Agenda Item
a. Enhancing Communication between Superintendent and Board
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Effective Superintendent-
Board Communication
Facilitator:
Julia C. Bernath, Board Development Specialist
GSBA
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WELCOME
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TRAINING FOCUS
Superintendent-Board Communication
Best Practices
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STANDARDS FOR EFFECTIVE 4
GOVERNANCE OF GEORGIA
SCHOOL SYSTEMS
Domain 1: Governance Structure
Domain II: Strategic Planning
Domain III: Board and Community
Relations
Domain IV: Policy Development
Domain V: Board Meetings
Domain VI: Personnel
Domain VII: Financial Governance
Domain VIII: Ethics
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DOMAIN I: STANDARD B 5
The governance leadership team executes its duties
as defined in the state constitution, state laws, and
state board rules consistent with local board policies,
accreditation standards, procedures and ethical
standards, which govern its conduct.
ELEMENTS
• The board establishes and follows local board policies,
procedures, and ethical standards governing the
conduct of the governance leadership team, board, and
individual board members.
• The board adopts, commits to, and follows a Code of
Ethics and Conflict of Interest policy.
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DOMAIN I: STANDARD D 6
The governance leadership team demonstrates a
unified approach to governing the school system in
order to assure effective fulfillment of roles and
responsibilities.
ELEMENTS
• The board participates in annual professional development
that meets or exceeds the requirements of Georgia law and
the State Board of Education. The superintendent’s
participation in this training, while voluntary, is strongly
encouraged.
• The governance leadership team differentiates professional
development curriculum and delivery for the whole board
and individual members based upon the experience and
needs of members.
• New members are provided with induction, orientation,
and mentoring in order to support their effectiveness as
members of the governance leadership team.
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DOMAIN VI: STANDARD B 7
The board of education evaluates the professional
performance of the superintendent.
ELEMENTS
• The board annually evaluates the superintendent’s job
performance as outlined in the evaluation plan.
• The evaluation instrument and process are developed
by the board in collaboration with the superintendent;
based on clear, written measurable performance targets
and indicators; and aligned with the school system’s
strategic goals.
• The board receives training in the superintendent’s
evaluation process and current evaluation instrument,
and objectively follows that process for evaluation.
• The superintendent’s evaluation will be reflected in
meeting agenda minutes, noting participating members;
however, the results of the evaluation of the
superintendent will remain confidential.
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A RELATIONSHIP OF TRUST 8
The Board The Superintendent
Ends (Results) Means (Methods)
Why? How?
What? When?
How Much? Where?
Who?
Vision Objectives
Mission Action Plans
Goals Regulations
Policies Procedures
Monitor Implement
Vote Recommend
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Communication Goals
• Develop a communication plan among
Board members and between Board and
Superintendent
• Review communication processes for
board/superintendent with staff, parents,
business partners, elected officials, and
media
• Increase school district awareness by
parents, staff, and community through
print, websites, social media
• Create tools for being effective school
board members and education advocates
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Types of Communication Plans
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• Board Member-Board Member • Superintendent-Board
• Individual Board Member- (Individual and Group)
Superintendent • Superintendent-Staff
• Board-Superintendent • Superintendent-Parents
• Board-Staff • Superintendent-Community
• Board-Parents • Superintendent-Elected Officials
• Board-Community • Superintendent-Media
• Board-Elected Officials • Crisis Communication
• Board-Media • Executive Session
OBSERVE THE “Publix” RULE!!
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Board Member
to
Board Member
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Individual Board
Member
to
Superintendent
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Board
to
Superintendent
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Superintendent
to
Board
(Individual &
Group)
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Board-Superintendent
Covenants
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Board-Superintendent Covenants 16
The creation of an effective relationship
between the Board and Superintendent
is an essential element in successful
leadership for a district.
In order to build and maintain productive
and effective relationships between the
Board and the Superintendent, both the
Board and the Superintendent seek to
maintain a system of communication and
interaction that builds upon mutual
respect and trust that models all the way
down to every child.
To further that aim, the Board and the Superintendent
will:
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Board-Superintendent Covenants (cont’d.): 17
• Exercise honesty in all written and
interpersonal interactions, seeking with
great care to avoid misleading
information.
