Excellence in Governance

1. Excellence in Governance Alberta School Boards Association January 2011 George B. Cuff, FCMC

2. Topics to be Covered

3. Agenda • Some Introductory Background • Why Governance and Leadership are Important • The Essence of Leadership • The Keys to Good Governance • The Challenges of Governing • What’s Wrong with the Status Quo • Tone at the Top: The Board-CEO Relationship • What Effective Governance is • What Should Your Board be Doing • Questions, Comments, Adjourn!

4. A Brief Introduction • Born, raised, educated in Jasper Place & Edmonton; grad of JPCHS in mid-60s; then of U of A in mid- 70’s • A boxer and a runner in high school; both essential to survival! • Experience as a banker, oil/gas accountant, communications officer, recreation/parks director, elected official & consultant • Mayor of Spruce Grove for 12 years • Management consultant for 34 years; FCMC 2007

5. A Brief Introduction • President of the AUMA (1982-83) & FCM (1988-89); Award of Distinction from both • Author of 250± articles on governance & leadership; published 4 books on local government governance through Municipal World • Consulted to all 3 levels of government & overseas (boards, agencies, Boards, associations); Reports for approximately 500 organizations; another 500 seminars in all 10 Provinces, 3 territories • Old!

6. Why Governance & Leadership are Important

7. So What? Governance & leadership are important because: • These are the key elements and foundations of our democratic institutions • Because the decisions made impact all aspects of our lives • Because the input of citizens occurs through the voices of their elected officials • Because all organizations need to understand their direction/goals/priorities to achieve mandate

8. What is Governance? The process of exercising leadership: • by the governing body(the Trustees) • on behalf of those represented (i.e. the citizens) • to the constituencies we serve • in terms of organization’s purpose/control/future • while providing oversight to ensure that its mandate is achieved.

9. The Essence of Leadership

10. What is Leadership All About? • Leadership is About Learning • In a study of 90 top leaders, leadership experts Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus made a discovery about the relationship between growth and leadership. They reported “It is the capacity to develop and improve their skills that distinguishes leaders from followers”. Successful leaders are learners. It is an ongoing process of self-discipline and perseverance.

11. What is Leadership All About? • Leadership is about Self-Awareness • The late English Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli commented “To be conscious that you are ignorant of the facts is a great step to knowledge”.

12. What is Leadership All About? • Leadership is About Preparation • Former heavyweight champion Joe Frazier stated “You can map out a fight plan, but when the fight starts you’re down to your reflexes. That’s where the roadwork shows. If you cheated in the dark of the morning, you’ll be found out under the bright lights.”

13. What is Leadership All About? • Leadership is About Influence • Harry A. Overstreet, author of the Mature Mind, a required text for our university class 35 years ago, states "The very essence of all power to influence lies in getting the other person to participate". While you may be able to demand certain actions as a boss, you will only capture their hearts by effective persuasion and by example.

14. What is Leadership All About? • Leadership is All About Integrity • General Norman Schwartzkopf spoke of the issue of integrity when he said, "Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without strategy".

15. Why is Leadership Important? • Leaders: • provide the impetus for movement • possess the characteristics which enables others to follow their course • are people of integrity, vision and perseverance • are passionate about what their organization has done and can do • are successful at convincing others to join in their cause.

16. The Keys to Good Governance

17. The Keys: Adhere to Sound Principles Understand & preserve your mandate Be clear re: vision/values/goals/priorities Trustees are chosen as the representative of the “community” Board & Superintendent need clarity re: collective & personal accountability Orientation must be focused on the meaning & processes of governance Board decision-making based on legislation & policies

18. The Keys: Adhere to Sound Principles Board decisions flow from Board generated policies Board policies flow from various inputs Trustees confidence & success of policies rooted in trust relationship with Superintendent/administration 10. Trustees need respect for fellow board members 11. System committed to full disclosure of relevant information 12. Regular reporting on system results the shared responsibility of Trustees & Superintendent

19. Types of Governance • Fiduciary governance: thelegal, financial, and policy responsibilities of the board; includes the School Act requirements, board policy, business oversight and budget/audit processes. • Strategic governance: the processes by which boards plan and make major decisions with respect to resources, programs and services – the board engages in this realm with input/consultation from stakeholders. • Generative governance: the Board, Administration, staff, students and community collaborate to frame problematic situations, make sense of experiences, and engage the collective mind. • Source: Canadian Rockies Public Schools

