1. education
2. school

SUPERINTENDENT ENTRY PLAN
JENNIFER SPRING, Ed.D.
Cohoes City School District
Mission Statement
The Cohoes City School District, a partnership of school,
parents, and the community, is committed to preparing its
We will provide an environment
students for the future. We believe that students can and
where all will learn and we accept
will learn the prescribed curriculum. Our purpose is to
the responsibility to teach all
educate all students to a high level of academic
students.
performance utilizing the effective schools process…
The entry plan has three phases:
PHASE 1
PHASE 2
PHASE 3
Pre-Entry
Entry
Planning
February - March 31
April 1 - June 30
July 1 - August 31
The entry plan has four goals:
Build
Relationships
Understand
District
Documents
Identify
Strengths,
Challenges and
Opportunities
Prepare
Next Steps
Implementation
Plan
PreEntry
Build
Relationships
Understand
District
Documents
Identify
Strengths,
Challenges
and
Opportunities
Prepare
Next
Steps
Plan
Establish core
questions to use
during the listening
tour when meeting
with stakeholders
during the Entry
Phase. Questions
may slightly vary
depending on the
constituent group.
The
culminating
goal of this
entry plan is
to collect
and
synthesize
information
so I may
reflect on
and analyze
what I have
learned over
the first five
months.
FebruaryMarch 31
This Phase will allow
me to establish a
presence in Cohoes
prior to serving as the
Superintendent of
Schools. I will make
arrangements to visit
the District during
school or evening
hours, so that I may
gain a greater
understanding of
District operations
and procedures. A
major goal of this
phase is to establish
initial contact with
district and
community leaders
and to establish the
foundation for
productive and longterm relationships.
This entry plan is a
flexible document and
can be modified as
needed.
Meet individually and
collectively with BOE
members to listen to
areas of success and of
concern.
Attend BOE meetings to
observe procedures and
protocol.
Establish BOE
communication system.
Set up meeting schedule
with Superintendent
Libby to support a
smooth transition.
Review current issues
including legal or
personnel matters.
Accompany Mr. Libby to
a meeting of the Capital
Region BOCES
Superintendents.
Meet with Peggy O’Shea,
Assistant Superintendent
for Educational Services.
Meet with Stacy Mackey,
School Business Official.
Meet with Erin Hill,
Director of Special
Programs.
Meet with association
leaders.
Set up appointment
calendar. Meet with
JoAnn Heroux to
discuss communications,
coordination of
activities, and speaking
engagements.
Establish personal
residence in District.
Strategic Plan
District website
BOE policies and
minutes
Job descriptions
Bargaining unit
contracts
Annual Professional
Performance Review
(APPR) Plan
District and
extracurricular events
calendar
Curriculum documents
and State assessment
data
Staff and student
handbooks
Budget documents,
Auditor’s reports
Technology Plan
Professional
Development Plan
Response to
Intervention Plan
Emergency Response
Violent and Disruptive
Incident Report
(VADIR)
1. What are the
points of pride of
the Cohoes City
School District
that you value?
2. What are the
three greatest
challenges facing
the District?
3. What do you
think would make
a difference in
helping to
increase student
achievement?
4. What advice do
you have for
targeting
resources to
assist struggling
students?
5. What are the top
priorities that
you would like to
be addressed?
This research
will serve as
the rationale
for the Next
Steps Plan.
This Plan will
be presented
to the BOE
in September.
Entry
BUILD
RELATIONSHIPS
Understand
District
Documents
April 1June 30
My goal during this
Phase is to become a
true member of the
Cohoes community by
being highly visible
both inside and
outside of the District.
During this Phase, I
will be engaged in a
listening tour -meeting
individually with
stakeholders and
small/large groups to
hear perspectives,
concerns and hopes.
This information, in
addition to District
documents, will assist
me in identifying
strengths, challenges
and opportunities.
Lastly, this data will
help to inform my
Next Steps
Implementation Plan.
Identify
Strengths,
Challenges
and
Opportunities
First Day
Tour the District
and visit schools.
