Jon Burris Interview with Dr. Ausburn

     I interviewed our Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jerry Ausburn for this assignment. This is his first year as our Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Development. His educational career includes teaching, principal, working for the TEA to help under performing schools, and Assistant Superintendent. He received his doctorate from Texas A&M and his masters from Stephen F. Austin. Here is a synopsis of what I learned as he answered the 15 questions.

     The biggest idea that stands out throughout the interview is the use of three words that correspond with each other. They are: collaborative, school community, and positive relationships. After the interview, I went through Dr. Ausburn’s answers and highlighted each one of these terms. They are included in every answer except for two of them. I have heard these ideas throughout my administrative career used in various scenarios. Dr. Ausburn’s responses assured me that they are the foundation of a great leader and school district and must be incorporated into a school system for it to be successful.

     The responses that stood out to me were as follows: When asked about the negative aspects of being in a leadership position, Dr. Ausburn commented that the increasing levels of stress and time required to effectively meet the challenges of increased levels of state and federal accountability do not mesh very well. He also said that sometimes politics can become a factor that could limit potential success of school administrators. These responses are important to me because I can see the stress level of the job and need to understand ways to decrease the stress. A good way to relieve this stress and be proactive would be to establish positive relationships with community members and have a collaborative school community.

     When asked about ethical leadership, he talked about an ethical leader looking like consistency, compassion, empathy, individualized needs being met, and striving to increase the rigor of the classroom to elevate student achievement levels. This response was important to me because it is something that I strive to do as a principal. I try to be as consistent and empathetic as possible with all of my staff and teachers. This has been one of the biggest lessons that I have learned as an administrator. It is good to hear another administrator talk about how important it is to them.

     The question of how a superintendent evaluates the effectiveness of  communication strategies and encourages the engagement of the community was also one that I thought was interesting. This is not a strong area for me so hearing Dr. Ausburn’s answer to this one was very important. He said that a variety of strategies such as the use of school climate surveys and open forum meetings with various members of the school community in various settings, superintendents are able to learn to effectively communicate with regard to the specific needs of the community. This in turn promotes higher levels of community engagement. I am a decent speaker and moderator but need a lot of practice in order to conduct  meetings like this that are engaging.

     Question 8 talked about how the superintendent builds a good working relationship with the board. I have always had good relationships with everyone that I am involved with so I assumed that it would be close to that with a school board. This is not entirely true according to Dr. Ausburn. The key word here is “working’ relationship. The trustees must be trained and have staff development on the board procedures and laws. This is very critical for both parties to maximize all available resources while effectively meeting ever increasing state and federal accountability requirements.  Determining which professional development training is available to new school board trustees will be one of the most important challenges that school Superintendents face during tough financial times for school districts across  the states.

     The last question that he answered was the question about any additional experience, learning or advice that he could share with me to help me develop an effective internship. His answer was very informational and helpful. He said to collaborate with external support agencies such as educational service centers and universities and to run your won race (educationally and professionally speaking) in a way that best meets the needs of your particular family situation and don’t worry about where your friends and co-workers are “at”.

     The main idea that I learned from the interview with Dr. Ausburn is that to be a good leader you must be able to work collaboratively within the school community and build positive relationships within that community. Being able to articulate your vision and ideas to your staff, community, and school board is imperative to becoming a strong leader and superintendent. This means that you must be well versed on the latest laws and news and be self-aware of the perception that you are invoking to your constituents.