While cruising through my Flipboard readings, I stumbled across a fascinating article that connects a philosopher, Empedocles, to how to handle change. The article, Empedocles, philosopher: When everything falls apart, it’s not always the end, sometimes it’s rearrangement, by Gabriela Matamoros in AS USA publication caught my eye.

Having gone through leadership transitions several times in my life, I tend to be skeptical that all will work out well. That’s why I thought it might be cool to run Empedocles’ approach, as espoused in Gabriela’s article as well as in Empedocles (sorry, as a Spanish speaker, I can’t help but notice the word pedo which translates as fart. That’s not an inaccurate description of some leadership transitions, right?) attributed publications, through Gen AI to come up with a reference page and self-assessment for nonprofit organizations. I was impressed by what came up and see this as a viable tool to use. I’m going to explore this in two parts since my review of my track record turned into a long reflection.

My Track Record with Leadership Transitions

As a classroom teacher in K-12 public schools, I’m fortunate that I did not have to endure many leadership transitions.  Let’s see…

• Newman Campus, Cotulla ISD: In this District, I had a phenomenal support in Daniel Loudder (Principal). He hired me, and we became esteemed colleagues in the area of technology. While I did not have much knowledge of Ed Tech lore, given that most of it was take the kids to a computer lab and let them play edutainment titles, I brought my own love of writing and publishing with technology, electronic gradebooks (which I purchased on my own to make my life easier), word processing, spreadsheets, file management, etc. In these areas, I was adept having started at age thirteen with technology. At age 21 in Cotulla ISD, I became Mr. Loudder’s source for software and tutorials on file management and technology. This connection continued for several years but came to an end when I moved to East Texas at the same time his wife became ill. I suspect Mr. Loudder is gone now, but I found him a good person who did his best to learn and share with his campus.
• Perales Elementary, Edgewood ISD: I served as a sixth grade bilingual teacher, then moved into a Campus Instructional Specialist position focused on technology, which ended up being titled “Campus Technology Coordinator.” My supervisor at the time was David Gonzalez, a wise principal who involved me in site-based decision-making committees, which proved instrumental when I played a key role in positively framing the campus’ technology program to a district Texas Education Agency (TEA) assessment. While the rest of the District bowed to the will of the Superintendent at the time, purchasing $40K-$60K Integrated Learning Systems (ILSs) for skill-n-drill technology, my campus pushed productivity and the one computer classroom view. TEA preferred the latter, to which I credit the mentorship of Mark Gabehart. These efforts launched my career in educational technology and set me up for success.
• Brice Elementary, Mt. Pleasant ISD: Under the watchful eye of Marc Levesque (principal), Dr. David Anthony, Pam Fite, and Charles Wright, a new chapter started in how to best steer a campus (as third grade bilingual teacher AND campus instructional technology coordinator), and later, a school district (as a district instructional technologist) towards adopting educational technology.
  • At this time, I became a TENET Master Trainer and joined TCEA, a nonprofit education association.
  • I facilitated workshops at the Education Service Center, Region 8, which was wonderful preparation for the professional development I later facilitated at Region 20 and in other spaces.
  • I did experience a leadership transition, watching Dr. Anthony move to another school district, while Charles Wright moved into the role. It was a painless transition as I respected Wright and he supported me in a new role. Unfortunately, personal life interfered to pull my new family and I back to San Antonio.
• Harlandale ISD: The people were nice folks. No, the issue was JM, the Tech Director. She had a few issues as a leader (vengeful, manipulative, vain) that warped everything. I was thrilled to see the leadership shift from her to someone else, a sweet Harlandale home-grown lady (MM) that soon had everyone wanting to follow her lead. But, I didn’t get to see it except after the fact. I had already left after six months with few regrets to the Education Service Center, Region 20. Bad leaders aren’t worth your life force.

A quick aside here: After several years of working with amazing folks in K-12 public schools, I had not yet experienced a poor leader, someone deliberately working to hurt or impede others. I’m quite fortunate. Even if I had stayed in Harlandale ISD, as some encouraged me to do to “wait JM to implode or leave,” it would have turned out well with the person who succeeded JM.

