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Collaboration Cohorts for Missouri Veteran Superintendents

April 25, 2024

Collaboration Cohorts for Missouri Veteran Superintendents

After three successful years supporting an average 65 superintendents each year, the Collaborative Cohort program enrollment is now open for the 2024-2025 school year. Offered at no cost to superintendents, the program serves superintendents in their fourth year and beyond and provides opportunities to collaborate with a small cohort of superintendent colleagues (8-10 members in each cohort) on solutions to challenges faced daily. The cohorts will provide a safe place for superintendents to share best practices, brainstorm solutions to each other’s most pressing issues, serve as a sounding board to identify strengths and pitfalls, and provide regular support for each other. The cohorts will be facilitated by a trained, retired Missouri superintendent and leaders are grouped with others with similar enrollment and/or demographics or with similar pressing issues. Superintendents in years 1-3 may also apply and will be allowed to participate if seats are available. The program is provided at no cost to the participating superintendents or districts and is fully funded through a partnership of MASA and DESE.  Please access this link to register as a participant in the program.  Current participants were able to auto-enroll through the end-of-year survey and do not need to register again.  Thanks to the investments from both MASA and DESE, this program is provided at no cost to the superintendent or the district.  The deadline to register is Friday, May 24, 2024.

More about the program:

MASA Developing Superintendents Collaboration Cohorts 2024-2025

(Veteran - Fourth Year and Beyond)

Program Design 

MASA provides veteran superintendents (4th year and beyond) expanded services through cohort opportunities for regular collaboration with a small cohort of superintendents (up to 8 members in each) from districts with similar enrollment and/or demographics or with similar pressing issues. The cohorts will meet for a total of 15 hours throughout the school year. At a minimum, two of those times will be in person for four hours each, and the remaining hours will be scheduled for virtual connections or as best meets the needs of the cohort. These cohorts will focus on sharing best practices, brainstorming solutions to each other’s most pressing issues, serving as sounding boards to identify strengths and pitfalls, and provide support for each other. The facilitator will work to help the group become familiar with the DESE superintendent standards and provide necessary training and support. DESE recognized the need for additional support for superintendents, as well as the need to help ensure the updated superintendent standards are effectively deployed across the state, and has served as a supporting partner in the project the past three years.  Facilitators will be retired Missouri superintendents.

Program Goals

Increase impact and effectiveness of Missouri superintendents on student success by increasing skills, knowledge, retention rates, and job satisfaction of experienced superintendents through intentional and regular collaboration and training. 

Superintendent Collaboration Cohort Facilitator Job Description

An effective facilitator is a qualified school leader who works with practicing school leaders to help them gain self-awareness, clarify goals, achieve their development objectives, unlock their potential, by creating an environment of trust where leaders can collaborate on difficult issues. The best facilitators can actively listen to current school leaders and ask appropriate questions that result in reflection and growth. A good facilitator is positive, enthusiastic, supportive, trusting, focused, goal-oriented, knowledgeable, observant, respectful, patient and a clear communicator.

Facilitator Qualifications

1. Minimum of five years of experience as a superintendent in Missouri.

2. Currently or previously held certification as a superintendent in Missouri.

3. Competent user of technology platforms such as Google and Zoom and capable of scheduling and successfully hosting virtual meetings.

4. Current in educational trends and issues facing superintendents.

5. May not currently be serving as a superintendent.

6. Must not have a conflict of interest (business or personal) that interferes with their ability to effectively support the assigned superintendent(s).  The majority of contracted service work is acceptable; may not be a DESE employee.

Facilitator Responsibilities and Expectations

1. Build a trusting relationship with assigned superintendent cohorts and support their growth and development by effectively facilitating collaboration opportunities.

2. Meet for a minimum of 15 hours of collaboration time with assigned cohorts . These hours must include a minimum of 8 hours of in-person time. The remaining hours may be virtual or in-person as best meets the needs of the cohort. 

3. Attend assigned training on the deployed facilitation techniques and ensure these tools are deployed while interacting with the assigned cohorts.

4. Attend assigned training on the new DESE superintendents standards and deliver content/training to assigned superintendent cohorts as directed by the coordinator.

5. Meet regularly through virtual delivery mode with the coordinator to provide updates regarding progress of program deployment.

6. Collaborate with other facilitators in an effort to continue to grow and coordinate appropriate support for superintendents across Missouri.

7. Attend occasional regional or statewide conferences as necessary to connect with assigned superintendents and stay current on educational trends and issues facing superintendents.

8. Facilitators must not have a conflict of interest (business or personal) that interferes with their ability to effectively support the assigned superintendent(s). 

9. Submit all necessary documentation regarding the program in a timely manner.

Facilitator Compensation

1. Facilitators will be paid $800 per cohort facilitated.

2. Facilitators will receive a $250 travel stipend per cohort facilitated.

3. Facilitators will receive one $300 training stipend.

4. Facilitators will be eligible for conference registration fees and hotel expense reimbursement for any conferences they are required to attend.