Is This Mic On? Mike Rossi Reflects on Making a Major Change as a New Superintendent

An Imperfect Leader

Book Update!

Imperfect Leaders! My book, An Imperfect Leader: Leadership in (After) Action is available on Amazon.com. If there is no hyperlink to follow, please go to Amazon.com or peterstiepleman.com. You can order it there.

AND if you liked it, would you please leave a positive review on Amazon?

Imperfect Leaders, in my third year as a superintendent, I learned about what can only be referred to as opportunity hoarding (in my recorded intro, I didn't know who coined the phrase - Charles Tilly appears to be an original thinker on this term).

What do I mean by opportunity hoarding? Well, we allowed 8th graders to take Algebra 2 (they had taken Algebra 1 in 6th grade and Geometry in 7th grade and NOW they were taking Algebra 2). The problem was there were only 5 kids assigned to the class and they had a full-time teacher. The regular 8th grade math class had more than 30 kids in the class. It was opportunity hoarding and what’s worse, my kid was one of the 5. I decided we needed to eliminate the option. We worked with families to find options for the handful of families who wanted their children to take Algebra 2.

Dr. Mike Rossi is my guest today. In the first segment, he talks about engaging his community (spotlighting student and employee voice) and using appreciative inquiry questions like “WHAT DO WE DO WELL” to frame the district's goals.

Then, in our second segment, his After Action Review is similar to mine. It’s about making the decision as a new superintendent to eliminate the advanced math track at his middle schools in July. So when parents got their child’s schedule, the advanced class was not there. His description of 500 parents packed into an auditorium all lined up behind microphones to give him feedback… well, he paints quite a picture. 😳

Thanks for tuning in!

BIO: Dr. Michael Rossi is my guest. Michael has spent his entire 36-year professional career in education, as a teacher, coach, supervisor, college professor, principal, and, for the last 19 years, as a public-school superintendent. Michael is the superintendent for Lenape Valley Regional High School in Stanhope, N.J.

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An Imperfect Leader: Leadership in (After) Action is supported by ILAA, LLC, a firm dedicated to supporting aspiring, new, and established leaders. For more information, please find them at www.human-centeredleaders.com.

Music for An Imperfect Leader was written and arranged by Ian Varley.

Sam Falbo created our artwork, a wood-print inspired daruma doll butterfly.

www.peterstiepleman.com

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