Question #24 – Does Your Board Give Its Members Boardsmanship Guidance?

Rick Maloney

(49 Questions to Ask Your Board) [Board meetings]…were less orderly; had less time spent on student achievement; lacked respectful and attentive engagement across speakers; had board members who seemed to advance their own agenda; had less effective working relationships among the governance team; had fewer board members who relied on the superintendent for advice and input; had one member, other than the board president, stand out for taking excessive time during meetings; and did not focus on policy items. – Read More …

Question #23 – Does Your Board of Directors…Direct?

Rick Maloney

(49 Questions to Ask Your Board) Scenario: Bernie and Maria were discussing remarks made about the swimming pool during the public comment period at the Coalville board meeting. An elderly man had accused the board of reneging on an implied promise made during the recent bond campaign: “You folks need to understand that we paid for these facilities, and we expect them to be made available for our use.” “We need assurance that the swimming pool is accessible to retirees Read More …

Question #22 – External Voice: Does Your Board Reflect Community Vision/Values through Advocacy?

Rick Maloney

(49 Questions to Ask Your Board) [School boards] establish a strong communications structure to inform and engage both internal and external stakeholders in setting and achieving district goals They are masterful in two dimensions of community leadership: advocating for their school districts and developing and maintaining strong strategic partnerships. – NSBA1 Advocacy is the responsibility of a school board to speak on behalf of students. Using its platform as community representative, the board informs the public, including (especially) state and Read More …

Question #21 – Internal Voice: Does Your Board Reflect the Community’s Vision/Values Through Policy?

Rick Maloney

(49 Questions to Ask Your Board) Vision without action is a dream, and action without vision is aimless. Board policy represents the intersection of vision and accountability…Policies can and should reflect local values and principles designed to address local needs and what the board cares about. – Katherine Gemberling et al1 Policy can be strategic when it gives broad guidance to district leadership, including the board itself. It can be operational when more routine district activities receive detailed direction. Scenario: Read More …

Question #20 – Does Your Board Connect with the Community to Learn its Values?

Rick Maloney

(49 Questions to Ask Your Board) This program first provided a solution by bringing the district together under a unified goal, our communities’ health. During regular monthly meetings, members discuss new and innovative ways to provide health education to students, families, and staff…Initially, there was pushback by the community, but with more education provided, the community began to understand the importance of this issue. They also began to understand that they were able to make the transformation…the committee solicited help Read More …

Question #19 – Does Your Board Value Transparency?

Rick Maloney

(49 Questions to Ask Your Board) …reforms that seek greater transparency are increasingly on the rise…information empowers citizens to hold public officials accountable…disclosure of information about government institutions, policies, and programs empowers citizens to hold officials responsible for their spending and performance…leading, eventually, to more accountable, responsive, and effective governance. – Kosack and Fung1 The importance of transparency in the governance of public schools cannot be ignored and must therefore be a non-negotiable value in assuring accountability to the school Read More …

Question #18 – Does Your Board Give Voice to Community Values?

Rick Maloney

(49 Questions to Ask Your Board) Are the means that the administration uses in reaching the desired ends beyond the scope of the school board’s concerns? Of course not. The methods should be fair and ethical. They should be affordable. They should be gauged against the best interests of students, taxpayers and staff. A school board that turns its back on questionable practices that lead to desired results is derelict in its duty. ― Gene Maeroff1 The board continuously connects with its Read More …

Question #17 – Do Your Goals Focus on the Long Term?

Rick Maloney

(49 Questions to Ask Your Board) “[In reference to nonnegotiable goals for achievement and instruction] In effective districts, the local board of education is aligned with and supportive of the nonnegotiable goals for achievement and instruction. The board ensures that these goals remain the top priorities in the district and that no other initiatives deflect attention or resources from accomplishing these goals. Although other initiatives might be undertaken, they must directly relate to these two primary goals. Indeed, publicly adopting Read More …

Question #16 – Do Your Goals Focus on Results?

Rick Maloney

(49 Questions to Ask Your Board) “To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you’re going so that you better understand where you are now and so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.“ ― Stephen Covey1 Management by objectives – MBO – is a managerial philosophy that focuses business school students on the bottom line. It makes sense for school districts Read More …

Question #15 – Do Your Goals Focus on Students?

Rick Maloney

(49 Questions to Ask Your Board) “School systems exist for one reason and one reason only: to improve student outcomes. [They] do not exist to have great buildings…happy parents…balanced budgets…satisfied teachers…student lunches…employment in the country/city, or anything else…None of those are measures of what students know or are able to do…Effective school boards care about these things too – the “how” it all happens – but they know that anytime school boards are focused primarily on the “how,” they have Read More …