Interview with Dr. Aldo Sicoli

1. Interview with Dr. Aldo Sicoli Superintendent of Robbinsdale Area Schools

2. Dr. Sicoli’s Resume • AP - Henry Sibley HS • Principal - Lincoln East HS, Lincoln, NE • Principal - Valley View MS • Principal - Edina HS • Asst. Superintendent - Burnsville-Eagan-Savage • Superintendent – Robbinsdale since 2009

3. From Robbinsdale’s website The superintendent is: • Chief executive officer of the school district • Responsible for the management of the schools • Responsible for the conduct and quality of the district’s educational programs and support systems • The superintendent is also responsible for recommending policies to the board • When adopted by the board, implement, interpret and execute them. • The position provides leadership and counsel to the school board in the development of the district’s mission and goals • Provides professional support and advice to the school board on all matters considered by the board. 

4. 3-5 Tasks That Consume Most Time • “Depends on what’s happening at the time” • Regular Meetings • Special Meetings • Time with the School Board • PR with both internal (staff) and external (city and state, etc.) stakeholders

5. Regular Meetings • “I could be in meetings 14 hours a day.” • Weekly meetings (e.g. with Cabinet) • Monthly meetings (e.g. AMSD, Government Advisory Council, Interschool Council) • Attends at least one staff meeting in each building each year. • Attends at least one PTO meeting in each building each year. • He maintains his own calendar. • Summer tends to slow down some.

6. Special Meetings Example #1: • 10-14 months of budget meetings about contracts to outsource transportation. District could save $6 million if we contract out, but issue is about people in the community. Example #2: • Met with Representative Ellison and 3 other metro superintendents at Ellison’s request.

7. Examples ofTime with School Board • Example: Worked on policy of diversity within the new STEAM school. • On communicating the policy to parents: “If they hadn’t done that, it would have looked bad to the public.” • Much of his time is spent with individual board members informing and communicating.

8. 3-5 Challenges • Funding • Politics • Ethics • Public Perception of Education Reform • Demonization of teachers and the need for change • Can never communicate enough!

9. Funding • “Funding, and that’s not going to change.”

10. Politics • “People are willing to make decisions that aren’t good for kids, it’s who is screaming the loudest in the community.” • Referring to reforms that people get behind that are not a good reform.

11. Ethics • “Occasionally, people will ask you to do something unethical.”

12. Public Perception of Reform • “People are getting behind reforms that aren’t research based.”

13. Demonization of Teachers and the need for change • “We as a system need to be willing to change. There are people who are willing to dismantle public education. Education needs to be more personalized than it is now, and we need to lower the cost of education.” • Public education needs to be willing to change.

14. Administrative Structure Cabinet Structure in place with 6 cabinet members: • Executive Director of Teaching and Learning: Gayle Walkowiak • Executive Director of Education Services: Lori Simon • Executive Director of Business Services: Jeff Priess • Executive Director of Human Resources: Stephanie Crosby • Executive Director of Technology: Dennis Beekman • Executive Director of Community Education: Al Ickler

16. Comments on Policies and Relationship with the School Board • Robbinsdale has done a better job of keeping policies up to date than any place he’s ever been. • Using a Policy Board governance policy, two policies are updated at a time. • Very dedicated board members that like to be very involved. Board has cut back, said to Aldo that they were too involved. • “Gotta give them the information so they can make good decisions…It’s tough when you have seven bosses.”

17. Other Meeting Agendas • HS & MS principals have an informal agenda • Whoever facilitates the group sets the agenda • Elementary principal meetings have a formal agenda • Aldo sets the cabinet meeting agendas

18. Process for Developing a School Board Meeting Agenda • Superintendent and board members have an agenda setting meeting. • No more than 2 board member participate or it becomes an open meeting. • Agenda meeting is set 11 days prior to board meeting. • Agenda draft reviewed throughout the week prior to board meeting. • Final agenda created Friday (before Monday meeting). • Action plans are in place to ensure goals and objectives are on target when drafting agenda. • If something comes up after final agenda, might go under “other items”. • Monitor calendar throughout for any changes that may occur.

19. Concluding Thoughts • Best part of his job: “When I can get into the classrooms.” • What he’s most proud of: • “A lot of people doing a lot of good work.” • Action plans and strategic planning – developing a logical sequence for why we do what we do. Having a unified district vision. • How good a sense do we have of how we’re implementing things? • Do we have consistency? • Do we have an evaluation plan? • How do we know what’s working and what isn’t? • What do we need to change? Keep? Get rid of? • We really should have more of an evaluation plan. We talk a good game, but we don’t implement the way we should. If we don’t implement, it means nothing. If we’re working in silos, we’re not effective.” • WISH LIST: More funding for professional development