A person may not be employed as a superintendent unless the person holds an appropriate certificate or permit.
The commissioner may waive the requirement for certification of a superintendent if requested by a district as provided by Education Code 7.056 [see BF]. The commissioner may limit the waiver of certification in any manner the commissioner determines is appropriate.
A person who is not certified as a superintendent may not be employed by a district as the superintendent before the person has received a waiver of certification from the commissioner. A person may be designated to act as a temporary or interim superintendent for a district, but the district may not employ the person under a contract as superintendent unless the person has been certified or a waiver has been granted.
Education Code 21.003
A superintendent is the educational leader and chief executive officer of a district. Education Code 11.201(a)
The duties of a superintendent include:
-
Assuming administrative responsibility and leadership for the planning, organization, operation, supervision, and evaluation of the education programs, services, and facilities of a district and for the annual performance appraisal of the district's staff.
-
Except as provided by Education Code 11.202 (duties of principal) [see DK and DP], assuming administrative authority and responsibility for the assignment, supervision, and evaluation of all personnel of a district other than the superintendent.
-
Overseeing compliance with the standards for school facilities. [See CS]
-
Initiating the termination or suspension of an employee or the nonrenewal of an employee's term contract. [See DF series]
-
Managing the day-to-day operations of a district as its administrative manager, including implementing and monitoring plans, procedures, programs, and systems to achieve clearly defined and desired results in major areas of district operations.
-
Preparing and submitting to a board a proposed budget and administering the budget.
-
Preparing recommendations for policies to be adopted by a board and overseeing the implementation of adopted policies.
-
Developing or causing to be developed appropriate administrative regulations to implement policies established by a board.
-
Providing leadership for the attainment and, if necessary, improvement of student performance in a district based on the state's student achievement and quality of learning indicators and other indicators as may be adopted by the commissioner or the board. [See AIA]
-
Organizing a district's central administration.
-
Consulting with the district-level committee. [See BQA]
-
Ensuring:
-
Adoption of a Student Code of Conduct [see FO] and enforcement of that Code of Conduct; and
-
Adoption and enforcement of other student disciplinary rules and procedures as necessary.
-
Submitting reports as required by state or federal law, rule, or regulation, and ensuring that a copy of any report required by federal law, rule, or regulation is also delivered to the Texas Education Agency (TEA).
-
Providing joint leadership with a board to ensure that the responsibilities of the board and superintendent team are carried out; and
-
Performing any other duties assigned by action of a board.
Education Code 11.201(d)
In addition, a superintendent shall, on a day-to-day basis, ensure the implementation of the policies created by the board. Education Code 11.1512(a)
A board and a superintendent shall work together to:
-
Advocate for the high achievement of all district students;
-
Create and support connections with community organizations to provide community-wide support for the high achievement of all district students;
-
Provide educational leadership for a district, including leadership in developing the district vision statement and long-range educational plan [see AE];
-
Establish district-wide policies and annual goals that are tied directly to the district's vision statement and long-range educational plan;
-
Support the professional development of principals, teachers, and other staff; and
-
Periodically evaluate board and superintendent leadership, governance, and teamwork.
Education Code 11.1512(b)
