Why School Boards Succeed or Fail

SCHOOL BOARDS THAT “SUCCEED”

• Employ administrators who have the skills and personality traits to do the job
• Function as a team
• Prioritize the application of available resources to meet district needs
• Recognize the distinction of the roles and responsibilities between the board and superintendent
• Proactively assess the challenges of the district and respond accordingly
• Recognize their own need to learn and set realistic goals and make plans to achieve them
• Communicate accurately and clearly with the public
• Have developed and adhere to a local code of ethics
• Make decisions based upon what is best for all students
• Focus on student achievement

SCHOOL BOARDS THAT “FAIL”

• Have a lack of experience and leadership
• Are not a board-superintendent team
• Blame poor results on lack of resources
• Have poorly conceived understanding of board and administration roles
• Do not recognize or know how to implement needed change
• Have no planned design for success
• Lack public support
• Function without a local code of ethics
• Yield to special interest groups
• Lose sign of their real purpose