69传媒

Opinion
School & District Management Opinion

When the National Education Debate Is Too Noisy, Look Local

Your local peers can offer a lifeline in tumultuous times
By Christian M. Elkington 鈥 July 28, 2021 2 min read
A team of workmen on scaffolding rely on each other.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

鈥淔riends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.鈥 With one of the most famous lines in the Shakespearean canon, Mark Antony rhetorically appealed to an expanding audience鈥攆rom his immediate circle of friends to all the citizens of Rome to everyone in the nation. He started with the locals.

By contrast, at the start of the deadly pandemic, national voices dominated the public discussion about school closings or reopenings. Local leaders鈥攁dministrators and boards鈥攚ere left to make sense of a confusing and constantly changing cacophony.

By its very nature, the superintendent鈥檚 job is lonely. In the final analysis, no matter how much advice you receive, you are alone in calling the shots. It is naturally insulating. It is sometimes overwhelming. It is never easy. I saw one tough-as-nails superintendent in my state succumb to tears last school year. The responsibilities of the job amid the pandemic鈥檚 deaths and destruction overwhelmed him, as it threatened to overwhelm all of us. You want to do the right thing, but you aren鈥檛 sure what the right thing is.

About This Series

Over the coming weeks, we will be rolling out 17 lessons from experienced district leaders who spent the last year leading from home. Learn more and see the full collection of lessons.

The traditional meat and potatoes of how to build a successful learning organization鈥攃reate a strong team, bounce ideas around with trusted colleagues, work with stakeholders, and follow a shared decisionmaking model鈥攈ave been indispensable as our schools have navigated the pandemic.

But these tenets were just the start. As ideological disputes dominated at the national level, I found that a network of local superintendents in Hancock County, Maine, was invaluable. Those of us in the network have supported each other repeatedly, helped to refuel our tanks when they were low, prevented us from retreating from despair, and restored hope and optimism to our work.

The Hancock County network was not new. Before the pandemic, the network met monthly for routine business. The meetings were useful, and I wished there were more of them. But, like others, I would miss a meeting here or there because something else needed my time. When the pandemic started, our monthly in-person meetings became weekly Zoom meetings as problems arrived daily.

During the pandemic, very rarely did anyone miss a meeting. We needed each other鈥攏ot only for the business of being a superintendent during this crisis, but equally importantly, to sustain ourselves. Over the last year and a half, Hancock County superintendents have become living, breathing people to each other. We have shared our work. We have shared our personal stories. We have sympathized with each other鈥檚 needs and concerns. We have mourned deaths in our communities.

Amid this terrible pandemic, the Hancock County network became a more honest and safe place to be in ways we never would have thought necessary before February 2020.

As this school year came to an end, we heard that in our state and nation, many teachers, support staff, administrators, and superintendents may choose to leave the profession this coming school year. I understand that. I also know that by relying on each other, the Hancock County superintendents got closer and, as a result, became better leaders. I hope and pray most of us stay the course.

So, my friends, fellow Mainers, and countrymen, lend me your ears: Look to your local peers. Superintendents, take the time to share each other鈥檚 burdens and find a safe harbor alongside your regional colleagues. It鈥檚 an important lesson and a good strategy, both today and in the days to come. Superintendents, we must rely on each other.

Complete Collection

Superintendents discuss ideas at a roundtable.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week and Getty Images

Coverage of leadership, summer learning, social and emotional learning, arts learning, and afterschool is supported in part by a grant from The Wallace Foundation, at . Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.

Events

School & District Management Webinar Crafting Outcomes-Based Contracts That Work for Everyone
Discover the power of outcomes-based contracts and how they can drive student achievement.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in 69传媒
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: What鈥檚 Trending among K-12 Leaders?
What issues are keeping K-12 leaders up at night? Join us for EdMarketer Quick Hit: What鈥檚 Trending among K-12 Leaders?

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide 鈥 elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

School & District Management Reports Strategic Resourcing for K-12 Education: A Work in Progress
This report highlights key findings from surveys of K-12 administrators and product/service providers to shed light on the alignment of purchasing with instructional goals.
School & District Management Download Shhhh!!! It's Underground Spirit Week, Don't Tell the 69传媒
Try this fun twist on the Spirit Week tradition.
Illustration of shushing emoji.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management Opinion How My Experience With Linda McMahon Can Help You Navigate the Trump Ed. Agenda
I have a lesson for district leaders from my (limited) interactions with Trump鈥檚 pick for ed. secretary, writes a former superintendent.
Joshua P. Starr
4 min read
Vector illustration of people walking on upward arrows, symbolizing growth, progress, and teamwork towards success.
iStock/Getty Images
School & District Management Opinion How Social-Emotional Learning Can Unify Your School Community: 7 Timely Tips
It鈥檚 a stressful political season. These SEL best practices can help school leaders weather the unpredictable transitions.
Maurice J. Elias
4 min read
Modern digital collage of caring leader surrounded by positivity. Social Emotional learning leadership.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva