Fostering Stronger Superintendent-School Board Relations

Six strategies district leaders might pursue to strengthen their governance teams.

This commentary explores the governance partnership between the board of education and the superintendent, a relationship that sets the tone for the leadership and administration of the entire school district.

Though important during more conventional times, the establishment of strong rapport between board members and the superintendent now warrants particular attention amid the backdrop of increasing turnover of district leadership and a politically charged atmosphere around education policy.

Dorothy Rohde-Collins and J. Cameron Anglum identify contemporary trends in the superintendency and public school boards, which inform six strategies district leaders, including new and returning superintendents, might pursue to strengthen their governance teams.