When Karen Rue was on the verge of accepting her first superintendent appointment 11 years ago, her husband Gary anticipated he might be asked to play the role of "first spouse," serving as informal ambassador for the school district. He was correct. Gary Rue, a retired physical education teacher, has willingly served as his wife's…

Colleges of education have come to rely heavily on superintendents to teach graduate-level classes in educational administration. While no national organization tracks this phenomenon, anecdotal evidence points to widespread and perhaps growing involvement in the adjunct ranks. While the majority reported being assigned to teach semester-long…

This article presents a profile of Joe L. Wood, the current superintendent of South Windsor Connecticut and the previous superintendent of Berkshire Hills Regional Schools, Stockbridge, Massachusetts. In South Windsor, Wood has presided effectively over what had been a rural school district of 3,000 students when he started in 1986 to one that's…

The nooks and crannies in the office of Bill McNeal, superintendent in Wake County, NC, suggest the occupant is one wildly enthusiastic follower of The Wizard of Oz. It is chock full of memorabilia of Dorothy Gale, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion, a carousel of the Emerald City and various books on the subject--most of the items…

Basan N. Nembirkow grew up as a pre-adolescent adoring the Brooklyn Dodgers, and his friends in central New Jersey applied the nickname of Buzz, to which he still answers. But in other respects, it would be hard to suggest Basan Nembirkow is simply a product of a middle-class American upbringing. Nembirkow, who is about to finish his second year…

From the day he landed in the southeastern Washington community of Kennewick as district superintendent, Paul Rosier let it be known through his actions, as well as his words, that he intended to be the school district's instructional leader. Rosier is a big-picture guy who likes to spend time peering through small windows. In a masterful way of…

Monte Moses, the superintendent of the Cherry Creek Public Schools in suburban Denver, was named 2005 National Superintendent of the Year in February. Moses carries a no-nonsense approach, yet staff find him accessible and open-minded even while he is unwavering in his passion for high performance. This article contains a brief profile on Monte…

The most telling experience in Percy Clark's 41 years as a professional educator may well have been the first--a raw rookie thrown into a classroom of 30-plus 7th graders who, in the teacher's most charitable depiction, "just didn't fit in anywhere." In the years since, Clark has served in various settings with differing needs--as a…

This article presents an interview and gives an account on the achievements of Ben Soria, Superintendent of the Yakima School. Soria relates that the greatest influence on his professional career is his father, who only had a 4th-grade education and taught him that he could be whatever he worked hard to be. Soria's metaphor of choice as the…

John Pedicone figured early on in his superintendency that leadership cannot breathe in a vacuum. So he has taken plenty of steps, both symbolic and pragmatic, to ensure there are no empty spaces in his world. The symbolism is readily apparent from Pedicone's decor in the central-office headquarters of the Flowing Wells School District in Tucson,…

When business leaders in Reno, Nevada, last summer were courting a medium-size software developer to relocate its headquarters from Emeryville, California, they turned to someone who has become their chief sales agent to clinch the deal: Jim Hager, superintendent of the Washoe County School District. Hager accompanied a handful of other county…

Joan Raymond was just six months into a well-earned retirement following 20 demanding years in the superintendency of some of the hottest kitchens in the nation. But when some longtime friends told her about an opening in South Bend, Indiana, Raymond could not ignore the itch to give it one more whirl. Raymond found the school system in far more…

A profile of R. Kirk Hamilton, superintendent of South-Western City Schools in Columbus, Ohio, is presented. Hamilton runs the Ohio school district featuring a full gamut of geography--from expansive cow pastures to high-density, urban housing complexes--yet he carries the same message to all corners that's grounded on a simple belief: All…

Some think a good superintendent these days shares a lot in common with a superhero. Larry Hill is one superintendent who really does don a cape. It is a flowing black one, complemented by a sparkly white bow tie and red top hat. And better yet, he wears it on his job as the top administrator of the North Iowa Community Schools in Buffalo Center,…

In her 27 years as an administrator in Merrimack, New Hampshire, Marge Chiafery can legitimately claim to have seen the best of times and the worst. The high moments were the earlier years when Merrimack's job-sharing initiative, teacher evaluation system and middle school project promoting parent-child communication were emulated statewide. The…