Superintendents’ Dialogue in a Professional Development Model

The complexity of political, economic, and social challenges in large urban districts weighs heavily on the professional and personal lives of urban superintendents and may contribute to the difficulty of attracting able leaders to these districts. The Fordham University/New York City Superintendents’Network since 1995 has provided a forum for the approximately 46 practicing community and high school superintendents in New York City whereby superintendents engage in dialogue about their work in a context where professional development activities are designed and implemented through a planning model. While models have their limitations in that they cannot accommodate for all possible variables in a process, they do provide us with a kind of blueprint, if you will, for program activities that are responsive and creative, offering superintendents opportunities for dialogue while interacting with each other. Dialogue among peers supports reflection, collaboration, and over time an inter connectedness. Optimistically, these dynamics are encouraging to superintendents working together in their turbulent lives as urban leaders.