District Administration - April 2009 - (Page 42)

Professional oPinion • arthur Griffin The Dna of an effective school Board Maximizing the potential of your governance team DNA (DeoxyriboNucleic AciD) may be the greatest discovery of the 21st century in understanding the physical makeup of living organisms. it’s also known as genetic code, since it contains the instructions to create a complete functioning organism. The segments that carry these instructions are called genes, which determine our personality and physical traits. The combination of these genes is key to en- 2. The Student Achievement Gene The mantra for all school boards is “stuabling individuals to thrive. Similarly, a school board can be ge- dent achievement.” However, it sometimes netically wired for success. each board becomes lost in the shuffle of day-to-day member brings a unique set of genes to operations. Some board members excel at the table. As a former school board chair- keeping student success top of mind and man in charlotte, N.c., i’ve seen how bring the team back to this core objective. some combinations of genes reap amazing These are the members who will engage results while others prevent a board from in dialogue over the best instruction stratstaying focused on its core business— egy. embrace these colleagues; they will student achievement. like humans, each always have student achievement at the school board is different. but in my expe- heart of their argument. rience there are several components that must be present to maximize the poten- 3. The Public Service Gene Some board members become involved tial of the governance team. as an entryway to public service. They want to volunteer their time giving back 1. The Business Sense Gene Some people always focus on the bottom to the community. School boards, like line—how decisions impact the district’s other segments of civic life and governability to reinvest or how sustainable cer- ment, need individuals with an eye on tain proposals might be. To ensure the how to improve the community’s overschool board is a good steward of the all quality of life. community’s assets, look for board mem4. The Big Picture Gene bers who bring this trait to the table. i remember the political pressure to There are individuals who are blessed with seek short-term grants. Fortunately, we the ability to see the big picture. They not had a member on our board who would only consider student achievement, but always ask, “What happens after the grant they simultaneously have an eye on how money runs out? can this strategy be sus- the budget is working, how the communitained financially over time?” by asking ty is engaged, and how the board is doing bottom-line questions, she prompted us overall. They easily see the cause-and-effect of decisions and how the actions of the to rethink some of our positions. 42 April 2009 board and the school district contribute to the whole child and community. one former school board colleague of mine would always ask about health or social welfare issues. She was concerned about the before- and after-school activities of our students as well as parentteacher nights at school. She always kept us considering the whole child. 5. The Change Gene Finally, it’s important to have a board member who is not afraid to bring new thinking to the table. evolution is built on genes that have mutated to adapt to changing environments. Without these mutations, we’d never make any improvements. Nurture those members of your board who push the envelope. They just may be the key to the success of future boards. What’s in Your School Board’s DNA? The answer will guide your district’s future. While some individuals have a combination of these traits, it’s important that all of the above elements are represented on the board. And when election or appointment time rolls around, consider how each candidate will contribute to your board’s genetic makeup. once you’ve established the ideal DNA for your school board, stick with it! remember, DNA is passed from one generation—or in this case, school board— to the next. DA Arthur Griffin is the senior vice president of the Urban Advisory Resource for McGraw-Hill Education and works with team members on strategies to improve student achievement. Prior to joining McGraw-Hill Education, he served 17 years on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg (N.C.) Board of Education. District Administration

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - April 2009

District Administration - April 2009
Contents
From the Editor
Letters
News Update
Assessment
Conversations
Administrator Profile
District Profile
Education’s Shot in the Arm
Lessons Learned from Columbine’s 10th Anniversary
An Interview with Columbine’s Superintendent, Cynthia Stevenson
Keeping Track of Technology
Classroom Technology Integration
How Well Does This Web Site Work?
Professional Opinion
Research Center
New Products
Product Focus
Online Edge

District Administration - April 2009