Superintendent's Interview

The time that I spent interviewing Dr. Mark Porterie, the Deputy Superintendent of Port Arthur Independent School District was not only enlightening but pleasurable as well. Although I have known him and work with him for many years, I was impressed with several of his responses. The response that really made an impact on me was his answer to “What does ethical leadership look like?” He responded by stating that he believes in telling the truth even if it will get him into trouble. He believes that living with himself would be the hardest thing do if he knew he had done something that was not right. He is a young man, but very wise beyond his years.

One of the positive aspects of being in a leadership position is the ability to change things that are unfair into things that are right for everyone involved. He is especially concerned about fair treatment of all students. He feels that a superintendent also has the ability to mold and create dreams that all stakeholders have and would benefit from. On the other hand, there are difficulties that arise. He stated the most difficult part of being a leader is accepting the responsibility of decisions that have gone wrong, knowing that you had nothing to do with that decision. He believes that a good leader protects his or her staff and students at all times.

Since I realized that Competency 4 was one of my weakest areas, we talked in depth about developing a good working relationship with the Board. According to him, in order to build a solid working relationship with the District’s Board of Trustees, it is a good idea to find out what platform each of them has set as a priority. Never should the board ever think that the superintendent or staff is trying to play one side against the other. It is important to acknowledge the politics, but don’t play them.

The superintendent accomplishes wide rang strategic planning by working with the board and staff leadership team to follow a knowledge-based decision-making process. In doing so, we review and update exiting mission, vision and goal statements for the district. We also establish goals and identify trends and issues that are likely to have significant impact on achieving those goals. The board and leadership team will assess the strategic objectives periodically in collaboration with the community. Everyone then works toward the common goal(s).

When asked to discuss the importance of organizational leadership, as well as decision-making and problem-solving skills in addressing these compliance areas and maintaining positive change, he stated that the first thing a superintendent has to realize that there are laws that must be followed. The second thing is to use common sense when making decisions. Finally, his last statement dealt with the rule that he lives by. He stated, “The most important rule, by which I have tried to live my life and conduct my career, is to always tell the truth. If you do that, you do not have to be afraid of outcomes. If you do this, when your career is over, you will not be left with a lot of “what-if’s.”