Superintendent Interview
I interviewed our Superintendent of Schools Mr. Jesus O Guerra Jr. We had to cancel two previous meetings because of school issues but Mr. Guerra was kind enough to make some time for our interview. I felt honored to be given a chance to interview him. Mr. Guerra has done a fantastic job serving as superintendent of Roma I.S.D. and I am proud to serve under him. He is guiding our school district in the right direction as we continue to see student success on yearly basis.
Mr. Guerra’s definition of leadership is one that has been shared with all principals in our district. He states that leadership is about getting people to do the right things in the right place for the right reasons.
Mr. Guerra’s response to “What do you believe are the attributes of a good Super indent?” is one that current leaders in a district can use in their department or school. He said that a superintendent should be clearly focused on student learning. They should be focused on preparing kids to be college or work ready. Superintendents should be honest, dependable, reliable and conscious. They should be prudent with other peoples (tax payers) money. They should take a servant attitude, listen to people and be a careful and cautious decision maker. Mr. Guerra finished by saying that a good superintendent inspires and gets a movement for a common cause going. Our common cause is student success.
I asked Mr. Guerra what were the negative aspects of being in a leadership position? He said that sometimes you get to much credit or you get to much blame for things. Having known Mr. Guerra for many years I see him as being a humble man that likes to give credit where credit is due.
How do you work to develop a shared vision? A shared vision is one that Roma I.S.D. has in all schools. Mr. Guerra meets with all principals on a monthly basis. In our meetings we reflect on readings he has assigned us throughout the year. We share our thoughts with one another and are constantly clarifying our purpose. We focus on results and student learning. Everything that is shared in our monthly meeting is shared with our teachers in our PLC’s. We have narrowed are our purpose down to four simple questions. Is it clear to the student on what is being learned? Is learning taking place? What are we doing for the struggler? What are we doing for the students that getting it? All administrators and teachers know these four questions and we are constantly looking for ways to improve student learning. Mr. Guerra is the driving force of our movement on improving instruction. It is through his leadership we are all able share a common goal in all classrooms in our district.
I asked Mr. Guerra for a word of advice. He told me to be true to myself and always place student success first. Always make decisions on what is best for the school district not what is best for the superintendent or board member. He said you get tempted and pulled and it’s not easy navigating through it. Always place student safety and success first.
Mr. Guerra deserves the credit he is due even though he would rather give credit to those people that help him. Over the years he has helped me become the leader that I am today and it is because of him I decided to become an educational leader. He helped me grow as a player, teacher, coach and administrator. He has shaped our school district into one that is constantly striving on improving student learning. Student success is our driving force. Our meeting lasted about two hours and many of the things shared in our interview will help me as a principal and as a student seeking a superintendent certificate.
