On Outreach & Training: Focus on the Mission

By Patrick Allen

The Foundational Principles of Effective Governance act as the job description for your school board. The first Foundational Principle is that the board sets the direction of the school district, meaning that it is responsible for the mission, the vision, and the goals of the district. Let’s focus on the mission.

The first thing that we should do is have a definition of a mission statement. A mission statement is a concise statement that outlines an organization’s core purpose and priorities. As a school board member, you know what your district’s mission statement is. But you should also have a good understanding of it. Once you have a deeper understanding of the mission statement, it is much easier to get behind it and be able to speak to it.

When an organization can formulate a mission statement that its people can get behind, it becomes unifying. It will engage and drive the organization.

A long time ago, I came across Google’s mission statement, and it has always stuck with me as an example of a great mission statement: “To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” When you think about what Google does, that mission statement really hits the mark. It is easy for employees to understand what the company does. If someone has new ideas, do these ideas further the mission statement? This is a question that boards can ask themselves when new things come up. Does this new idea further the district’s mission statement? If not, is it an idea that the board should need or want to focus on?

In my free time, I serve on a volunteer board. When I attended my first meeting, I remember being confused. Our group was accomplishing many great things. The kids we served were receiving excellent services.

But, what was our focus? Did we know what we were trying to accomplish?

So, after the meeting, I asked about our mission statement. No one knew. Everyone in the room was contributing to excellent things, but no one knew what our mission was. Then, I was volunteered to create a mission statement for our organization. With the help of a couple of other board members, we created a mission statement that encapsulates what our organization does. Now, when we have meetings and new ideas are discussed, we refer back to our mission statement and ensure that these new ideas help us accomplish that. It is also used when we talk about our organization. Whether it be a TV spot, a radio spot, or talking with someone who might like to sponsor one of our events, we can discuss our mission statement, which gives an overview of what our organization is about.

Many of us have worked or volunteered for an organization that had a mission statement that did not align with the actual work of the organization. It makes it difficult to work for that organization. Employees aren’t as motivated and driven when they don’t know what the mission is, let alone disagree with the mission.

It is your responsibility as the board to ensure that the mission fits your district. If your district’s current mission statement isn’t working, take the time to adjust it as necessary. This isn’t a process that should be done overnight. Think on it. Get multiple opinions on it. Then share it within the district. Make sure it is inclusive of all students. Once you receive and incorporate this feedback, share your new mission statement with the entire district community.

It is hard to believe, but the 2027 elections are right around the corner. The mission is an important thing for new board members to understand, and the current board members are the experts on this mission. It is your responsibility to ensure that, should new board members arrive, they too understand the mission at the strategic level, in addition to all of the other things that new board members will have to learn. If there are questions about the mission from the new board members, that can lead to very good conversations that the board can have.

Now that you have a new mission statement, as a board member, it is important that you lead so that the mission statement can be achieved. Be an example of the mission. When speaking with members of your community, speak about the mission. When board members lead with the mission, they maintain the strategic level of local governance that boards should aspire to.

Patrick Allen is Director of Outreach & Training for IASB, working primarily with the Abe Lincoln, Egyptian, Kaskaskia, and Two Rivers divisions.