Approaches Superintendents Use to Establish Relationships with Their Boards of Education

Approaches Superintendents Use to Establish Relationships with Their Boards of Education PDF Author: William H. Hughes
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 726

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Book Description

Approaches Superintendents Use to Establish Relationships with Their Boards of Education

Approaches Superintendents Use to Establish Relationships with Their Boards of Education PDF Author: William H. Hughes
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 726

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Book Description


Building and Maintaining Relationships Between Superintendents and School Board Members

Building and Maintaining Relationships Between Superintendents and School Board Members PDF Author: Lamont Alexander Jackson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Educational leadership
Languages : en
Pages : 186

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Book Description
The position of public school superintendent has experienced both a redefinition and a rebirth in its criticality. With increased accountability due to the shifting public school "Back to Basics" educational perspective in the 1980s, the launch of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2001, and the signing of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015 by President Barack Obama, the role of superintendent has seen a shift from that of an organizational manager to that of an instructional leader. Much has been studied about the importance of the public school superintendent, particularly the challenge of superintendent retention. High turnover rates appear to contribute to the lack of continuity required to move an educational organization in the direction of its mission. One factor accounting for high turnover appears to be some superintendents' inability to build relationships with their school boards. This multi-case study/cross-case analysis examined why superintendents struggle to create and sustain significant relationships with their school boards. It explored the metacognitive processes of two superintendents, what factors contribute to their use of specific strategies, and how decisions relating to the strategies have been made. This study provides an important investigation into a topic that may offer greater understanding of ways to improve superintendency tenure, and how educational preparation and training programs for superintendents can be improved to equip superintendents with leadership skills to work collaboratively and constructively with school boards. Chief findings showed how the two superintendents in the study used strategies of relationships, management of ego, communication, educating the board, and politics to build and maintain relationships with their school board members. While the findings show these superintendents were mindful, thoughtful, and strategic, the data also indicate a linear, technical, and interpersonal connection between these superintendents' leadership and their board member relationships. The findings suggest ways to enhance superintendent leadership by having them focus on transformational leadership, adaptive leadership, and interactions with board members that affect the organizational system as a whole. Each of these is influenced by both superintendent and board member contextual understanding, political interplay, and organizational learning.

Effective Superintendent-School Board Practices

Effective Superintendent-School Board Practices PDF Author: Rene S. Townsend
Publisher: Corwin Press
ISBN: 1483360067
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 153

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Book Description
"The authors fill a gap in the literature by providing a practical, experience-based look at how superintendents should approach the most important relationship in their professional lives. Working effectively with school boards is what it is all about, and this book shows you how." -Paul D. Houston, Executive Director, American Association of School Administrators "This book provides practical insights and useful ideas to help district leaders who are serious about keeping the educational interest of children first among their priorities." -Pedro A. Noguera, Professor, New York University "Clearly lays out the important role the superintendent has in leading the district in partnership with the board of education. This book is well worth the time of every current and aspiring superintendent and school board member!" -Anne Bryant, Executive Director, National School Boards Association "This book is a useful tool in building district governance teams. The authors′ collective wisdom provides valuable insight for superintendents and school board members." -Luan B. Rivera, President, California State Boards Association "A wonderful, clear, and jargon-free primer on how to be a successful superintendent. This book is must reading for superintendents and a real plus for school boards." -Dede Alpert, Former California State Senator, Former Member, California State Assembly "An outstanding fieldbook for those interested in down-to-earth strategies for navigating the complexities of providing leadership in school districts." -General Davie, Jr., Retired Superintendent of Schools Foster a strong superintendent-school board relationship centered on quality teaching and learning! Effective Superintendent-School Board Practices helps current and future superintendents and school board members develop an effective governance team that prioritizes quality teaching and learning. Designed for practicing and aspiring superintendents and school board members, this exceptional book relates the everyday experiences and challenges faced by this important district team. Combining 84 years of service as superintendents in urban, rural, and suburban school districts, the authors offer: Real-life vignettes that highlight problems, successes, key points, and useful practices Indispensable information on building relationships, creating a team, managing conflict, and staying focused on the mission and priorities of the district Reflective practice questions and self-assessments throughout This rich resource offers knowledge, skills, and strategies to teach and inspire current and future leaders, based on the experiences of practitioners who have learned what works and what doesn′t, leaving valuable time to focus on student achievement.

