CHALLENGES OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENCY: PERSPECTIVES IN TERMS OF PREPARATION AND SUPPORT

Proponent: Maylene M. Minimo, EdD, CESO VI
Research Agenda
Category: Human Resource Development
Topic: Career Development
Office/School: OSDS Schools Division Office of
Balanga City

Superintendency is regarded as one of the most visible and powerful leadership roles in the world of education today (Sovine, 2000). The function of the school superintendent in the twenty-first century is becoming increasingly complicated. Today’s educational leaders must manage increased expectations, higher accountability requirements, fewer perks than comparable private-sector employment, dwindling financial resources, and growing criticism from outside the field (Byrd, Drews, & Johnson, 2006). Although there are numerous intrinsic benefits to working in the field of public education, superintendency is a difficult task. “The function of the school superintendent has evolved into one of the most complicated leadership positions observed today,” according to Short and Scribner (2002). Being the chief executive officer of any organization, according to Kowalski (2006), is a challenging task, and being a school superintendent is no exception. In today’s educational environment, the superintendent is responsible for balancing the social, political, economic, and legal issues that affect the school, as well as handling the tensions that arise as a result of these issues. As a result, according to Cuban (1985), “conflict has become the DNA of the superintendency.”

Many attempts were made in the last quarter of the twentieth century to rethink and enhance education for America’s youth. There have been numerous attempts to improve and reform public schools. These efforts have included everything from new state success standards to high-stakes testing and charter school legislation. However, one critical aspect has been generally overlooked: school district leadership, governance, and collaboration (Goodman and Zimmerman, 2000). According to Bennis and Nanus (1985), leaders must be able to respond to change and the issues that it brings. Leaders must have the necessary skills to stay in the game. Leaders, not managers, are essential to the success of education in the twenty-first century (Shelton, 1997). Furthermore, educational leaders must be proactive in responding to laws that necessitate significant changes in schools and education, such as the No Child Left Behind Act (Linn, Baker, and Betebenner, 2002). Unfortunately, public school superintendents, in our opinion, continue to work in an environment marked by conflict, insecurity, and uncertainty (Allison, 1988). We believe that superintendency turnover is mostly related to the position’s difficulties. Longer tenures are required for key posts such as the superintendentship in order to have long-term positive effects. In the public schools in the Philippines, the Schools Division Superintendent (SDS), assisted by an Assistant Schools Division Superintendent (ASDS), handles a division comprising several districts with a number of schools. A division of schools pertain to all schools within a province or a city. The SDS provides general managerial and technical assistance to the Schools Division in order to ensure efficient operations and effective execution of policies and education programs. By designing division work methods and procedures, setting norms aligned with national and regional educational policies, plans, and standards, and ensuring compliance, the SDS ensures quality in the delivery of basic education services. The SDS is responsible for the Schools Division’s effective and efficient use of financial, human, and physical

resources, as well as the operations of public and private elementary, secondary, integrated, and learning centers that meet DepEd standards. The DepEd Assistant Schools Division Superintendent (ASDS), on the other hand, reports directly to the Schools Division Superintendent (SDS) and is responsible for providing overall management and technical assistance to the Schools Division for the efficient operation and effective implementation of policies and education programs. The Educational Management Test (EMT), also known as the Schools Division Superintendents Examination, is a requirement for appointment to the posts of Assistant Schools Division Superintendent (ASDS) and Schools Division Superintendent (SDS). As stated in DepEd Order No. 88, s. 2012, unless the DepEd Executive Committee recommends differently, the EMT is taken every five (5) years. The EMT is managed and conducted by the National Education Testing and Research Center (NETRC), now the Bureau of Educational Assessment (BEA) of the Department of Education, in collaboration with the appointed Board of Examiners. DepEd Order No. 15, s. 2015 amends DepEd Order No. 88, s. 2012 and states that the designated Officers-In-Charge of the Office of the Assistant Schools Division Superintendents (OIC-ASDSs); regional, division and district supervisors; public elementary and secondary schools principals; division chiefs in the bureaus/centers/services in the central, regional and division offices; and administrators and professors in the private colleges and universities who hold Certificate of Registration as professional teachers issued by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) shall be allowed to take the EMT test. They must possess the following the experience qualifications of at least five years of experience in administration and instructional supervision and no age requirement necessary.

Fewer studies have looked into the effects of superintendent tenure and turnover on education. Glass (2000) noted that “whether or not superintendents can measurably affect student achievement has not been the subject of extensive research.” Bridges (1982) argued that, despite the importance of the superintendentship in school governance, “nothing of consequence is known about the impact of the occupants of this role.” With information indicating that the obstacles of superintendency are numerous, and further evidence indicating that a superintendent’s average stay in a division is three years at most, it is critical for the researcher to assess a superintendent’s preparation and support for the job. The study was conceptualized in order to identify the challenges met by newly designated Assistant Schools Division Superintendent and their perspectives in terms of preparation and support. The research questions were: 1) What were the challenges that you encountered when you took office as Assistant Superintendent?; 2) What are the challenges that you have in your role now?; 3) How were you prepared or how did you prepare yourself for the Superintendency?; and 4) What recommendations would you make to improve the preparation and support of new Assistant Superintendents?