/or meet in accordance with their Educational Service Unit designed program, and at NCSA professional development events, and on a personal basis as deemed appropriate. Consistent and regular communication is very important to make the mentoring experience a success. 

Monthly Zoom meetings, with specific topics of interest for new superintendents will be scheduled throughout the year.

NCSA is providing the new superintendent program at no cost to members. However, for those meeting dates scheduled in conjunction with regular NCSA professional development activities and events, new superintendents will need to register for the event and pay registration fees in the same manner as their colleagues. 

 
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