The school board and superintendent play significant parts in the performance of the local school district. These two bodies do not achieve success through rogue members, but through the collective work accomplished by these joint representatives of the community.
Many studies have examined the connection between superintendents and school boards, and have found that a positive relationship between these two parties ultimately determines the success of the district.
However, there are some boards and superintendents who may struggle to work together and this dysfunction may be felt (directly or indirectly) by administrators, staff, and students. Collaboration between the school board and superintendent is vital for district and student achievement. There are five key ways to improve the partnership between these two parties.
Improving Collaboration Between the School Board and the Superintendent
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Clarify roles and responsibilities.
- Establishing the vision and goals for the school district
- Hiring and evaluating the superintendent
- Staying abreast of policies, laws, and regulations that may impact the work of the district
- Serving as advocates and representatives of the community
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Develop and implement a clear method for communication.
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Utilize superintendent evaluations.
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Practice modern governance.
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Establish and build trust and respect between the board and superintendent.
Collaborative Technology
Meeting agendas, past meeting minutes, budgets, and strategic plans are all vital to the collaboration between the school board and superintendent. Leveraging board software, like Community by Diligent, school districts are able to ensure that these essential documents are easily accessible by board members, administrators, and the public. Boards and administrators should have the capability of retrieving these documents from any device or location, securely. Utilizing Community, school boards and superintendents can easily access these materials from any device with internet access, anytime and anywhere. This level of accessibility allows administrators and board members to share materials to make educated and timely decisions for the betterment of the district. Community's platform promotes transparency and trust through the availability of pertinent information, for the board, administrators, and the public. Beyond meeting information, boards and administrators can easily access policies, training documents, evaluation materials, and manuals to remain informed of procedures and practices. Districts, including students, staff, and citizens, suffer when boards and superintendents fail to work together effectively. Dysfunctional leadership can distract from the work that must be accomplished to better local public education. Teamwork requires effort and intentionality, so leadership teams must be purposeful in how they work together. Successful boards and superintendents recognize that their positive partnership results in greater achievement for their students and district.Media Highlights
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