WORKING IN TANDEM THE WHY, WHAT, AND HOW OF COLLABORATING BETTER WITH BOARD MEMBERS
Of all the factors influencing your work, the most unpredictable is your school board. No other part of your job has the potential to change so drastically—and so quickly—with such intense effects on your day-to-day work. Research shows that when superintendents and school boards don’t have strong, positive relationships, student outcomes are worse. And that’s not all—antagonistically split school boards often weaken a bond referendum’s chances of passing. For Dr. Steve Joel, this all means that superintendent-board relations are “mission critical.” Having served 37 years as a superintendent, Joel now works as a consultant for executive leaders in education—particularly on the topics of boards and governance. More than once, he’s seen what happens when board relations go awry. “When a board and a superintendent aren’t in sync, the school district’s not going to be in sync,” he says. “And it isn’t going to take long before that trickles down to the classroom.” So it’s clear that successful schools require collaborative boards—but how do you create that culture? We’ve learned it all comes down to strong relationships and clear procedures.
