360 feedback for Superintendent Evaluation

[Paul Haggett]

Hello Forum members:

One of the members of my board has been lobbying for a 360 review to be incorporated into our annual superintendent evaluation for several years.  As I understand it, this means soliciting input and opinions about the superintendent's performance from community, admins, teaching staff, support staff, community and students.  Understanding that it is the job of the board to evaluate the superintendent, has anyone out there incorporated such input into their evaluation formula?

Paul Haggett, Massena

[Frank Chiachiere]

This is an interesting topic; I'm glad to see it raised here. Thanks, Paul. Without going in to the history of 360 which likely everyone has already discovered, according to his book, Jack, Jack Welch was a big proponent as it allowed him flexibility in firing. Pre-Pandemic I attended a NYSSBA workshop on the Superintendent's Evaluation. The presenters were a Long Island superintendent and his board president. I raised the issue of 360. The superintendent was vociferous in his opposition, reminding the audience as Paul rightly states that superintendent evaluation is the provenance of the board; that he wouldn't want disgruntled employees or residents weighing in on his evaluation. I hope to see other opinions on this model; I've brought it up to my own board in the past but without agreement on using it.

[Tracy Young]

We have not incorporated 360 feedback but I do see the value in this. I come from a private sector business background where this type of information was routinely incorporated into evaluations.