Building Relationships, Yielding Results

Building Relationships, Yielding Results PDF Author: Julie L. Hackett
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781612508078
Category : School board-superintendent relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Provides a clear road map for effective collaboration with school boards and the type of relationship-building required to achieve long-term, sustainable reforms. Instead of keeping school board members at arm's length, Julie L. Hackett demonstrates how to tailor traditional superintendent activities to include board members and increase understanding and trust.

Building Great School Board -- Superintendent Teams

Building Great School Board -- Superintendent Teams PDF Author: Bradley V. Balch
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781945349133
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
To address urgent challenges and drive continuous improvement effectively, school board members, superintendents, and school leaders must develop strong school board/superintendent teams. The authors offer a systematic approach for establishing a unified school leadership team that can efficiently meet demands, avoid conflict, and respond to the ever-changing educational environment. Each chapter includes professional development activities that can be adapted for teams of any size. Learn how to build an effective school leadership team: Consider how the school board/superintendent team can remain sustainable and productive in governance, instructional leadership, and school improvement. Foster committed team relationships and develop effective school leadership practices and qualities within the team. Clarify superintendents' and school board members' roles and responsibilities to improve governance and avoid conflict. Learn characteristics of effective communication and how to speak with one unified voice as a team. Participate in team professional development activities that build trust, respect, transparency, and accountability among the team. Contents: Introduction Chapter 1: Legal Perspectives and the Case for Local Control Chapter 2: Induction and New Team Member Orientation Chapter 3: Team Members' Roles and Responsibilities Chapter 4: Effective Communication and a Unified Voice Chapter 5: Team Decision Making Chapter 6: Committed, Effective Team Leadership Chapter 7: Foundational Statements Chapter 8: Continuous Improvement and Quality Assurance Chapter 9: Governance and Leadership During Change Chapter 10: Dysfunctional Teams and Rogue Members Chapter 11: System Evaluation Essentials Chapter 12: The Future of the School Board-Superintendent Team References and Resources

Improving School Board Effectiveness

Improving School Board Effectiveness PDF Author: Thomas L. Alsbury
Publisher: Harvard Education Press
ISBN: 1612508782
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
Improving School Board Effectiveness offers a clarifying and essential look at the evolving role of school boards and how they contribute to efforts to improve student learning. It examines how board members can establish effective district priorities, and it explores those board policies and actions that result in shared, districtwide commitments to heightened student achievement. This book arises out of a critical need for a better understanding of school boards and the development of helpful tools and guidelines for school board members. At its heart is the notion of Balanced Governance, a principle that most generally “balances the authority of a superintendent to lead a school district with the necessary oversight of a locally engaged and knowledgeable board.” Improving School Board Effectiveness is a helpful and practical book that will prove indispensable for school board members, school and district administrators, and everyone with a stake in school improvement and reform.

A Study of School Board & Superintendent Relations

A Study of School Board & Superintendent Relations PDF Author: Kelly Dawn Bowers
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 165

