"Being the boss is a lot of fun!" Margaret Blackmon gleefully reported to her almost all-female audience. Getting to the top, however, requires strategy and persistence. Blackmon, superintendent of the Prince Edward County (Va.) Public Schools, applied 16 times for superintendent positions and was a finalist four times. "It would have been so easy to have given up," she said, but she's glad she persisted. "I absolutely love what I'm doing."
Photo by Mark Regan
Blackmon now wants to help other women who aspire to administrative jobs, whether it's the superintendency, a principalship, or the head of a regional consortium. She offers some hard-earned tips for getting the top job.
1. Think about the goal and plan ahead. Aspiring leaders need to know what their talents are and how to use those talents in a leadership capacity.
2. Earn the necessary credentials.
3. Participate in workshops for aspiring administrators. "Be sure to attend workshops that focus on the specific type of administrator you want to be," advised Blackmon. "An aspiring principal should attend principal workshops at the state or district level to meet others who are also interested in that position, and see presentations by those already in that position."
4. Get on your state's mailing list. Such lists, also available online, list administrative openings.
5. Work in "line" positions—those of teacher, assistant principal, principal, central office administrator, and assistant superintendent. "But don't stay in those positions forever!" cautioned Blackmon. "Many women will be left as an assistant principal" because they do such a great job.
6. Network with colleagues around the state and region.
7. Prepare a professional résumé.
8. Establish a career file that includes letters of recommendation from supervisors and colleagues. It's important to have such a file, Blackmon noted, so "you have something readily available" when the call about a job comes.
9. Respond directly to the qualifications listed in the job announcement in your application and cover letter.
10. Research the school prior to the interview. Know the vision and goals of the school and district. "We just hired a middle school principal," Blackmon stated. "We were looking for someone who could be part of a reform effort called Onward to Excellence." The successful candidate was, of course, the person who knew something about that program, she said.
11. Anticipate questions and prepare responses.
12. Arrive early and "cruise" the community. Read local newspapers at the library, looking for school information and articles that provide insight into the community.
13. Respond concisely to each question during the interview.
14. Send a thank-you note. "Many of the best things we can do our mothers taught us!"
Blackmon also advised finalists for the superintendency to obtain a "model contract" from the state's superintendents' association to use in negotiating a contract. And, finally, those who ultimately get the "top job" need to think about communication. Blackmon has encouraged women to write a bio-graphical news release. Be prepared, she said, to be interviewed by local and regional reporters.
Editor's note: Blackmon is a past president of Virginia ASCD. The workshop session was presented in conjunction with ASCD's Women's Leadership Issues Network.