On Outreach & Training: Continuity of Leadership
By Lori GrantChances are, you’ve recently welcomed a new board member or two (or more) and officially reorganized your board of education, setting the stage for the year to come. You have selected — or maybe you are — the board president, vice president, treasurer, secretary. You’ve scheduled your meetings. Everyone is finding their marks and learning their lines in a role on the district’s governance team.
Even though its members change, the school board is a continuing entity. This is important because, first of all, you’re not re-doing everything the previous board did. It’s ongoing work, building from meeting to meeting, year to year.
The board as a continuing entity is also important because it spotlights the necessity to be mindful of continuity of leadership. The board, as we know from Foundational Principle 6, takes responsibility for itself. And it’s the responsibility of every current board to ensure future boards are ready to lead, so that the work of governing education in your community is achieved with continuity and effectiveness. Superintendents rely on board leaders for guidance, feedback, and partnership. Many school improvement efforts require multi-year implementation, and stable leadership ensures consistent direction.
With the board newly organized, it may not seem like it, but now is the time to plan ahead. Who will be the next president of your board of education? It’s never too early to determine interest and begin training — informal or formal — for leadership roles on the board. The law doesn’t specify how to elect board officers. Boards can determine this by policy or tradition. Some boards of education have a new president each election cycle; others may keep a trusted member at the head of the table for decades.
Regardless of your board’s established practices, all boards need to consider succession. How do you manage continuity of leadership? Here are some practical steps you can take.
Involve the VP
An obvious candidate for the potential next board president is the vice president. The VP should regularly, or always if the team prefers, sit in on meeting preparations and work with the president on developing the agenda.
Leading the successful planning and operation of a meeting is one of the most essential responsibilities of the school board president, and learning to do so is critical. Vice presidents and other potential future presidents should do more than wait for the president’s absence to act. They should pay close attention to how each meeting is conducted, strive to help the board stay on task, and take the lead in the board’s evaluations of its meetings.
Consider Long-Term Possibilities
School board presidents do more than run the meetings, although that’s no doubt a key part of what they do. The president is also responsible for directing the board toward its long-range goals and strategic planning, even in the event of board turnover. It’s another reason why continuity of leadership is so critical.
Keeping each board member involved and active on the board is so important for long-term board work. Anyone interested in the role of board president should consider the many ways an individual board member can establish leadership credentials. That includes establishing the mission and vision and setting and monitoring goals, plus committee work, policy study, advocacy, and connecting with the community.
Do This Now
As noted in Coming to Order:
“Regardless of who was elected or their reasons for running, once new members are seated, it is the responsibility of the entire board to see that new members are prepared to contribute as quickly as possible and become part of the new board team. The new board member faces a daunting task in acquiring the factual knowledge, conceptual understanding, and interpersonal skills that characterize the productive school board member. Familiarity with school board governance, school finance, and school law are just the beginning.”
Although it’s the responsibility of the entire board, aligning and assigning the work of your board’s potential next president with the learning curve of your new members is a win-win for everyone.
As the presiding officer, the board president sets the tone and climate of the board meeting to create an environment that fosters decision-making and the fair treatment of all members. Having consistency in leadership enables the board to operate effectively. Creating ongoing opportunities for the board’s potential next president to develop those abilities will ensure a smooth transition when the time comes for a new leader.
Lori Grant is Associate Executive Director for Outreach, Training & Events with the Illinois Association of School Boards. Resources associated with this piece can be accessed via www.iasb.com/Journal.