(Questions to Ask Your Board)
Boards should avoid spending time on routine operating policies, but they should be deeply involved in the development of reform policies, policies designed to change the district, in fundamental ways to improve student achievement and district operations. ― Don McAdams1
School boards should spend their finite available time primarily on what are clearly strategic policies rather than routine operating policies. A strategic approach to policy elevates the policy-making function, enabling it to make a difference for students. A strategic approach demands that the board exercise restraint, using the broad language of values and principles rather than a plethora of specific rules.
Rules are not necessarily sacred. Principles are. ― Franklin D. Roosevelt2
Following the example of the U.S. constitution or the biblical ten commandments, when the board uses fewer, values-laden principles to guide behavior across a broad range of situations it is considerably more effective (it is also more succinct and memorable) than when it prescribes rules for each of thousands of possible circumstances.
One of the most valuable principles for a board as policymaker is that it should consult existing policy to ensure their contemplated actions are in compliance with both law and policy.
Scenario: The board held another late-night meeting, including a lengthy hearing (involving very loud voices, pro and con) on adoption of a new math curriculum. Betty said she didn’t realize that “math wars” would be fought out in their little district. At the end of the meeting, Heinz asked if there was any policy on the curriculum adoption process. No one all evening, even the staff briefer, had referred to existing policy as a guide to the process being followed. When they consulted relevant policy language, they found that one of the main points of contention among board members that took up a lot of time with many conflicting opinions had already been delegated to the superintendent so was not a “new” issue for board decision. Knowing and honoring its own policy decisions would have saved a lot of time and trouble.
This board not only violated the principle of consult existing policy first, it put at risk tentative conclusions reached in a divisive and very public debate, a debate in which board members would rather not have engaged, and certainly one they would rather not revisit.
One problem confronting the effective operation of most school boards is a policy manual full of lengthy, mundane, often outdated and ignored policies addressing every aspect of operational detail. It is hard to envision a strategic function for such policies.The board should focus its finite available time on a limited number of truly strategic policies and should relegate traditional operating policies and practices to the superintendent’s care.
Boards are well advised to use principles written in policy as the voice of the board on an ongoing basis, covering extensive periods of time between meetings when it is not present and guiding board members during meetings when the board is present. In this context, policy includes all written forms by which the board documents its decisions and provides guidance for the future.
Nancy Walser describes a strategic approach to policy as a way of institutionalizing processes or practices by putting them in writing “…and, typically, making it a policy that is voted on by the board.”3 Strategic policy is distinguished from management policy by its focus on student outcomes.
Governance-oriented goals are about why the organization exists. Management-oriented priorities are about how the organization accomplishes its “why.” Because school systems exist to improve student outcomes, governance-oriented goals are only about which things students know and/or are able to do. – AJ Crabill4
One important caveat, even for boards that focus their policymaking on strategic policies: Do not rely on policy alone. Back up your words with behavior, especially in meetings where staff and members of the public are watching. We need to pay attention to the alignment of board behavior (our actions) with board policies (our words).
When the culture of the school board — the set of all behaviors taking place by school board members and by the board collectively — is in conflict with the policies of the school board — the set of all written documents approved by a majority vote of the school board — it leaves school system staff with the unenviable task of choosing which to follow. More often than not, staff will honor the school board’s behavior over the school board’s writings. – AJ Crabill5
The effective board adopts an approach that employs policy strategically, guiding the work of the board (which should be all strategic) and the more strategic work of staff in support of the district mission. It spends its available time on policy that guides the district rather than on directing the more operational details of staff work. It also adopts and adheres to board operating policy with a set of values to guide its own work.
NOTE: The opinions expressed in these blog entries are informed by references cited herein, the experiences of the author, and those of his colleagues. Your comments are welcome additions to the conversation.
Excerpt from:
- A Framework for School Governance (2018), Rick Maloney
Additional References:
- 1What School Boards Can Do (2005) Don McAdams
- 2http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/daybyday/event/august-1935-2 Franklin D. Roosevelt, retrieved June 2024
- 3The Essential School Board Book (2009) Nancy Walser
- 4Great on Their Behalf (2024) A.J. Crabill
- 5https://www.k12digest.com/culture-policy-creating-the-conditions-to-improve-student-outcomes/ A.J. Crabill, retrieved June 2024
Next: Question #11 – Does Your Board Take a Strategic Approach to Meetings?
Actions speak louder than words. School Board Policy Manuals are mostly artifacts of dysfunctional school districts. The dysfunction is compounded by a disturbing lack of professionalism among administrative and teaching staff.
An example would involve the Board acceptance of a Superintendent Goal involving the improvement of graduation rates rather than actual growth in student achievement. Superintendents then pressure principals to pass students based on achievement rather than achievement. Superintendents can easily manipulate graduation rules to their favor. This kind of chicanery is ubiquitous in K-12 education. For the most part school boards are clueless.
Board policy also depends on the professionalism and expertise of the teaching corps. Most teachers sadly are underprepared guided by laughable schools of education that advocate for all manner of alchemistic approaches to instructional practices and assessment practices!
Boards need to pay close attention to student academic achievement AND the implementation, monitoring, and holding accountable a few research based instructional practices like formative assessment with descriptive feed back and explicit instruction! Focusing on ends is not sufficient. There must be close attention to process as well. Especially since most superintendents are not Master teachers!
You and I agree that outcomes should be the primary (but not the only) emphasis of school boards. Process is important as long as the board does not go down the rabbit-hole of pursuing a never-ending list of process-oriented programs and practices. That rabbit-hole requires expertise that boards don’t have and leads the board to ignore what they can do that IS within their “wheelhouse” of expertise as citizen-representatives. Directing possible solutions is ineffective – demanding that the superintendent demonstrate solutions is far more effective. It is the board’s responsibility to deliver accountability (to the community) for results that are achieved through superintendent and staff efforts. Strategic attention to policies that emphasize operating within boundaries defined by values, ethical behavior, and good judgment is also important, but boards should never neglect paying attention to results.
Minimally, Board should demand the easy to understand visualization of student academic achievement in the Board Room, District offices, and schools. Implementation data for a few science based aligned instructional practices is also critical. Monitoring data foe early reading skills would be helpful as well! Never going to happen though within the schmoozer culture of most school districts! We both saw that in Tukwila!