In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Adam Clark, Superintendent of Mount Diablo Unified School District in California. He was named as a 2022 Superintendent to Watch by the National School Public Relations Association. Previously, Dr. Clark served as Superintendent for Vallejo City Unified School District and Associate Superintendent at Antioch Unified School District. He has also been a principal at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

Some Questions We Ask:

• Tell us about your career in education and your current role at Mount Diablo. (01:30)
• What is the most rewarding aspect of your career? (02:27)
• How are you able to deal with stress? (04:45)
• How do you think the scrutiny of the superintendency has changed over the years? (07:12)
• How do you bring different communities together to see your vision? (11:05)
• To what extent do you believe your experiences are typical of superintendents in your state or nationally? (13:56)
• What advice can you give to other superintendents who are struggling to cultivate engagement within their communities? (17:53)
• What causes people to overlook the fact that superintendents are actual individuals, and how can we show that you are real people tackling difficult problems to enable K-12 kids to receive the best education possible? (20:38)
• What can you suggest to advocates, community members, and parents for supporting district leaders? (24:31)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• All about Dr. Adam Clark’s career (01:38)
• Rewarding aspect of his work in education (02:40)
• Strategies for coping and dealing with stress (04:52)
• Changes in scrutiny of the superintendency (07:21)
• Unifying communities around a vision (11:24)
• His personal experiences vs. other superintendents’ experiences (14:13)
• Dr. Clark’s advice to other superintendents (18:06)
• Seeing superintendents as individuals (20:54)
• Suggestions for advocates in the community (25:07)

Quotes:

“I remember how it was to be a young parent, and how maybe I didn't have all the information, and I just reacted to certain things. I also remember being a student myself—and that's one thing I try to remind people, to remember when you were a student, remember how your mind worked and the things that were important to you.”

“I want to show my true self and who I am. Yes, I do have to, at times, speak properly and correctly and use the right terminology and things like that. But at other times, I’ve got to show myself. I have to show excitement. I have to show disappointment. I have to talk about things that we won't stand for, we won't tolerate, and I need to be forceful when I say those things. But then I need to show true excitement and exuberance when good things are happening.”

Stay in touch with Dr. Adam Clark:
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Mount Diablo Unified School District

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Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
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About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
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