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home / Education
Inside MUSD -- Superintendent John Flores
Marilyn Netoskie
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Several parents of students in the Maricopa Unified School District were asked to describe the duties or responsibilities of a Superintendent, Principal, or School Board Member. Most parents had a vague idea of a Principal’s responsibilities, but were at a loss to explain the Superintendent or School Board Member’s role in the education of their children. Many replies were vague, with answers ranging from “I don’t know,” “Goes to those meetings,” and this writer’s favorite: “They do something with the kids.” The Communicator will be trying in the next several issues to explain the duties and goals of the people who work in several varied capacities that affect the students of this district. Superintendent of Maricopa Unified Schools Dr. John Flores was interviewed for this issue.
Tom Beckett, Public Relations Director for the Maricopa School District, defined the Superintendent’s position. “Think of a person,” he said, “who is a CEO of a large corporation directing eight hundred employees, and those employees in turn, educationally managing five thousand students.”
Superintendent Flores is a person who has been a Superintendent for over twelve years, having served nine years in another system before he came to MUSD. Besides being a Superintendent in another district, he has served as a high school principal, a classroom teacher, a wresting and baseball coach, and a high school athletic director. He has degrees in Spanish, health, education, and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration.
Superintendent Flores was asked what he considers three or four of his major responsibilities as Superintendent. “Well, first, I want to help our students improve their academics, to obtain higher achievement, whether they are in high school or kindergarten. My second responsibility would be to find the best-qualified personnel to work with the students. Third, I believe the district needs to continue to work closely with parents. They are the student’s first and most important teacher. Fourth, the district needs to continue to incorporate and always be ready to update school safety. Our new emergency response system, and all the programs we have in place should a problem arise, are designed to provide a safe environment where students can feel safe as they learn.”
Dr. Flores considers the most and least enjoyable part of being a Superintendent at least half easy to answer. “The most enjoyable part is easy. It’s watching children enjoy success. Watching them smile as they suddenly understand some concept they didn’t grasp before, watching the soccer team win game after game, the cheerleaders win the state championship, and congratulating the students (at the last board meeting) who won the spelling bee. Seeing our students achieve success and develop confidence in their abilities. These experiences make my position very pleasurable.
“The least enjoyable aspect of being a Superintendent would be dealing with the financial shortfalls that might impact the district and our students. I just want everyone to know that being a Superintendent is a position where challenges are many. But the ultimate goal for me is to improve learning by helping to empower all components needed to make that improvement possible.”
Superintendent Flores was asked if he had a specific goal or two to accomplish for the District, and for himself. “I’d like to improve the Early Childhood learning program, to see the young students experience success at an early age. I would like everyone to understand that we are here because we believe that Children are First. As for personally, I’ve begun to write some educational books, and I’d like to complete those in a few years.”
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