What a Superintendent Learns from Board Service

BOARD-SAVVY SUPERINTENDENT

Superintendent by day and board member by night. This was a phrase that I thought about during my four-year stint as a school board member in the district where I lived while serving as superintendent in a district 30 miles away.

I had not prepared for my board role but was quite aware of how a school board works. When I received the call asking about my willingness to fill a term for a board member who had resigned, I didn’t hesitate to say I would. Because my political party is the minority party in town, some raised concerns, but my prior teaching experience in the district served me well as several people spoke favorably on my behalf.

Regularly On-Call

Several of my experiences as a board member became key learning experiences during my 25 years in the superintendency. Foremost was the fact that board members receive numerous requests and demands from parents and community members seeking a particular action on some issue.