Dr. Jeff Melendez

When a school board begins the search for a new superintendent, the instinct is often the same: find the most impressive candidate. The strongest résumé. The most polished communicator. The leader who commands the room. But here’s the reality, those qualities alone don’t predict success. In many cases, they can be misleading. The districts that get this decision right don’t just choose the best candidate. They follow the best process. Process, Not Personality, Determines the Outcome Selecting...

There’s a common frustration across many schools and districts: Nothing is completely broken, but everything feels harder than it should. Teams are working hard. Systems are in place. People are committed. And yet: Work feels heavier than expected Decisions take longer than they should Progress feels slower, even with effort It’s difficult to pinpoint why. Because on the surface, everything appears to be functioning. The Illusion of “It’s Working” Most school systems don’t fail all at once....

There’s no real debate anymore: schools are underfunded. District leaders are being asked to stretch budgets across increasing demands, more complex student needs, stricter compliance requirements, staffing shortages, and rising operational costs. At the same time, expectations haven’t decreased. If anything, they’ve intensified. So the instinctive response makes sense: Advocate for more funding. Protect what exists. Cut where necessary. But here’s the reality many leaders eventually run...