MASB Leaderboard Winter 2021 Edition

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Honing in on Roles and Responsibilities By Deb Macon, MBA RELATIONSHIPS COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT POLICY VISION ACCOUNTABILITY Congratulations—you did it! Campaigning is wrapped, you won the election and took the oath of office. You are now eager to take your seat at the board table and govern. The last six words of the oath of office keep running around in your head, “. . .to the best of my ability.” What do these words mean, and what exactly are your new roles and responsibilities? MASB’s signature Certified Boardmember Awards Program offers comprehensive professional development for school board members as a pathway, including CBA 101: Fundamentals of School Board Service and so much more. Citizen oversight of local government is the cornerstone of democracy in the United States. School board members are locally elected to serve as public officials of the state of Michigan and entrusted with governing the community’s schools. The role of the school board is to ensure that school districts are responsive to the values, beliefs and priorities of their communities. 1 Five areas of responsibility known as The Key Work of School Boards 2 are executed in partnership with the superintendent. Together, the board and superintendent form the district’s board leadership team. Boards govern and function in an oversight role by performing these five major responsibilities: VISION Of all the roles and responsibilities of governing boards, none is more central to the purpose of local governance than ensuring the establishment of a long-term vision for the school system. The vision reflects the consensus of the community, the board and the district staff regarding what students need to achieve their highest potential. ACCOUNTABILITY A culture of accountability requires the board leadership team to: • Set clear goals and expectations informed by data. • Demonstrate commitment toward improving governance. • Believe in the abilities of your district’s students and staff. • Monitor organizational performance, improvement efforts and achievement of district goals. • Provide constructive feedback. • Take action when progress is not evident. 3 POLICY School boards adopt policies that guide how the district operates. Policies reflect essential board governance statements, such as broad authorizations of programs and services. Policies should clearly define what the board intends or requires, leaving the “how” of implementation and administration to the superintendent or their designees. 4 COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP A successful board devotes a significant amount of time and attention to nurturing its relationships and encouraging two-way communication with the various publics it serves. 5 A clearly written chain of command is the most effective tool for board members to leverage when questions arise from parents and community members. Parent and community questions are best addressed directly with the educator in charge of the class or program. THE KEY WORK OF SCHOOL BOARDS 2 28 WINTER 2021 MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION of SCHOOL BOARDS | LEADERBOARD
RELATIONSHIPS Without good working relationships, even the best plans cannot come to fruition. To maintain the support needed for a successful school district, school boards must build these relationships internally—with each other, the superintendent and the staff—and externally—with parents, the community, other local government, and state and federal officials. 5 1 California School Boards Association. Roles and Responsibilities. Retrieved from csba.org/GovernanceAndPolicyResources/EffectiveGovernance/RoleandResponsibilitiesofSBMs.aspx, Nov. 17, 2020. 2 National School Boards Association. The Key Work of School Boards. Retrieved from nsba.org/Resources/The-Key-Work-of-School-Boards, Nov. 17, 2020. 3 Ohio School Boards Association. Accountability. Retrieved from ohioschoolboards.org/accountability, Nov. 17, 2020. 4 Texas Association of School Boards. School Board Policy Versus Regulation: What’s the Difference? Retrieved from tasb.org/members/enhance-district/ school-board-policy-and-regulation.aspx, Nov. 17, 2020. 5 Colorado Association of School Boards. Building and Maintaining Relationships in Your Community. Retrieved from https://casb.memberclicks.net/ building-and-maintaining-relationships-in-your-community, Nov. 17, 2020. 6 New Jersey School Boards Association. Who Does What in Public School Governance, 2014. 7 Holland Public Schools. Chain of Command/How to Communicate. Retrieved from hollandpublicschools.org/the-district/school-board/, Nov. 17, 2020. 8 Preston Joint School District #201. Board Documents for School Board Members. Retrieved from prestonidahoschools.org/Content2/board-documents-forschool-board-members, Nov. 17, 2020. BOARD/SUPERINTENDENT COLLABORATION 6 To ensure the board and superintendent maintain the best relationship in carrying out their respective duties, each member of the board leadership team follows some basic guidelines FOR THE BOARD • Not acting without consulting the superintendent and getting his/her recommendations. • Recognizing the superintendent as the district’s educational leader and listening to him/her as such. • Not confusing the role of setting policy for the district with that of running the schools. • Not surprising the superintendent. FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT • Keeping the board fully informed at all times. • Implementing policies of the board in the most effective and efficient manner and evaluating the results. • Recognizing the board as the final authority in the school district and conveying that recognition to the rest of the staff. • Not surprising the board. SAMPLE CHAIN OF COMMAND #1: HOLLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS 7 Parents are often discouraged when they attempt to communicate with central office administrators or school board members and are sent back to building-based officials to resolve a problem their child may be experiencing in school. To prevent that frustration, parents can become informed about the “chain of command,” learning where to begin the communication sequence regarding their problem or concern. Each situation should be first addressed at whatever level the initial action was taken, with appeals moving on to the next level in the chain of command. On Matters Involving Instruction/Curriculum • Classroom Teacher • Principal • Director of School Improvement • Superintendent • Board of Education On Matters Involving Special Education Services • Classroom Teacher • Principal • Director of Student Services • Superintendent • Board of Education On Matters Involving Athletics • Coach • Athletic Director • Superintendent • Board of Education On Matters Involving Student Discipline • Classroom Teacher • Principal • Deputy Superintendent • Superintendent • Board of Education On Matters Involving Facilities/Grounds/ Building • Principal • Facilities/Ground Supervisor • Deputy Superintendent • Superintendent • Board of Education On Matters Involving Transportation • Bus Driver • Transportation Supervisor • Deputy Superintendent • Superintendent • Board of Education On Matters Involving Food/ Nutrition Services • Principal • Food/Nutrition Services Director • Deputy Superintendent • Superintendent • Board of Education SCHOOL BOARD SAMPLE CHAIN OF COMMAND #2: PRESTON, IDAHO JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT #201 8 SUPERINTENDENT Deb Macon, MBA Deb is an MASB Consultant, and can be reached at debmacon@aol.com or 248.425.4111. BOARD MEMBER COMPLAINANT PERSON IN AUTHORITY CLOSEST TO THE PROBLEM PERSON CLOSEST TO THE PROBLEM MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION of SCHOOL BOARDS | LEADERBOARD WINTER 2021 29
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Page 3 and 4: 2021-2022 Board of Directors Jill F
Page 5 and 6: E X E C U T I V E N O T E ASSUME GO
Page 7 and 8: WE’RE GLAD YOU’RE HERE By Jill
Page 9 and 10: ASK BRAD: YOUR SCHOOL LAW QUESTIONS
Page 11 and 12: BATTLE CREEK PUBLIC SCHOOLS DISTRIC
Page 13 and 14: A to Z GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY PROGRAM
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Page 39 and 40: WHAT CAN GOVERNMENT RELATIONS DO FO
Page 41 and 42: EVENTS CALENDAR FEB. 10, 2021 MASB
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MASB Leaderboard Winter 2021 Edition

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