• Demonstrate respect for the opinions
and comments of each other.
• Focus on issues rather than on
personalities.
• Maintain focus on the Vision, Goals,
Strategic Plan, and Board Annual
Priorities.
• Communicate with each other in a timely
manner to avoid surprises.
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Board-Superintendent Covenants (cont’d.): 18
• Criticize privately, and praise publicly.
• Maintain appropriate confidentiality.
• Openly share concerns, information,
knowledge, and desired outcomes.
• Make every reasonable effort to protect
the integrity and promote the positive
image of the District, Board,
Superintendent, staff, and each other.
• Respond to requests and inquiries in a
timely manner.
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Board-Superintendent Covenants (cont’d.): 19
• Give each other time to think through
issues and, equally, the time to finish
verbal statements and responses.
• Share credit for successful District
initiatives, actions, and awards, and avoid
blame for the failure or ineffectiveness of
legitimate District initiatives or actions.
• Assume good intent on the part of other
Board members and the Superintendent.
Work together to ensure a succession plan
for the organization.
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Board-Superintendent
Communication
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Timely and effective communication between a Board and Superintendent
is a crucial factor in providing effective leadership in a school district.
Accordingly, the Board and Superintendent have developed the following
practices to assist in effective communications:
• With respect to providing information and counsel to the Board, the
Superintendent will provide the Board with information the Board
believes is sufficient to allow the Board to make highly informed
decisions. The Superintendent shall be responsible for complying with
Board directives.
• The Superintendent will communicate information in a timely fashion to
all Board members through Board meetings and closed sessions, Board
deliveries, voicemail messages, telephone calls, and one-on-one
meetings.
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• The Superintendent will communicate information in a timely fashion to all
Board members through Board meetings and closed sessions, Board
deliveries, voicemail messages, telephone calls, and one-on-one meetings.
• Board members will keep the Superintendent informed through telephone
calls, voicemails, e-mails, personal visits, dialogue meetings, and requests for
closed session or open meeting discussions.
• The Board’s official connection to the operational organization is the
Superintendent; however, to facilitate accurate, timely, and quality
communication, the Superintendent may designate other senior staff
members as Board contacts. In addition, administrators who are designated
as “staff support” for officially appointed Board committees may serve as
direct contacts for purposes of supporting the work of the committees.
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Direction to Staff
The Superintendent is the Board’s official link to the operational
organization. It is crucial to the effectiveness of the District, given the
corporate nature of the Board and the size of the organization, that the
Board honor the unique link to the organization through the
Superintendent. In addition, all authority over and accountability of the
staff is considered to be the responsibility of the Superintendent.
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Out of respect for the role of the Superintendent as chief executive officer
of the District and for the smooth and effective functioning of the
organization:
• The Board will not give direction to persons who report directly or
indirectly to the Superintendent.
• The Board will not evaluate any staff member other than the
Superintendent, except upon the request of the Superintendent.
• Except as required by law or as requested by the Superintendent, the
Board will not participate in decisions or actions involving the hiring,
evaluating, disciplining, or dismissal of any employee other than the
Superintendent.
See Policy: ABD – School Superintendent Legal Status, BBI – Board Staff Communications, and BAB –
School Board Governance
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ITEM #1
What are my strengths as a
governance team member?
ITEM #2
What are some areas in
which I can grow ?
PARTING ITEM #3
What can I do to help
THOUGHTS, strengthen the work of our
governance team?
QUESTIONS, ITEM #4
What growth will our
COMMENTS? governance team be able to
demonstrate in 90 days?
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Excellence
in the
classroom
begins with
excellence
in the board
room.
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THANK YOU!
Please complete the evaluation.
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Contact Us
Board Development
Toll-Free (877) 404 -7707
Main (770) 962 - 2985
CO N T A CT US
Samuel T. King, Ed.D.
Director of Superintendent
Search Services & Board
Development
sking@gsba.com
www.GSBA.com (770) 822 – 3628
Julia C. Bernath
Board Development Specialist
jbernath@gsba.com
770-682-1188
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