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Book Description
Abstract A Study of School Board & Superintendent Relations: Strategies for Building Trust in the Mistrustful Context of K-12 Public Education By Kelly Dawn Bowers Doctor of Education University of California, Berkeley Professor Heinrich Mintrop, Chair As illuminated in my study, which is only a small subset of the larger public education governance system, the mounting political pressure that school boards and superintendents face does not seem to be diminishing. It is well documented that boards under fire from constituents often make the superintendent the scapegoat, which undermines trust and threatens their strength of relationship with an uneven power dynamic. Whether attributed to general dissatisfaction with American governance which leaves superintendents subject to the political whims and winds of school boards (Lutz & Iannaccone, 1978); their increasingly limited sphere of influence in an era of high stakes external accountability (Howell, 2005), or the acute pressures of the politics of personalism (Feuerstein & Opfer, 1998), the odds of forming solid, trusting relational bonds are stacked against them. Over the past few decades, there has been a growing movement in many fields and industries, including public education, to develop new, collaborative models and approaches to managing and governing, as an alternative to more adversarial, bureaucratic and top-down methods (Ansell & Gash, 2008). With this move away from competitive toward collaborative governance, relationship building at all levels has taken on new importance. In this case study, I examined the conflict-ridden relationship dynamic and tense micropolitical climate inherited by two superintendents and boards, within a general context of distrust directed toward public education and elected officials, which is further exacerbated by negative interactions with their immediate predecessors. Using Bryk and Schneider's (2002) concept of relational trust which was developed in other public school system settings, as an ideal measure, I was able to gather evidence of substantive change in the tenor and positive quality of the board/superintendent relationship over time. My findings highlighted two newly hired superintendents who took stock of their somewhat damaged and mistrustful board/ superintendent relationship status upon entry and strategically cultivated relational trust with their respective school boards, as substantiated by increased and genuine displays of mutual respect, personal regard, integrity and competence in their public and private interactions. My findings indicated that a board/superintendent relationship is not static but malleable, and with concentrated focus and customized strategic intervention by a new superintendent, a previously damaged governance team relationship can be repaired and trust restored. Even in a high-trust situation, however, my conclusions divulged cautionary implications, as a board and superintendent that become too close, too trusting in the public's perception or reality, risk becoming insular or out of touch with the larger constituency they represent and serve.

Building a High-Impact Board-Superintendent Partnership

Building a High-Impact Board-Superintendent Partnership PDF Author: Doug Eadie
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1475847912
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 147

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Book Description
Building a High-Impact Board-Superintendent Partnership will consist of 11 brief chapters, each covering a critical question that practitioners need to answer in building the board-superintendent partnership

Building Better Board--administrator Relations

Building Better Board--administrator Relations PDF Author: Jack McCurdy
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 132

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Book Description
Practices to maintain and enhance board-member relationships are described in this handbook. Following the preface, chapter 1 presents a historical overview to describe the problems involved in defining the proper roles for school boards and superintendents. Chapter 2 identifies current board/administrator roles and what they should be for the 1990s and beyond. The third chapter examines factors contributing to the declining tenure of superintendents. Factors of the rising tensions between boards and administrators in the areas of communication, turf, personnel decisions, and lack of training are examined in the fourth chapter. Chapter 5 looks at the external pressures that enhance those tensions. Chapters 6 and 7 provide strategies for selecting superintendents and for conducting superintendent evaluation and board self-evaluation. The eighth chapter describes how to create a relationship based on trust, with a focus on the importance of communication and the power of information. The final chapter examines some of the ways in which successful boards and administrators have created and maintained thriving relationships through developing shared decision making, dealing with conflict, participating in inservice training, changing the superintendent's role, and sharing responsibilities. An example of a school-based management program in the Cherry Creek Schools of Englewood, Colorado, and a list of related American Association of School Administrators (AASA) publications are included. (LMI)

Roles and Relationships

Roles and Relationships PDF Author: Joint AASA-NSBA Committee
Publisher: R & L Education
ISBN: 9780876522080
Category : School board-superintendent relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This position statement, coauthored by a joint committee composed of members of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) and the National School Boards Association (ASBA), outlines a new cooperative relationship for superintendents and school boards. In light of the challenges that today's superintendents and school boards face, it is necessary that both parties examine their roles and responsibilities. This document describes the work of the joint committee, professional standards for the superintendency, and the governance role of school boards. It also highlights some societal changes that have affected public school governance and administration. Three major factors of the board-superintendent relationship include the nature of policy development and administration; the increasing influence of external factors on local district governance; and the discretionary authority granted to boards by their chief administrators. The specific responsibilities for boards and superintendents are outlined. Effective communication is identified as a key to a successful board-administrator relationship. (LMI)