In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Matthew Hicks, Superintendent of Northeastern Wayne Schools in Indiana. He is also currently a lecturer at Purdue University and a dissertation chair at Indiana Wesleyan University. Earlier in his career, he served as a language arts classroom teacher and as a principal at the high school and middle school levels. He has volunteered as a Den Leader for Crossroads for America Council, Boy Scouts of America for the past eight years.

Some Questions We Ask:

• Can you share more about yourself and your career as a superintendent? (01:46)
• What is the most rewarding aspect of your career? (03:58)
• Do you agree with the 2023 RAND study? And how do you cope with the stress your career brings? (06:56)
• Has scrutiny of the superintendency changed over the years? (09:27)
• In comparison with other administrators you interact with across the nation, do you believe your own personal experiences align with their experiences? (11:21)
• How do you bring the community to see and share your vision so you can build it together? (13:07)
• How do you communicate with the community and connect with educators and families through creative storytelling? (15:04)
• What is your advice for other district leaders who are struggling with building a community? (16:50)
• Why do you think it’s important to see superintendents as humans and not just robots? (19:16)
• How can the community support and advocate for superintendents? (21:52)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• About Dr. Matthew Hicks (01:56)
• Rewarding aspects of being a superintendent (04:05)
• Thoughts about the RAND study and coping with stress (07:31)
• Scrutiny of the superintendency (09:34)
• About his personal experiences in district leadership vs others’ (11:32)
• Uniting a community around one vision (13:17)
• Effective communication strategies (15:17)
• Advice for district leaders (16:55)
• Humanizing the role of superintendents (19:25)
• How the community can advocate for superintendents (22:05)

Quotes:

“There are things in education that happen that are just very difficult to deal with. Losing a student is an absolute nightmare scenario for that family, for a school community—and it is one of those things that reverberates through time. You don't forget those moments because they hurt so bad. Those sorts of things will unfortunately be a part of the role.”

“And our [vision statement] is that we're a nurturing family where each Knight belongs, grows, and contributes. That's our whole vision. And so if I can't run something through the ‘belong, grow, or contribute’ filter, then we're not doing it. If it doesn't fit into that filter, that's not us. That's not what we're doing right now. And so it really has helped with the decision-making. It puts us in a position to give a quality ‘no’ for the things that don't fit in that vision and an enthusiastic ‘yes’ for the things that do fit within that vision.”

Stay in touch with Dr. Matthew Hicks:
Email: mhicks@nws.k12.in.us

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook