Retired superintendents meet interim needs

When Josephine Kehoe ('59, B.S.; '74, Ph.D.) retired from her job as superintendent of the Irondequoit school system in 1998, she thought she was completing her final tour of duty in educational leadership. Although she wasn't really sure what was next, she was ready to trade the ongoing demands of her 60-plus-hour work week for new challenges. "I never thought I'd do anything more in education," she admits. Yet, three years and three interim superintendent assignments later, she's still doing what she knows best, though the strings attached are shorter and more negotiable.

After taking a year off to relax and consider her options, Kehoe was approached by the outgoing superintendent of the Hilton schools about serving as interim superintendent while the board searched for his replacement. The short-term nature of the commitment, as well as the opportunity to serve in more of a consulting capacity to a school system, made the offer appealing to the would-be retiree. “An interim superintendent can be more open and honest than someone hired into a more permanent role," she explains.

Interim superintendents Roy Dexheimer (with grandson Jonathan Dante Dexheimer, class of 2018!), John Eckhardt, and Josephine Kehoe

Kehoe also welcomed the chance to support the board and school administrators through the search for and transition to new leadership. "The search process can be very taxing for the board and the remaining members of the leadership team," she says. "It provokes a lot of soul-searching as people try to envision how their roles might change." Kehoe found this role as a sounding board for their concerns and aspirations one of the more rewarding dimensions of the job. Clearly it suits her, since she went on to serve as interim superintendent in Spencerport and is now at Bloomfield.

"Retired" superintendents make good candidates for interim roles, says Roy Dexheimer ('69, Ed.D.), especially if there are systemic problems or important initiatives that need to be addressed while a search is under way. Because they are practiced professionals, they bring experience, confidence, and objectivity to the enterprise. And because their tenure is temporary by definition, they can set terms and take risks that a more permanent employee cannot.

By way of example, Dexheimer tells of a colleague who was being wooed by a notoriously difficult board. The candidate opted not to sign a contract. When the board members questioned this, he told them, "The first time you say no to one of my recommendations, I'm out of here." And they still hired him.

When Dexheimer was negotiating the terms of his current position as interim superintendent of the South Seneca schools, such strong-arm tactics weren't necessary. He did, however, make it clear that he wasn't interested in a caretaker role. "I told them that I intended to act like a superintendent, making decisions and advancing new initiatives." Dexheimer, who retired as head of the Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES in 1999, saw that the curricular challenges the school system faced couldn't wait. "The district wasn't getting good outcomes, so addressing that has been a major focus of my work here," he explains. The position also affords him ample opportunity to mentor the fledgling administrators working under him, all of whom are probationary "I find that very satisfying," he says.

John Eckhardt finds interim assignments a great way to test current theory against practice. Eckhardt has held two interim positions since retiring as superintendent of the Brighton school district in 1998. An adjunct professor at the Warner School, he also teaches educational leadership and organizational dynamics. "In my classes, we spend a lot of time discussing theories, models, and research," he says. "Interim assignments put me back into the heart of things and keep me very current." His interim assignments--first in Spencerport and now in Pittsford--have given him a chance to test his ability to size up organizational cultures and adapt his leadership style for maximum effect. This practice not only keeps his own skills sharp, it informs his efforts to pass them on to Warner's next generation of educational leaders.

Although six-month assignments are more typical, Eckhardt says his Pittsford stint may extend well into a second year because it involves a major facilities initiative now stalled in the budget approval process. Getting the budget referendum passed promises to be a significant challenge, one that most boards would rather not foist on a new superintendent. He sees his role as one of clearing the way for new leadership, "resolving existing problems, rather than leaving a major imprint." Once that's done, he'll be ready to shift back into his life as adjunct professor/educational consultant.

"I want to stay active," he explains, "but I'm not interested in putting in 75 hours a week forever." Kehoe and Dexheimer concur.