Bake Your Board Cake First, Then Worry About the Icing
A sorely disappointed superintendent and I were talking a couple of months ago. She, her school board, and her senior administrators had gone through an intensive weekend retreat a six weeks earlier. She explained that it’d been put together to …
Implementing is a Far Cry From Authorizing in the K-12 Governance Business
One of the more egregious errors I made early in my career as a K-12 governance consultant and coach was allowing myself to be pressured into facilitating a daylong board capacity building work session involving all board members and the …
Kick Off 2020 By Updating Your Superintendent Governance Strategy
Preparing for a recent superintendent coaching session, I fine-tuned the process that I’d developed several years ago for updating the Superintendent Governance Strategy. All really board-savvy superintendents know that governance (encompassing the work of the board and the board- superintendent …
Innovators-in-Chief in Action: Disney’s Robert Iger and Iowa City Schools’ Steve Murley
“What can I do to get my board meaningfully engaged in leading innovation and change in my district?” I hear variations of this very important question quite often from superintendents in my one-on-one governance coaching sessions and educational workshops. There’s …
The Glue that Cements the Board Chair-Superintendent Partnership
“What’s a fair price to pay for a healthy relationship with your board chair?” My opening question kicking off the board-superintendent relationship building segment of the High-Impact Governing Work Session I presented for Southern Fairfield County (Connecticut) superintendents a couple …
Southern Fairfield County, Connecticut Superintendents Discuss Enriching Board Composition
Earlier this week, I was privileged to facilitate a 1 1/2-day “High-Impact Governing Work Session” involving 15-some Southern Fairfield County, Connecticut superintendents – a group that meets monthly under the leadership of the New Canaan superintendent, Bryan Luizzi. We were …
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 …
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