First Month
Utilize agreed upon BOE
communication system.
Hold first
Executive
Council meeting
with Peggy
O’Shea, Stacy
Mackey, and Erin
Hill to share
entry plan, review
district’s current
finances, issues
and needs.
Hold first Administrative
Council meeting.
Meet with JoAnn
Heroux to
establish
procedures:
communication,
mail, calendar and
BOE weekly
update.
Contact school attorney, and
auditors to make
introduction.
Schedule visits to
attend faculty
meetings to meet
staff. Send letter
of introduction
to staff.
Arrange to meet
student leaders
from the High
School.
Post entry plan
on website.
Attend BOE
meeting.
Work with the
BOE to review:
agendas,
procedures,
communications,
budget
information, and
expectations.
Attend school and/or
community events. First
event: National Honor
Society Inductions.
Meet with Dr. Dedrick,
BOCES DS, to review
available services.
Schedule classroom visits to
interact with students and
staff, and to observe the
learning process.
Meet with: Ken Kellogg.
Buildings & Grounds
Supervisor; Brian Nolan,
Director of Food Services;
Jodie Orzechowski,
Communication Specialist;
and Thomas Kostrzebski,
Athletic Director.
May and June
Work with BOE to plan
summer retreat.
Develop summer
administrative retreat. Focus
on team building and
professional development.
Ensure smooth and safe end
to the school year.
Continue to
study District
documents and
have
conversations
with appropriate
staff:
Budget revenues
and expenditures,
cash flow, grant
funding, fund
balance, impact
of recent cuts.
Technology Plan
and Smart
Schools Bond
Act.
Curriculum and
assessment: APPR
plan, student
achievement
improvement
initiatives,
professional
development
plan.
Evaluation of
Principals and
District
administrators.
Negotiations:
History.
Personnel: hiring,
tenure,
improvement
process, staffing
needs.
Pupil Personnel
Services: RTI,
Special Ed
staffing.
Kick off listening
tour to meet with
stakeholders
individually or in
small groups.
Meet individually
with:
BOE members
Elected Officials
Business leaders
Association
presidents
Assistant
Superintendent
Business Official
Director of Pupil
Personnel Services
Principals and
other District
administrators
Media
Group meetings
with:
BOE members
District staff
PTOs/PTSOs
Booster groups
Community
groups
Parents
Students
Planning
Build
Relationships
July 1-August 31
During this Phase, my goal will be to
continue to nurture a cohesive
leadership team and prepare for the
next school year. Emphasis will be
on compiling and analyzing the
findings from the listening tour and
reviewing District documents so that
strengths, challenges and
opportunities will be identified.
These findings will form an action
plan -- our Next Steps
Implementation Plan.
Identify
Strengths,
Challenges and
Opportunities
Prepare for opening
Superintendent’s
Conference Day.
Complete any
listening tour
meetings remaining.
Ensure that staffing,
scheduling, facility and
financial needs are
met for the
2015-2016 school
year.
Reflect on the past
four months in order
to affirm the culture,
values and resources
of the Cohoes City
School District and
the Cohoes
community.
Sustain relationships
with business,
community-based,
government, and
philanthropic leaders
of the community.
Next Steps
Implementation
Plan
Complete the Next
Steps Implementation
Plan (draft) that will be
presented to the BOE in
September. The public
will be encouraged to
attend. Provide a two
week feedback period
where the BOE and all
stakeholders have an
opportunity to
comment. Review the
comments with the
BOE and finalize our
Next Steps
Implementation Plan.
This plan includes
benchmarks, outcomes
and a timeline for
implementation and
evaluation.
Implementation begins
in September.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve the
Cohoes City School District!
Listening and Acknowledging
“When an administrator fails to understand the varying
perspectives of others, organizational problems do not get
solved -- and new ones are likely to be created. It is not
enough to know just the facts; a leader also needs to
understand the feelings, the meanings, and the perceptions
that are tied to those facts” (Jerome T. Murphy).