John Marschhausen
Superintendent partnered with faculty to conduct research, teach classes
In January, John Marschhausen completed a productive term as a superintendent in residence in the college. “We need to bridge the divide between the resources in the College of Education and Human Ecology and the needs in public education," said Marschhausen, who is superintendent of Dublin City Schools. “In my three years as a superintendent in residence, I am humbled to have started to ‘build the bridge.’"
In autumn 2019, John Marschhausen (left), superintendent in residence, along with Dean Don Pope-Davis, led a half-day meeting with Ohio superintendents before the public portion of the inaugural Superintendents Forum.
“More importantly, during my tenure, we've added two additional superintendents in residence,” he said. “I'm grateful for the support of and partnership with Dr. Pope-Davis (the college dean). We've developed a positive working relationship; he has been incredibly supportive.”
The Superintendents in Residence Program is a fellowship that has historically brought Ohio superintendents to share knowledge with the college, develop active research agendas and share learning that in turn benefits school communities. As Marschhausen said, the college now hosts three superintendents in residence, one each representing urban, rural and suburban school districts.
Karen Beard, associate professor and chair of the Educational Administration Program in which the Superintendents in Residence Program is housed, summarized Marschhausen’s many accomplishments during his three-year term.
“He contributed greatly to the program, as he not only enjoyed teaching but also brought a high level of experience and expertise to our students,” Beard said. “He taught for us regularly in our Superintendents Licensure Program. He engaged with faculty in discussions about researching contemporary problems of practice, not only from a suburban superintendent perspective, but also from both central Ohio and national perspectives as he maintains involvement in BASA (Buckeye Association of School Administrators) and AASA (the national School Superintendents Association).”
“While we focus on ideas, research and theory useful to practice,” she said, “it is hugely beneficial when practitioners provide insight into what we might want to consider as we prepare future generations of leadership. Those insights often provoke research streams.”
Three years of public forums initiated by Marschhausen
Dustin Miller, clinical assistant professor with the Educational Administration Program, pointed out that Marschhausen organized the inaugural Superintendents Forum in October 2019, and that he collaborated with the other superintendents in residence to present two virtual forum sessions in early 2021.
John Marschhausen at the inaugural Superintendents Forum in 2019
“I know the forums were well-received in the central Ohio education community,” Miller said.
For the 2019 forum, Marschhausen was instrumental in selecting the speaker, Eric Waldo, former education director for Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher Initiative. “His talk was a great start to building relationships with leaders across Ohio,” Marschhausen said.
That forum also featured a half-day meeting of local superintendents to discuss pressing issues and share ideas. Thanks to Marschhausen’s prominence in BASA and AASA, all seats were filled.
In January 2021, Marschhausen co-moderated part one of the 2021 forums on the theme Leading in Times of Stress, with Superintendent in Residence Talisa Dixon, superintendent and CEO of Columbus City Schools. The discussion featured a panel of college and local experts on mental and physical health during COVID-19.
Part two of Leading in Times of Stress addressed coping with pressures of the job. “Our virtual summit with university and state leaders provided great insights for self-care in leadership,” Marschhausen said.
With Marschhausen as moderator, the panel consisted of Ohio Lt. Governor John Husted, Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith and college alumnus and President of Columbus State Community College David Harrison.
Late in 2021 and continuing in January 2022, Marschhausen and the other superintendents in residence created the Educational Leadership Webinar Series. He co-moderated the Jan. 20 virtual panel discussion on the topic of diversifying the teacher workforce.
“We thank John for sharing his knowledge and wisdom with us for the last three years,” Pope-Davis said. “We all gained immeasurably from the vibrant, meaningful exchange between our college and his school district. Ultimately, our shared work supports success for K-12 students and their families, and for that reason, I know he wants to continue our partnership.”
Continuing to enhance teaching, research and service
Marschhausen, who was superintendent of Hilliard City Schools when he joined the college, engaged regularly with faculty and students. “I'm excited about the partnerships developed within the Educational Leadership Program,” he said. “Dr. (Roger) Goddard and I have conducted great research together, and Dr. Beard enlisted me to teach a course.”
Professor Roger Goddard, the Novice G. Fawcett Chair in Educational Administration, said Marschhausen co-taught and added insights to his doctoral seminar, Education Administration 8359: Organizational Behavior: Theory and Research.
“Marschhausen brought the perspective of a practitioner and an experienced superintendent to our students studying leadership in educational organizations,” Goddard said. “He served as a teacher and mentor to them, and that's been really valuable. For me, as a faculty member, he's been a collaborator on research and a thought partner.”
In fact, Marschhausen facilitated a research project with Goddard and his doctoral students during autumn semester 2019 for Educational Administration 7356: Instructional Leadership and Supervision. For the course, Marschhausen invited Goddard to bring his students to Hilliard classrooms to study teaching practices, which led to the opportunity for Goddard and his students to conduct instructional rounds during the school day.
Working in teams, the students spent hours observing and documenting what teaching and learning looked like daily in Hilliard schools. The purpose was not to critique any individual teacher. Rather, they focused on learning about the quality of interactions between teachers and students.
Marschhausen arranged for the students to present their findings to about 50 of the district’s administrators. The results and recommendations allowed the administrators to consider what professional development would benefit teachers most based on the assessment of practice.
“Not every superintendent is willing to take on such a process in their school district,” Goddard said. “But John was willing, and without his confidence in the process, his willingness to try something different, it would never have happened. This has moved us forward, and the students found it transformational.”
Marschhausen also taught Educational Administration 7362: Board Politics and Public Relations that ran for six weeks during summer 2019 as part of the Superintendents Licensure Program.
Staci Peters, principal at Asbury Elementary School in the Groveport Madison Local School District, said she appreciated Marschhausen’s real-world examples of how the theories offered in class applied in schools. “He provided us with practical advice and examples that grounded the readings and theories that we were studying,” she said.
“He emphasized the importance of consistent communication with board members. I remember him saying that most of the work should be completed prior to the board meeting and that there should be no surprises at board meetings if the proper groundwork was completed.”
New role under development; welcoming the incoming superintendent in residence
For the long term, Marschhausen, in his role as superintendent with Dublin City Schools since summer 2021, has revived the college’s historic engagement with local superintendents and paved the way for more school leaders to share their experiences in that position.
Although he is departing as superintendent in residence, his work with the college will continue. Marschhausen is discussing a new research project with faculty to document what priorities have emerged for supporting teacher success since COVID-19 began. In addition, plans are underway for Marschhausen to become the first Fawcett Leadership Fellow working with Goddard, the Educational Administration Program and students.
Marschhausen said he appreciates the fact that he became a superintendent in residence pre-COVID-19 and was able to develop a solid relationship with the faculty.
“We have a leadership crisis in public education,” he said. “The partnership to recruit, train and retain elite leaders is critical for future success. With strong instructional leaders who can lead buildings and districts, we are better able to navigate the rough waters.”
Melvin J. Brown, superintendent of the suburban Reynoldsburg City School District, assumed the role of superintendent in residence with the college on Jan. 1, 2022. Brown, who has an EdD in educational administration from the college, has been superintendent at Reynoldsburg since 2017. He will co-moderate the January 20 Educational Leadership Webinar with Marschhausen.
