"help us to be more responsive to the needs of students, staff and the community by spreading out the decision making structure,”
Kind of looks like similar titles with slightly different roles to me, not sure how it spreads the decision making. Please reply with your thoughts regarding the upcoming change and what I am missing !!!
I for one will miss Gary, he was open and willing to answer questions whenever I needed clarification. I wish him luck in his future endeavors !!! And hope the new Business Manager is equally transparent and helpful.
RAS Reorg Note 2
RAS Reorg Note 1
Not sure if "similar to other districts our size" is a good rationale. Some of Supt Sicoli's other district ideas seem pretty "Public School" protectionistic and limiting... I would prefer a little more solid and forward thinking rational. Only time will tell.
Hopefully this means eventually Gayle will be seeking employment elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteLooks to me like new titles for existing jobs. The only apparent advantage might be that having them defined this way could clarify duties and chains of responsibility that had become muddied over time. There is nothing apparent in this change which says that we won't be conducting business as usual, just with a different flunky at the top. Bureaucracies are like that.
ReplyDeleteJ. Ewing
I am supportive of this change, though my full support must wait for the new org chart. I'll blog about it myself then, and I may repeat some of the following.
ReplyDeleteFirst, we get the upgrade of the Finance Director position to a Business Exec Director. This is like upgrading from a Controller to a Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Hauan has resigned, so we will see some new, needed outside perspective here.
Second, we get rid of the Assistant Superintendent title and good riddance. I hope it never returns. You have to be very careful about defining "assistant to" positions in management, lest you create sideways relationships that interfere with the chain of command. That probably wasn't the case here, but "Assistant" still implies additional roles that may or may not exist.
Is the cabinet now just these three Exec Directors? I would assume that Beekman (Technology) reports through Business Services and Ikler (Community Education) reports through Educational Services. Communications? It should be under Business Services, but I could see upgrading this position as well, like Minneapolis did.
We should know more in January.
I agree that it will clean up the reporting structure, however it seems to be adding a Manager layer to the organization of a shrinking district. Thereby centralizing decison making rather than de-centralizing.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Supt Sicoli should be able to handle 6 to 8 direct reports/depts. (ie not 3) The org chart and roles/resp should clarify this.
Finally, if we get a Business Director from another Public School district. Will it really give an "outside" perspective. Seems to me it will give another slightly different "inside" perspective.
Time will tell...
Stan Mack had flattened the organization by not filling vacancies like Nancy Rajanen, taking on those roles himself. He never was one to delegate, thinking himself capable of handling the extra load.
ReplyDeleteSicoli is more or less returning to normalcy. I hope he limits himself to these three reports, to give him more time to spend time at the schools, with parents, and with the community. Listening time I mean. Stan never listened.
Then he should probably advertise it as the "unload my plate" change. Not the decentralize and improve communications change. I still think 3 are too few for an "executive staff".
ReplyDeleteHaving more direct reports does not necessarily mean much more work or less available time to listen. It just means more managers getting a common plan "from the horse's mouth". Also, the staff meetings should drive more discussion. (ie more different opinions)
By the way, anyone know who the Principals will report to?