Living on the Horns of Dilemmas: Superintendents, Politics, and Decision-Making [Hardcover]

According to the authors of Living on the Horns of Dilemmas, being a school district superintendent today requires the courage of a matador. Peter Litchka, Walter Polka and Frank Calzi, all professors in the field of education leadership, have compiled a series of case studies that examine problems faced by practicing superintendents in rural, suburban and urban school districts. The authors conclude each case study with a 'From the Arena' section, providing suggestions from researchers and other prominent individuals in the education field for how to handle the situation in question. They also reflect on the dilemma presented in each chapter with a series of questions for consideration, such as whether student test scores and student attendance should be part of teacher evaluation. Issues that will apply to new and aspiring superintendents are included, such as an essay on leadership versus management where they reference they include wisdom from American scholar Warren Bennis; 'Underperforming organizations are usually over managed and under-led.' When considering the difference between problems and predicaments, the authors note systemic predicaments that are unique to district organizations and therefore difficult to solve at the local level. Ultimately, the reader is reminded that the district administrator cannot do it all.The authors have offered a fresh perspective on the dilemmas facing school superintendents who are confronted every day with decisions that impact the day-to-day operations of leading a school district. As a retired superintendent and presently a leadership search consultant for the past sixteen years, I have found that the questions posed by the authors in the book to be thought-provoking and helpful; the immediacy of many of the decisions that superintendents make do not always lend themselves to reflecting on all the options ?available to them&.This book gives superintendents a blueprint and a sounding board for developing strategies thl3ã