A Compelling Case for Board Engagement In External Relations
In my workshops for school board members, superintendents, and superintendent-aspirants – including the ones I presented at the 2018 NSBA and AASA annual meetings, I make a point of discussing the creative, productive role that board members can play in …
The Late Senator John McCain and True Humility
It seems appropriate, as we approach another Fourth of July celebration to re-post this article that originally appeared almost a year ago. It’s about a true military hero, stalwart patriot, and man of sterling character, the late Senator John McCain, …
The Virginia Beach Public Schools and Naval Air Station Oceana: Partners in Innovation
This article and the accompanying podcast featuring Aaron Pence, Superintendent of the Virginia Beach Public Schools, and Captain Chad Vincelette, Commanding Officer of Naval Air Station Oceana, were originally published at this blog a year ago. Since this is one …
3 Quick Fixes that Won’t Corral the Rogues on Your School Board
The April 4 post at this blog, “What About ‘Rogue’ Board Members?”, talked about tried and true approaches to reining in these trouble makers who march to their own governing tune at their own tempo, with little concern about the …
Leaders, Teachers, Chief Executives: Birds of a Feather
In Chicago recently to present a program for nonprofit chief executives on board-CEO relations, I made a side trip to visit a well-regarded nonprofit corporation, Smith Crossing, a retirement community southwest of the city. During my brief visit, I had …
Board-Savvy Superintendents Use Ritual as a Board Team Building Tool
“The prescribed form or order of conducting a religious or solemn ceremony.” “A ceremonial act or a series of such acts.”
These are two of the definitions of “ritual” in the Second College Edition of the American Heritage Dictionary. In …
What About “Rogue” Board Members?
We were talking about building school board self-management capacity at the preconference workshop I presented at the NSBA National Conference a week ago – specifically, how a board can manage its own governing performance by setting performance targets and standards …
Harnessing the Power of Ownership in the Highline Public Schools
Turning board members into satisfied owners of their governing work through meaningful engagement in planning and other governing functions is a major theme in my forthcoming book, “Building a High-Impact Board-Superintendent Partnership: 11 Critical Questions You Need to Answer,” which …
Naked in the Public Eye: Talking With Superintendent and Author Oliver Robinson
If you’d like to know how Superintendent Oliver Robinson came up with the intriguing title “Naked in the Public Eye” for his new book, listen to the podcast Oliver and I recorded for this blog.
Naked in the Public Eye…
Transforming a Committee Chair Into a Stalwart Ally
The crowning achievement of the school board’s performance monitoring committee during its first year of operation was a complete overhaul of the quarterly financial report to the board, which was unveiled at the fourth meeting of the new fiscal year. …
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