May 28, 2013 at 6:00 a.m.
Jacobi stresses importance of communication as she prepares to take superintendent job
In a little over a month, she will begin her job as district superintendent, replacing the retiring Dr. Roger Erdahl, who has manned the ship for the last 11 years.
As she prepares to take the torch from Erdahl, Jacobi said she is focusing on one main point for her first few months at the helm - communication.
For starters, Jacobi is planning to hold a retreat with the Board of Education to make sure everyone is on the same page as far as where the district is and where it needs to go.
"I want to review the bylaws for the board's sake and for my sake, so that we're all on the same page. I want to talk about the expectations we have for each other. I want to go over my goals for the district and the board's goals for the district - hopefully they will align beautifully, but we may need to have some conversations about that," Jacobi said.
"I want to have a discussion about where we are, the changes that have taken place just within the last few years - the new initiatives, the changes to the common core, the changes in the teacher effectiveness program. There are just so many things that are going on that we need to look at what's going on now to help the board understand the processes that we're going through."
After that, Jacobi will turn her attention to the future of the district.
"A big thing I want to talk about is strategic planning. Next year is the final year of our strategic plan, so we'll want to get started working on the next one. We don't want to wait until it's over and then have to scramble. We want to do some good planning. We're going to need to discuss that and they're going to have to give me an idea on what process they want followed, what they want it to look like, to give me a clear direction so that I can get that started in the fall," Jacobi said.
"We should be looking at long-term planning for our buildings, for our maintenance needs, for our staffing needs. We need to look at longer than just one or two years. We need to look at the long term - five years, 10 years - so we at least have that vision because time flies. We want to be proactive and not reactive. The better planning that takes place, the better prepared we'll be."
Once she returns from the retreat, Jacobi said she will meet with district staff and members of the community to make sure all lines of communication are open.
"Communication has always been an issue in Rhinelander, in every direction. It's not one person's fault, it's not anyone's fault, it's just something that we really need to make a priority," Jacobi said. "It's more than just talking to everyone, though that's definitely a start, but we need to make sure that everyone's informed when changes are taking place. When amazing things are taking place within the district, we need to make sure everyone's being informed. (Community Education Coordinator) Kim Swisher has done a wonderful job with our newsletter, so it's improving immensely, but there are things that happen that our teachers find out about from reading the paper that are things they should have heard about immediately. We need to be sure that we're keeping our employees as up to date as we are with (the media). We need to have a voice for the district. That's kind of been difficult, so that's one of the things that I will take on. I will be the voice for the district, not only in the schools, but in the community as well."
Jacobi said she's grateful Erdahl has allowed her to begin appearing before the community and district staff members in that capacity even though her term hasn't officially started yet.
"It's not July 1 yet, but as things come about, I look at them and realize we need to be involved in that, and though it's not really my job yet, I always go to Dr. Erdahl and tell him I'd really like to participate, but I don't want to step on toes, and he's been wonderful in allowing me to start stepping into that role as the occasion presents itself," Jacobi said.
"There are so many opportunities where we have that one shot to jump in and say wonderful things about our district, our teachers, our kids, and we need to be proactive in that, so I'm watching for those opportunities and really jumping on them. We need to make sure the community understands how grateful we are for their support. We need to live up to the bargain and let them know we are going to be doing a good job with their money and we will be financially responsible and keep them informed about what's going on in the district."
To ensure the community and staff stay informed about changes in the district, Jacobi said she will hold listening sessions during the year.
"Once I'm legally in the position, I will start setting up these meetings and going out to other meetings - to staff meetings, to PAC meetings, inviting community members to meetings. I want to have sessions so everyone can get to know me, ask questions, get information, and give suggestions," Jacobi said. "I never profess to have all of the answers but I'm really good at getting them. I can't promise that I'm going to know everything but I can promise that I will find out."
Jacobi also said she plans to spend plenty of time visiting schools after she takes over as superintendent.
"I'm just part of the team. When an administrator walks into a classroom, sometimes everything stops and it's kind of like, 'uh-oh, what terrible thing happened?' I want to be able to walk into a classroom and sit down and join a group of kids. I want to be able to see what's going on in our classrooms. I have to know what's going on to help guide what I need to do as the district's leader," Jacobi said.
"The same goes for the community. I want people to know who I am, to be able to come to me with their concerns, their questions, their thoughts."
All of that - the board retreat, the meetings, the listening sessions - will then help her formulate her future plans for the district, Jacobi said.
"I will be continuing all of these things and then, based on what I learn from these things, will help direct the next steps. I hate to forecast too far ahead other than these things will continue and I'll base what happens next on what people need from me and what I see our district needs," she said.
Marcus Nesemann may be reached at [email protected].
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