Leadership

Putting a Wrap on 2023-2024

/ Dave Eberwein / Leave a comment

Wrapping Up The Year

I look forward to this time of year because of the events that celebrate our time together and personal milestones. I also become reflective on some of the other events that have made a difference. For my year-end post I’ve organized a short list of things that have made us better. Each of these has personally resonated with me as a significant step forward in our district. I hope that you enjoy them and that they might also resonate with you.

My 2023-24 list of noteworthy events:

  • Year #2 of our Strategic Plan
  • Revitalized School Plans
  • A Commitment to a Better Future
  • Stelly’s Indigenous Cultural Room
  • 84 New Childcare Spaces
  • A Disruptive Technology

Year #2 of our Strategic Plan

We are concluding Year #2 of our five-year strategic plan and we’ve learned a lot. With a crisp focus on 4 key areas (Literacy, Indigenous Learner Success, Mental Health & Wellness, Global Citizenship) we continue to use the Plan to steer priorities, conversations and actions:

  • Meeting agendas, professional development opportunities, presentations to the Board, School Plans, Professional Growth Plans, budget priorities — they are all being shaped by Strategic Plan 2022-2027.

It is exciting to see alignment between so many facets within our district — areas such as Facilities (e.g. Stelly’s Cultural Room), our learning agenda (e.g. Literacy, Indigenous Learner Success, Mental Health & Wellness) as well as budget and staffing priorities — all laser focused on the goal of improving student success.

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Addressing My IMPOSTER SYNDROME

/ Dave Eberwein / Leave a comment

When my career started, I already had two Bachelor’s degrees in Science and Education. When I became Vice-Principal, my Master’s degree in Educational Administration laid the foundation for the work that lay ahead. In both situations, I was definitely nervous when starting the job, but I felt somewhat confident with the solid preparation.

Not so much when I became Superintendent.

I was certainly excited about the new gig and was pretty sure that that I could do the job — but, there was a feeling of self-doubt that permeated my being. That was almost 7 years ago.

SUPERintendent

What does an effective Superintendent look like? What should I be doing?

  • Have a morning ritual of 5:00 am exercise followed by a nutrient-rich breakfast shake;
  • Review my daily / weekly / monthly Strategic objectives at 7:00 am to fine tune them;
  • Enter all meetings with purpose and presence;
  • Pursue my vision for the system with unwavering certainty.

Well, I do wake up every morning around 5:30 and I do try to exercise. And, YES, I make myself a healthy shake for breakfast.

Check. Check. And check.

The other qualities? Ummm … Let’s move on.

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Leadership, Character and Congruence

/ Dave Eberwein / 3 Comments
Being ‘Character Smart’ is Key to Leadership Success

If you are in a leadership position that hires other leaders, your primary focus should be to hire people smarter than you. As Superintendent, I am in the fortunate position of having this opportunity to hire leaders smarter than me. Some might argue that’s a pretty easy target to hit — thank you for that. Although, that might explain why I’m surrounded by some pretty amazing people.

Leadership Goal: To create a leadership team with really smart people — people who push my thinking and provide the necessary conditions for us to make decisions that further the district’s mission.

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