Category: Strategic Voice

The board’s responsibility to speak on behalf of those on whose behalf the board serves. Strategic voice is exercised both externally (advocating for the organization and its beneficiaries) and internally (guiding the organization)

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 …

Question #14 – Does Your Board Set Goals for the District?

Rick Maloney

(49 Questions to Ask Your Board) “First, nonnegotiable district goals should be established for student achievement and for effective instruction, which is a necessary condition for student achievement. These goals should be monitored and used as the basis for immediate corrective action, thus moving districts toward the ideal of high-reliability organizations. Second, the nonnegotiable goals for achievement and instruction should be established through a collaborative goal-setting process that involves key stakeholders. The board should be fully behind the nonnegotiable goals, Read More …

Question #13 – Does Your Board Give Voice to the Community’s Vision for the Future?

Rick Maloney

(49 Questions to Ask Your Board) “We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the Read More …

Question #12 – Does Your Board Serve as a Strategic Voice for Your Community?

Rick Maloney

(49 Questions to Ask Your Board) Scenario: Bianca and Sal lingered in the Balboa School District parking lot after a meeting in which next year’s calendar was a hot topic: start and end dates, holidays, the timing of semesters, graduation, etc. In addition, many decisions were made about hiring, contracting for maintenance, and procurement of equipment and supplies. A relative newcomer to the board, Bianca observed that “We never seem to get around to discussing what the community wants us Read More …

Coming Soon: Questions 12-22 (Strategic Voice)

Rick Maloney

(49 Questions to Ask Your Board) Over the course of the next several months, questions 12 thru 22 will explore the board’s responsibility to provide a strategic voice on behalf of the community it serves. That voice is expressed through vision and values that guide the organization as it seeks to assure the community’s desires for student learning. Vision is a component of the board’s responsibility to provide guidance about outcomes desired for students well into an extended future. Questions Read More …

Question #1 – Is Your Board Fully Prepared to Carry Out its Responsibilities?

Rick Maloney

(49 Questions to Ask Your Board) “Be Prepared. That’s the motto…When someone has an accident, you are prepared because of your first aid instruction. Because of lifesaving practice, you might be able to save a non-swimmer who has fallen into deep water… [You should be prepared] to become productive citizens and to give happiness to other people…to be ready in mind and body for any struggles, and to meet with a strong heart whatever challenges might lie ahead. Be prepared Read More …

Seven (Not So) Simple Rules for Board Success – Part I

Rick Maloney
RuleBook

Board success depends on many elements, including the organization’s leadership and culture, the board’s actions, knowledge, and character, and the situation, but the purpose of board leadership can be simply defined as assuring, on behalf of the community, that the organization succeeds. One way to portray leadership is a three-legged stool – each leg must be present for the three to stand together – consisting of responsibility, authority, and accountability. Leaders at every level, including the board in its leadership role, must accept full responsibility for their level in the organization. They must know those whom they serve. They must assign responsibility for doing the work. They must delegate sufficient authority over the work to get the job done. And they must assure accountability for the work. Before all else, they must take responsibility and be accountable for the board’s own performance.

6 Focus Areas for the School Board

Rick Maloney

School boards should review 6 areas to help focus their efforts: the state, the community, the students, the district, the superintendent, and (most important) the board itself.