Unity of Purpose
Two documents that govern the relationship between the board and the superintendent.
What are the board governance handbook and the superintendent’s contract?
Our current efforts to develop a comprehensive plan for professional development for administrators and staff focused on improving tier 1 services are aligned to this strategic priority.
What is strategic priority #1 - Effective Instruction and Strong Leadership?
The parliamentary procedure commonly followed during board meetings?
What is Robert’s Rules of Order?
The three main governance responsibilities of the school board.
What are the setting policy, approving the budget, and hiring/supporting/evaluating the superintendent.
Disagreement among members on goals and process; unfocused, wastes times on unimportant issues; disagreements get personal in public; board members represent zones or special interests; board members play to staff, go around the superintendent; board avoids transparency; oversees closed session; board plays favorites with constituents; “leaks” occur; individuals micromanage or intrude into operations; members violate confidentiality agreements; members hold grudges, reluctant to move on.
What are the characteristics of a dysfunctional board?
When board members unintentionally overlook collaboration and undermine the board’s collective goals, disrupt team cohesion, and lead to decisions that favor personal interests over student needs.
What are the potential challenges of board that lacks a unified mission or purpose?
Developing a reclassification committee and incorporating interest-based bargaining practices such as working collaboratively to identify shared goals and explore options that satisfy those interests are examples of actions aligned to this strategic priority.
What is strategic priority #4 - Talent management and district operations?
The board president asks the superintendent to comment on the impact to staff and reminds trustees that direction will be given to the superintendent by board consensus.
What is the protocol to follow if a trustee requests for information from or gives direction during Board meetings?
Manages the Board and maintains integrity of the Board’s process.
What is the role of the board president?
Focused on shared set of beliefs, a plan, monitoring; all about improving outcomes for ALL students; differences are issues-based; never personal in public; members work together to represent whole district; board does work through the superintendent; board operates in the open; involves community; board speaks in one ethical voice; board is focused on fidelity and accountability; members maintain closed session confidentiality; board stands behind decisions, even split ones.
What are the characteristics of a functional board culture?
The five core values of the district:
What are safety, courtesy, community, effectiveness, and efficiency?
The strategic priority/ies to which the community schools model is aligned.
What are all of the district strategic priorities?
Trustees must do this if they have a financial interest in a matter being voted on.
What is disclose the conflict and abstain from voting?
Maintain trust, confidentiality, clear communication, honest straight talk, and mutual respect.
What is the collective responsibility of both the board and the superintendent?
Contact the principal in advance and check-in through the front office.
What is the protocol for board members to follow before visiting schools?
The mission of the district:
What is preparing students to reach academic success and become thinking, contributing, and responsible members of a rapidly changing society.
Our Walk-to-Learn and Datawise projects are aligned to this strategic priority.
What is the strategic priority #1 - Effective instruction and strong leadership.
“Point of order, are we operating according to our meeting protocols?”
A member of the district governance team responsible for managing daily operations and implementing board polices.
Who is the superintendent?
To adhere to the Brown Act and avoid serial meetings, this is the maximum number of board trustees a member can communicate with regarding district business before a meeting.
This practice ensures that board members are well-informed, can provide meaningful input, and engage effectively in discussions during regular board meetings.
What is the importance of attending board agenda review meetings consistently?
The phrase the superintendent has used since the beginning of the school year to convey that compelling vision and strategic goals are necessary but not sufficient for improving student outcomes, what ultimately improves outcomes are our day-to-day behaviors, habits, routines, processes, and systems.
What is the meaning of the superintendent’s call for “values-to-action”?
The item is introduced.
President calls for a motion and a second.
If no motion or no second, the motion dies.
If the motion carries, go forward.
Trustees deliberate.
Trustees give board president permission to bring deliberation to a close by calling for a vote.
What is the protocol for deliberation at board meetings?
The spokeperson(s) for the district.
Who is the board president and the superintendent?
Receive, Repeat, Remind, Redirect, and Report
What is the protocol for board members to follow when responding to complaints?