Author: Rick Maloney

Gaining New Members? Renew Your Whole Board (Part 1 of 3)

Rick Maloney

The Board Takes Responsibility for Board Readiness Most boards are underperformers when it comes to helping their newest members rapidly become knowledgeable, contributing members of the governing team. Except for the formal swearing-in that is mandated by law, boards leave professional development up to the individual, and for most new board members, that means the slow and haphazard nature of on-the-job experience. This is partly due to board members acknowledging the independent nature of elected (or appointed) office by keeping Read More …

Are Principals Perfect?

Rick Maloney

When I read this article from EdWeek, I was reminded of a study I had done a long time ago, comparing leaders’ self-assessments with assessments that can be obtained from subordinates, from peers, and from supervisors. Turns out that principals, like all leaders, are not perfect, even if their self-image seems to say so. And others, including our own subordinates, have plenty to offer in helping to round out the full picture. Here’s the EdWeek article: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/District_Dossier/2019/03/teachers_have_lower_perceptions_of_principals.html?cmp=SOC-EDIT-LI What this means Read More …

What We Do in Board Meetings Matters

Rick Maloney

Comedian Henny Youngman had a joke (often repeated) that went like this: The patient says, “Doctor, it hurts when I do this.” [The doctor’s response:] “Then don’t do that!” Sometimes the first advice a board should follow if it wants to improve its performance is to find out what it does that hurts…then stop doing that.