Improve your school district board/administrator communication processes

• Published date: 01 August 2020
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/ban.31134
• Date: 01 August 2020

2 Board & Administrator

DOI 10.1002/ban © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC • All rights reserved

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From The Board Doctor

Improve your school district board/administrator

communication processes

If there is one aspect of your school

district that affects every phase of

successful operations, it is the health

of the board-and-superintendent rela-

tionship. Without a positive, profes-

sional relationship, the district is

likely to spin its wheels or founder.

The board-and-administrator

team must define, understand and

practice their respective responsi-

bilities for optimal school district

performance.

Here are a few ways to improve

your board-and-administrator com-

munication practices:

1. Establish a two-way mechanism

for the exchange of information and

use it consistently. Communicating

with the board is your responsibil-

ity—it can’t be delegated.

You are responsible for ensuring

that board members are informed on

every issue, even the minute ones.

To accomplish this, most super-

intendents use regular telephone

contact, supplemented by email. In

addition, regular face-to-face contact

is important to develop the trust that

is essential to good communication.

Plan to include at least one in-per-

son meeting each year to strengthen

your relationship with individual

board members.

2. Develop the board meeting

agenda. It is your responsibility to

put together a meeting agenda for

the board, well in advance of meet-

ings. Don’t assume you can develop

and deliver the agenda and think

your job is done. Consider schedul-

ing a regular review session one day

before the board meeting, including

the superintendent, the board presi-

dent, and a board member or two,

depending on the board’s size (rotate

the board members each month to

create board engagement).

By reviewing the agenda together,

you not only improve the communi-

cation link, but also give yourself an

early warning system. If questions

arise during this session, you have

24 hours to prepare for and then

answer them at the meeting.

3. Practice “no surprises.” A “sur-

prise” in the context of the board-

and-superintendent relationship

means someone is playing games.

Stress two areas: Board members

have a responsibility to communicate

concerns, either their own or constit-

uents’, to the superintendent. The su-

perintendent, in turn, has a responsi-

bility to keep the full board informed

about any brewing problems.

Sincerely.

Jeff Stratton, Editor

jeff_stratton@msn.com

515.963.7972

Let’s talk boards!

Facing a board problem? I am here on the other end of the Hotline.

We can talk about any issue you are facing whether it be board micromanagement

or a lack of board engagement.

Contact me at 515.963.7972; jeff_stratton@msn.com. ■