StudentAchievement

The Ultimate BenefitOf Effective Governance

MASB Annual Fall Conference2008

The Path to SuccessfulSuperintendent, Board, and

Community Relations

Gary Lister

Zenand the

of School Governance

Success

Successful living means functioning well in love and work.

~ Sigmund Freud

Do you want to govern your districts successfully?

Your “how” is important

Keep coming back, and though the world may romp across your spine,

Let every game’s end find you still upon the battling line;For when the One Great Scorer comes to mark

against your name,He writes ~ not that you won or lost ~

but how you played the Game.

~ Grantland Rice From the poem “Alumnus Football”

How are you playing the game?

Introduction

This presentation focuses on student achievement and successful board, superintendent, and community relations. While I’ve chosen a “Eastern philosophy” flavor or theme, this is intended to be informative and entertaining- it is NOT intended to be taken as gospel, held sacred, nor revered. Board service can be pleasing, enlightening, amusing, and rewarding. It can also be confusing, frustrating, contradicting, and painful. Together, let’s remind ourselves of what’s really important - student achievement.

The Eightfold Path to Artistry

☯ Right Understanding☯ Right Thought☯ Right Speech☯ Right Action

☯ Right Livelihood☯ Right Effort☯ Right Mindfulness☯ Right Concentration

These paths are neither rules nor commandments; rather they are a framework for productive and effective governance. Observing them will not guarantee your success; ignoring them, however, will guarantee your failure.

Focus

An ancient African folktale has application to today’s school boards…….

Choose Your “Antelope” Carefully

Right Understanding

How many sides are there to every situation?

Can you make an effective decision without considering all sides?

Right Thought

Folk wisdom, philosophers, and many religions tell us “we are what we think.”

Your thoughts are part of the primary foundation that sets the stage for every board encounter or situation. Are you setting the stage for success or for failure?

Right Speech

It’s not fair, but you should assume you are wearing an open mike in all but the most private conversations and even then you should be on guard.

People pay attention to what board members say. Your remarks can (and will) be taken out of context. Avoid lies, half-truths, “double-speak,” gossip, and petty or inflammatory comments.

Right Action

While everyone has a deeply personal understanding of what it means to “do the right thing” and politicians often hijack the phrase, doing the right things for the right reasons will go a long, long way toward ensuring your ultimate success as a board.

Right Livelihood

While none can live solely on their board compensation, most of us have “nailed” this one. You have chosen to serve through leadership – a servant leader to use a common phrase. Where some run afoul here is in there motivation. Are you a board member because you genuinely want to serve your community and make it a better place or do you somehow view board service as a “stepping stone” to other things?

If you are bringing good to your community and enriching your spirit by your service, then it isthe right livelihood.

Right Effort

Right effort is akin to self-discipline.

I know it’s not a popular notion (especially among board members), but boards can sometimes stand a bit of improvement. Right effort means making conscious attempts to cultivate positive qualities, thoughts, and actions in ourselves (as individuals and as a group) while working (hard)to prevent or eliminate negativequalities, thoughts, and tendencies.

Right Mindfulness

Board service is work – plain and simple. It takes effort and it takes commitment. Listed in the fine print of the job description are also sleepless nights, heartburn, and indigestion.

Right mindfulness means being constantly aware of the pulse of your districts and stakeholders. You should know what is happening around you and how it impacts your students. Right mindfulness requires engagement and effort.

Right Concentration

Board members are not immune to the distractions of life. We have other issues with jobs, families, finances, but when it comes to board business we must attempt to let those things fade into the background and concentrate wholly on what we are doing at the moment. It’s not easy, but with practice, we can get better at it.

Being completely immersed in the business at hand at board meetings (no matter how mundane or routine) will make you more effective (and more efficient).

Achieving the mission of the Oxford Hills School District is a collaborative process that requires communication and shared responsibility by the following:

SCHOOL BOARD:

• provide leadership and vision • ensure the implementation of the district mission • establish policies for quality education • allocate financial resources to achieve district goals • approve curriculum that establishes high standards • insist upon academic excellence for students and staff • maintain confidentiality and professionalism • ensure a safe, healthy and orderly environment • encourage active parental and community involvement • maintain awareness of community needs and concerns • be informed about educational issues • maintain a high level of competency in their role

Oxford Hills School District, 1570 Main St Suite 11, Oxford, Maine 04270

The Way Ahead

You have choices….

Who Are You?

This question is absolutely fundamental for successful governance. Every single member of your board should be able to – at a moment’s notice – articulate your values, your beliefs, your goals, etc. Everyone should have a 60 second “elevator speech” and be able to deliver it with conviction.

Know Yourself

Each board – and each person – is perceived as not one, but three “whos”:

Who we think we are;Who others think we are; &Who we really are.

Learn from Your Mistakes

2006 Olympics Medalist Sasha CohenShe fell on the first jump,bobbled the second jump,

then she pulled herself together and won the silver!

Where Does Your Compass Point?

Do you have the equivalent of Disney’s “North Star” to help guide your (and other’s) actions?

Reinvent Yourself!

All boards can benefit from the occasional “fresh start.”

Follow the five second rule

Or….Shut up and listen!

One thousand one, one thousand two, etc….

Journalism 101; AKA Boardsmanship

Helpful, but notcrucial

Nice tohave

MUST have information

To communicate effectively with your stakeholders,

remember the Inverted Pyramid

You have theirfull attention

to start

They begin to fade

Some quit listeningand tune out

Nurture Dreams!

John Mellencamp, “Pink Houses”

“….they told me, when I was younger Boy, you’re gonna be president but just like everything else, those old crazy dreams

just kinda came and went…”

Thank you!

Thank you for your attention this morning and best wishes as you

serve your districts. It’s my hope for you that you leave a lasting legacy through your efforts.