Andrew Houlihan - Leading by Example

Andrew Houlihan, Superintendent of Union County Public Schools, Monroe, NC, is a Doctor of Education. His formal education took him to New York and Texas before coming back to his home roots in North Carolina. The best part of Houlihan’s day is walking into the classroom of any one of the 52 schools in his Union and watching learning take place. How does the superintendent of the 6th largest school district in North Carolina find the time to sit down in all those classrooms? Scheduling.

“If it’s on the calendar, that’s when it gets done,” Houlihan said. “I’m a structures and systems person. And when he took on the superintendent role in 2016, Houlihan created a directive with his admin and staff to ensure he got scheduled to be inside of school classrooms at least once a week, if not more.

Building an education career is a journey filled with challenges, but one of the most significant for Houlihan was the credibility test. Every step of the way, someone was challenging his experience, age, ability, and where to get where he wanted to go; there appeared to be a never-ending series of invisible hoops to prove he deserved the leadership role he wanted.

“I think one of the lessons I’ve learned, and advice I give, is to young leaders,” Houlihan said. “Experience matters without a doubt, but one of the jobs you have as a district person is to listen, build relationships, and find ways in which your strengths can help whoever it is you’re trying to support.” Houlihan doesn’t care if someone hasn’t done a particular job before. What he does care about is if that person is the right fit for the job and the kind of listener and collaborator that can work across multiple departments to get the job done.