Incoming Fort Smith Public School superintendent rolls out 100-day plan

Martin Mahan has a plan for Fort Smith Public Schools (FSPS) — a 100-day plan in fact. He was named the new superintendent of schools for FSPS on April 8.

A week later, the board voted during a special called meeting to name him as acting superintendent effective immediately and approved a contract with a start date as superintendent July 1. The three-year contract goes through June 30, 2028, and stipulates an annual salary of $225,000.

The board approved a separation agreement with Dr. Terry Morawski, who was the district’s superintendent until April 15.

Mahan wants the community to know there are a number of tasks that are important to him as the new superintendent.

“As with anything, the old adage is ‘Be better today than you were yesterday, and be better tomorrow than you were today,’” Mahan said.

His list of most components of his plan for the district include: communication and transparency; a focus on high expectations for himself, the staff and students; strengthening existing relationships and building new partnerships with internal and external stakeholders; organization and strategic planning in the district; and an emphasis on improving instruction for our schools.

Shortly after being named the interim superintendent, Mahan released his 100-day plan for the district. The plan is broken down into four phases, beginning July 1. The first three phases cover roughly a month each and Phase 4 goes from Oct. 1-9.

“I have a first 100-day plan, and I am already hitting the ground running and putting things into action,” Mahan said. “I want to be visible and accessible in the interim, and I plan to listen and work alongside the team we have in place.”

Phase 1 of Mahan’s plan is titled “Initial Engagement & Building Relationships.” During July, Mahan plans calls for meetings with members of the board of education; developing a formal process for responding to board inquiries; planning quarterly “Department of the District” meetings; and scheduling “Meet the Superintendent” events in order for him to get to know community leaders and stakeholders.

During July, Mahan will organize listening tours for district personnel, according to the plan, and begin working on district-wide staff morale and engagement surveys. He also wants to look more into a Parent/Guardian Advisory Committee.

August will see Phase 2 of the plan — “Collaborative Development & Implementation.” That plan segment calls for hosting the first “Meet the Superintendent,” building a communication plan for community engagement, beginning quarterly open forums with district staff, and working on expanding the current district-wide communication plan with family input all during Phase 2.

Phase 3 is “Consolidation & Expansion,” which will comprise the month of September. This phase will include updating the district’s organizational chart and communicating those changes district wide. The first community advisory council meeting is expected to be held in September, according to the plan. And administration will review results of the staff engagement surveys and outline potential actions for improvement. This phase also will include the implementation of strategies based on staff morale surveys, the plan states.

Phase 4 is “Evaluation & Long-Term Planning” and will be Oct. 1-9.

“By Oct. 9, I will have made significant progress on establishing key relationships, creating formal processes for communication, and laying the groundwork for long-term success,” Mahan said in his plan. “I will continue to reflect on feedback and adjust strategies as I move forward into the next quarter and beyond.”

The plan states that at its conclusion, a formal presentation will be made to the school board.

“I am so grateful to the FSPS Board of Education for the honor of being named superintendent,” Mahan said. “I am excited to spend time in our schools and classrooms. You might even see me on an occasional bus ride. I am looking forward to connecting, listening, and learning during the first 100 days.”