School Governance

Best Practices with School Governance

Reflecting on the Best Practices in guiding a School Board with school governance may not be limited to just three.  As the superintendent there may be three areas that you work with but there are many arms in those three areas that need to be worked on as you guide the board.  I see the three areas as: creating a vision for the district, creating a policy for governance with the board and building and monitoring the relationship between board and superintendent, and building relationships with the stakeholders. 

Creating the district vision requires planning and preparation so the groups involved can make informed decisions as they move forward with the their work.  Involving all stakeholders in this process must take place.  There must be a process or format to monitor progress and inform decisions about possible improvement as we move forward.  This process also includes the ability of the superintendent to build relationships with the various groups of stakeholders in the district and the community.  It is important to maintain awareness of the relationship with the board as the vision is developed.

The Superintendent is the conduit with creating a policy of governance with the board.  I have learned that the superintendent must continually provide opportunities for the board to learn about governance, establish a framework for them to follow and monitor the progress of that framework.  Once again a sound working relationship with the board is essential to the success of the governance model.  Having a good working relationship with the board president can make this process easier.  Demonstrating unity with the governance model will assist in holding all board members accountable to the non-negotiable routines that have been agreed to during development.  

One area that I have learned more about during this class is recruiting board members.  Being aware of possible board candidates when you work with community groups to develop a vision, move forward with large building projects or meet with the community on issues that arise can be a benefit with future elections.  Knowing your community is a great asset when you have board elections that have open seats or challengers to current members.  Providing information to possible candidates may assist them in their decision to run for a board seat.

Building relationships may be the most important aspect of the superintendent position.  The ability to build relationships across the community and among district personnel is a skill that needs to be refined as the superintendent comes into a district.  I believe that all administrative positions need to be aware of the movers and shakers in their district.  Who do I need to make sure I am addressing and how do I make that connection with them are things I have learned from experience.  While I have learned that all members of a community need to be actively involved in building a district vision, there are groups that need to be addressed at the outset of any tenure to create an environment for the superintendent to be successful.  Creating trust with community, staff and school board members provides the groundwork necessary to carry out the duties of superintendent.