Texas Executive Leadership Groups
New for 2021, TASA is partnering with Lyle Kirtman, CEO of Future Management Systems Inc. (FMS), to bring his in-depth leadership development program to Texas. Kirtman has worked with more than 350 school districts across the nation on leadership development and coached 200+ superintendents and senior district leaders.
Kirtman has asked Karen Rue, former Texas superintendent and nationally known school leader, to lead the Texas Executive Leadership Groups — cohorts of eight to 11 Texas superintendents who meet for a series of virtual sessions. Kirtman’s book co-authored with Michael Fullan, Coherent School Leadership: Forging Clarity from Complexity, provides the framework for the groups’ discussions on leadership topics.
About the Executive Leadership Groups
Content
The framework for the sessions engaged in by the Executive Leadership Groups is Coherent School Leadership: Forging Clarity from Complexity, the most recent book co-authored by Kirtman and Michael Fullan. Each participant must purchase a copy of the book.
Session Dates/Times
The first cohort will meet for the first time Tuesday, February 9, for a 9-11 a.m. virtual session. Lyle Kirtman is expected to join Karen Rue in leading session 1. (The remaining five sessions will be scheduled with the input of the group members, with the goal of meeting for the second time in spring 2021, again in the summer, and three more times in the fall.)
Who Should Register
The 2021 Executive Leadership Group is limited to eight to 11 participants, so registration is open only to active Texas school superintendents. If broader interest in the program is expressed, the program may be expanded to include additional groups.
Why Participate
- Engage in opportunities for leadership development in a challenging but safe environment, with a focus on leading and managing during the pandemic
- Develop a network of senior-level peers for support, expertise, and potential joint ventures
- Expand networks beyond the education field to other leaders who can provide new perspectives on today’s problems
- Share best practices with other leaders in areas such as developing strategic partnerships, strategic planning, board development, developing and motivating staff, and dealing with change
- Work with colleagues on your individual growth in a safe environment where vulnerability is a key ingredient for sustainable success
This is not your typical support group for leaders in which participants complain about their boards and staff and get support from colleagues. Instead, these groups challenge leaders about their leadership styles, as well as their methods of leading, managing, and problem solving, with the goal of helping them to succeed as leaders and to help their organizations succeed.
Leaders in these groups do not give advice to other members. Rather, they learn how to coach each other in a manner that recognizes each person’s unique style of leadership. This approach allows people to gain new insights and improve results immediately and sustain success over time.
Executive Leadership Group Leader
Karen Rue
At a local and national levels, Dr. Karen Rue has been active in leading and creating a transformational shift in education, with a focus on preparing future-ready students, encouraging innovation and creativity, and developing more meaningful assessment and accountability measures. She was a founding member of the Public Education Visioning Institute, and served as co-chair of the Texas High Performance Schools Consortium.
Rue was named a 2016 AASA Women in School Leadership Award Finalist, the 2014 Region 11 Superintendent of the Year, selected to participate in Classroom Connectivity in Texas at the Governor’s Mansion and in the Connected Superintendents Summit at the White House, chosen as a finalist in the eSchool News Tech-Savvy Superintendent Awards program, and named one of the nation’s Top 50 Innovators in Education by the Center for Digital Education.
Rue served as president of both TASA and the Urban Superintendents of America Association. She also served as vice president for the Texas School Coalition and is a past president of the Fast Growth Schools Coalition and Texas Association of Suburban/Mid-Urban Schools.
Retiring in 2016 with 37 years in education, 11 as superintendent of Northwest ISD, she served three years as superintendent of Tuloso-Midway ISD and as executive director of Katy ISD, where she received the U.S. Congressional Achievement Award for her dedication and service to the people of Katy ISD. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southwestern Louisiana, a master’s degree from Lamar University, and a doctorate from Texas A&M University.