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Illinois School Board Journal
November/December 2003
Five valuable lessons emerge from service
by Brian J. Gerloff
Brian J. Gerloff is a former member and president of the Woodstock Community School District 200 Board of Education.
After eight fulfilling and, I hope, productive years on the school board in Woodstock, Illinois - the last six as president - I recently left the board. It seemed like the right time for new people and new ideas, but it was an affectionate and amicable parting.
In my full-time job, I work as a dairy cattle veterinarian. My school board experiences have provided me with many insights into my veterinary career. I think those same insights might have some interest and relevance for new school board members as well, and I offer them as an orientation for new board members.
Lesson Number One: Governance is not management.
When we are first elected to the school board, all of us want to make a positive difference. Often we think the best way to do that is to figure out better ways for our school staff to do the jobs they are already doing. We may have a specific area or program that we believe needs change or improvement, and we may have definite ideas on how to accomplish that. Or, perhaps, we may believe that replacing key administrators (usually the superintendent) will magically correct perceived problems in the district.
Although our preconceptions may be correct and maybe our specific ideas to improve schools will, in fact, be effective, most of us soon discover that we can't manage the schools that we are required to oversee. We don't have the time or the expertise, and we have hired many capable people to do just that.
The key is to change our frame of reference from management to governance. I believe a good analogy is that of a boat: we should function as the rudder for our districts, not as the oars or the motor.
We are responsible for setting direction, goals and outcomes for the district, and allowing our staff to figure out the best way to get there. Then, as a board, we should monitor progress and staff behavior in accomplishing those goals.
As our board participated in training programs to improve our governance processes and behavior, we moved toward a truer governance role, rather than glorified management. John Carver, in his book Boards That Make a Difference, has outlined a comprehensive approach to a policy governance model, one that allows for a strong board and a strong administration, important for high achieving districts. This approach emphasizes the board's role as the rudder for the district, not the oars, and helps a board clarify its role as stewards of the community in overseeing their schools.
Lesson Number Two: Try to get along with everyone.
Most school boards in Illinois have seven members, and often those seven people disagree. Sometimes, other members of the board can have incredibly stupid ideas about what should or should not be done. However, everyone on the board has the same legitimacy as every other person. All board members were elected or appointed through the democratic process, and their opinions matter.
We have to cultivate an atmosphere and environment in which all opinions are honored and respected. Incorporating all perspectives and opinions into the board's decision-making process leads to better decisions, and a more rewarding environment for all concerned.
So, while you do not have to like everyone, you do have to work with all the other board members.
Lesson Number Three: Keep an open mind.
When I was first elected to the board of education, many of my dairy farmer clients had served or were serving on their own local school boards. Almost all were glad to offer me plenty of advice upon my election. Some of that advice has even been valuable!
One of the most valuable pieces of advice: Keep an open mind.
Many times when we are first confronted with an issue, an answer or decision seems obvious. However, sometimes we soon learn that, as we gather more information about the situation or circumstance, we only knew part of the story to begin with. Or, other board members have a completely different perspective or insights about the same subject. When the total picture is examined, our preconceptions may be proven either wrong or distorted.
It is important to gather as much information as possible before making a decision or committing to a course of action. If all board members remain open-minded as information is gathered, sometimes what appeared to be a divisive, difficult decision becomes clear and based on consensus.
Lesson Number Four: When people get mad at you, don't get mad back.
Another of my dairy clients with school board experience shared this gem with me, and over my eight-year school board career, it also has been invaluable. No matter how conscientious, open-minded and careful in our decision-making process, some decisions still will be unpopular with some people. It is important for the board to maintain a civil, courteous and compassionate atmosphere as those decisions are implemented. Don't get mad back.
Lesson Number Five: It's not your job to make sure the board makes the right decision. It is your job to make sure the board makes its decisions the right way.
When I was first elected board president, I felt personally vested in each decision the board made. It thought it was my responsibility to make sure that the right thing happened; I needed to make sure the votes went "correctly." Of course, "correctly" meant "according to my beliefs."
At some point, I figured out that none of us are always correct, and I would be wrong sometimes, as would the board. My job was really to make sure the environment in which we made our decisions gave us the opportunity to make the best decision possible - also recognizing that it would sometimes not be the one I would make individually.
We need to examine all sides of an issue, provide ample opportunity for input from all affected parties, and discuss and deliberate in an atmosphere of civility and courtesy. Then, whatever our decision, we will be comfortable that we arrived at it as fairly as we could. Once I quit worrying so much about what the decision was and focused on arriving at that decision fairly and honestly, our decisions improved.
These five lessons have proven to be very valuable in my school board career, as well as in my professional life. While they may seem obvious, it took me a while to figure them out. I hope my sharing them allows a faster learning curve for some of the rest of you.
Foundational principles of school governance
(Editor's Note: Former board member Brian Gerloff referenced John Carver's Boards That Make A Difference. The Illinois Association of School Boards adopted the following principles, based on the Carver model, as a foundation for teaching Illinois boards about school governance.)
As the corporate entity charged by law with governing a school district, each School Board sits in trust for its entire community. The obligation to govern effectively imposes some fundamental duties on the Board:
1. The Board Clarifies the District Purpose.
As its primary task, the Board continually defines, re-defines and articulates district ends to answer the recurring question - who gets what benefits for how much?
2. The Board Connects With the Community.
The Board engages in an ongoing two-way conversation with the entire community. The purpose of the conversation is to enable the board to hear and understand the community's educational aspirations and desires, to serve effectively as an advocate for district improvement, and to inform the community of the district's performance.
3. The Board Employs a Superintendent.
The Board employs and evaluates one person - the superintendent - and holds that person accountable for the performance of the school district. Additionally, the Board holds the superintendent responsible for employing and evaluating district staff.
4. The Board Delegates Authority.
The Board delegates authority to the superintendent to manage the district and provide leadership for the staff. Such authority is communicated through written policies that specify ends desired by the board and define operating limits.
5. The Board Monitors Performance.
The Board constantly monitors progress toward district ends and compliance with written Board policies.
6. The Board Takes Responsibility For Itself.
The Board, collectively and individually, takes full responsibility for Board activity and behavior. Board deliberations and actions are limited to Board work, not staff work.