What questions should the board use to evaluate the school's leadership in 2020, especially in light of the current societal and economic disruptions caused by the pandemic? That's an inquiry we received last week that is important for all schools to consider.

Few board members have bad intentions at heart, but all of the dysfunction in education can be traced back to good intentions gone awry.

They really meant well, but they underestimated the complex ecosystem of relationships that comprise a school and the unintended consequences that resulted from their decisions.

Random selection is effective for statistical research and it's very INeffective for school board leadership. Great boards are produced from a disciplined process of selection, onboarding, training, accountability, and evaluation. Your faculty and students are far too valuable to gamble on the board.

We grow schools and the people who have the courage to lead them. That mission requires a travel schedule that is sometimes rough on the body but it’s worth it because of the privilege we have to guide administrators, board leaders, and faculty to a joyful path forward.

What if your strategic plan has actually caused more harm than good? 
Perhaps the board and administration got together for a few days or even spent some months hammering out a long-term plan.

But is it really making a difference? Did the process used to create the plan strengthen relationships, build leadership capacity, and improve the culture?

At a recent Leader Retreat for a school board, one of the longest-serving board members raised a major issue. He was grey-headed and, based on the body language and deference of the others in the room, he was highly respected for his experience and wisdom.

One Saturday we facilitated a Leadership Retreat for their school board. We assessed organizational health and included a brief introduction on how to properly Sequence messages in order to build trust and engagement.

All went as planned--and then it didn't.

"The head administrator is leaving"

That's the kind of difficult news that every school has to share at some point. The culture of the school is inevitably impacted by such an announcement--enrollment may suffer as a result and faculty confidence will likely be shaken.

What's the best way to communicate such a message? Fall back into damage control mode or use this as an opportunity to build engagement?

As long as enrollment is the primary source of revenue for the school, the school board will be very interested in how to improve and grow it. When the board and the administration work as a cohesive team, growth is more likely to happen. So, how can board members appropriately contribute to the enrollment goals?

GoEnnounce elivers a new way for schools to teach and reinforce digital citizenship. Using this beautifully designed application, students can track, save, and share their academic and extracurricular progress with family, friends, and advisers. They can highlight awards and accomplishments, post updates, showcase school work, and even raise money for school-related activities.