• Education Service Center, Region 20: I worked here for four years, and didn’t have to endure a leadership transition. It was quite rewarding work and I admit that I enjoyed my work here tremendously, which is what prompted me to seek out TCEA (in fact, I served as a TCEA Area 20 director while working at ESC-20) later when I gave up K-12 public school jobs. I served as an Education Specialist focused on ed tech, as well as component webmaster. We achieved state-level recognition in our work at ESC-20, and I continue to be proud of my efforts there with key team members, including Helen Baca (deceased), Jim Baldoni (retired), Dr. Don Knezek (retired), Jeanne Martinez (retired), among others like Dr. Priscilla Canales. There are so many people whose lives were touched or impacted through the work there, and I proud of every minute right up until SN took over for Dr. Knezek.
  • This was a negative leadership transition. The new person (SN) came in and took over DK. I had always wondered at the toxic relationship people complained about at ESC-20 under JC, but this was unknown to us in our Component. That’s because of Dr. K’s excellent leadership. We were, as I came to understand it, a bubble of excellence in a toxic, lava hot environment. Dr. K’s leadership kept that bubble intact.

Lesson #1 Learned: The lesson learned during this first leadership transition? Protect your people from destructive, toxic elements. That’s your job as a leaders. If I had a critique, it would have been, “Let your people know about the toxic elements.” But as I’ve grown older, I’m not sure if you can inform people their bubble is under constant attack and protect them so they can work. There’s a path there, but it takes a wise leader to find it.

• Northside ISD: As a Staff Development Coordinator facilitating a $1.9 million Technology in Education (TIE) grant known as the Pathways to Advance Virtual Education (PAVE), I had the opportunity to serve with Mark Gabehart, who remains a dear friend, mentor, and colleague. As Mark said to me, PAVE was one of the most consequential efforts I would ever undertake, impacting the lives of 219 educators across several school districts and private/charter schools. I really appreciated Mark’s insight when I tried to re-enact PAVE in a large urban school district as a director of technology. But you can’t easily transplant success from one space to another.
• San Antonio ISD: In this District, I served as a Director of Instructional Technology and Library Services (ITLS), which later became Instructional Technology and Learning Services (ITLS). The focus was always on professional learning and I had the opportunity to serve in San Antonio ISD for 9.5 years. I could have stayed longer…I had widespread support among campus leaders and staff for the positive initiatives (e.g. TILT, a district-funded version of PAVE that enjoyed 7-8 cohorts…giving technology to staff really endears you to them <smile>. TILT was only the last of several initiatives my supervisor.

Lesson #2 Learned: A leadership transition occurred when major scandals broke out in San Antonio ISD among the superintendents, deputy superintendents. My boss decided to leave the state, presumably to retire and get a new job as a superintendent in another city. Into the power vaccuum, Dr. IA stepped in and this was my first taste of a poor transition. Dr. IA didn’t last as MZ stepped in, but also being a weak leader, nothing happened that was innovative. Where Dr. RA’s tenure involved teams working together to solve problems, the weak leaders focused on self-aggrandizement and safeguarding their positions, consolidating their power. It availed them little. In spite of having an amazing team of folks, having suffered a reduction in force that cut my team in half, and enduring building changes, etc., I decided to leave. It wasn’t too long after that new leaders came into the District (several different superintendents) and brought in their own people to take over key areas.

The lesson? When new leaders come in, they bring their own people to spearhead key initiatives since their jobs are on the line rather than depend on the people already there.

• East Central ISD: In my role as Director of Technology Operations (boxes and wires as well as instructional technology), I achieved my long-time dream of being the CTO guy reporting to the superintendent and meeting with the Cabinet. It was a great time, while it lasted. I was able to put into practice years of accumulated planning and insights. One thing, though, that I had not counted on was having crucial confrontations every week with staff.
  • At the time, I thought it was best to bring staff along, hoping they would change and assisting them in their growth. I realized a year and a half in that the better approach would have been to terminate or reassign.
  • That said, I was having such a good time organizing technology, working with budgets, setting up equipment replacement cycles, implementing all sorts of KPIs, that I loved my first three years at East Central ISD. Then, the Superintendent retired, and they hired RT. What a mess. It’s clear he was the “replace people with your picks” kind of person as he started wiping out C&I folks, including my two supervisors (PB and JB), both deputy superintendents. It was totally unwarranted, and I found myself looking for a new post. This kind of rampage could only end one way. As RT installed his henchpeople in key roles, dumped the old Superintendent’s picks, I realized I did not want to play that game.
• TCEA: I moved to TCEA as a Director of Professional Development, and the job has been great, albeit without the same baggage a normal Director role has. Work in a nonprofit is pretty awesome, but with a leadership transition pending, that’s what put me in mind to explore this topic.

Wait, wait, There’s More!

Ok, maybe you didn’t sign up to read this much about my own reflections. You’ll want to check out part two of this blog series for the good stuff rather than just my life stuff. <grin>.

This concludes part two, but to give you a taste of part two, I’ll share this infographic on the subject. In part two, I’ll share some of the cool resources, including a self-assessment.