20. Effective Governing Bodies • Recognize why each member is on the board • Respect the varying gifts/talents each brings • Understand that healthy dialogue essential • Are comfortable disagreeing on the issues • Respect the often difficult role of Chair • Commit to not criticize each other personally • Are not overwhelmed by the expertise of their advisors

21. Effective Governing Bodies (2) • Develop a common sense of key priorities • Embrace the inputs of administration, public, teachers, students • Respect the legislation & responsibilities of Government; push back when Government moves into Board’s mandate • Cherish its own policy governance role; stay out of the knitting

22. The Challenges of Governing

23. Impediments to Good Governance • Limited awareness of roles; inadequate orientation or an orientation focused on administration • Frustrated former educators who use new role to lash out at the “unfair” system/people • Focus primarily on Superintendent’s responsibilities • Limited commitment to “what did I promise?” during recent election campaign • Limited awareness of “the trustee is the public’s ally in encouraging system improvements”

24. Impediments to Good Governance (2) • Lack of desire to challenge Government on the key issues • Lack of stomach to make the tough decisions; jelly in the face of any opposition • Not being the public “policy” face; deferring to administration in the battles • Not being willing to learn from the past or from others in the business of public education • Not taking the time to “see beyond”

25. What’s Wrong with the Status Quo?

26. Fractures in the Status Quo • “There are those who preserve the status quo long after the quo has lost its status” • My perception of the challenges: • What does a School Board do? • What is a Board trustee? • Who are my Board members? • What have they accomplished lately? • Who are they working with? How do they help our community?

27. Roles of Board (Legislated) • A board can decide if a person beyond legislated requirements can attend school (Sec. 8) • A board may authorize the use of French or any other language as a language of instruction (Sec. 11(1)) • May establish an attendance area for a school (Sec.13) • Refer attendance issues to an Attendance Board (Sec. 15) • Designate principals (Sec.19) • May offer alternative programming (Sec. 21)

28. Roles of Board (Legislated) • Develop/implement policies re: school councils (sec. 22) • Maintain school records for each student (sec.23) • Reinstate suspended students (sec. 24) • Expel a student (sec.25) • Provide early childhood services (sec.30) • Shall ensure that each of its resident students is provided with an education program consistent with the requirements of this Act and the regulations (sec. 45)

29. Roles of Board (Legislated) • Place students in a special education program (sec.47-48) • Has authority to charge tuition fees (sec. 49) • May prescribe religious or patriotic instruction (sec. 50) • Shall provide transportation (sec.51-52) • May provide maintenance allowance for students unable to attend designated school because of living arrangements (sec.53) • May provide off-campus education programs for students (sec.54)

30. Roles of Board (Legislated) • May develop or provide courses to any person on any subject (sec.55) • Decide when school is “in” (i.e. days/hours open) (sec.56) • May temporarily close a school building if the health or safety of the students is endangered (sec.57) • 60(1) A board must • establish policies respecting the provision of educational services and programs; in respect of its operations keep in force a policy or policies of insurance, • maintain, repair, furnish and keep in good order all its real and personal property;

31. Roles of Board (Legislated) • A board must • make copies of the rules made by it available to those of its employees who are affected by the rules; • make rules respecting the circumstances in which a student may be suspended or expelled and the circumstances in which an expelled student may be re-enrolled (sec.60) • A board MAY • develop, acquire or offer courses or programs • provide for parental and community involvement in schools (sec.60) • invest only in accordance with the regulations • provide for the payment of travelling and other expenses and honoraria to trustees

32. Roles of Board (Legislated) • make payments, other than loans or grants, to another board; • make grants or payments, other than loans, to an association of school trustees or to a person or organization engaged in educational activities; • at its own expense or otherwise, arrange, undertake or sponsor for its students educational, cultural or recreational trips inside or outside its district or division; • establish committees and specify the powers and duties of the committees; • charge a parent of a student fees with respect to instructional supplies or materials; • make any banking arrangements necessary for the carrying out of its duties and powers. (sec.60)

33. Roles of Board (Legislated) • 61(1) The board may authorize by resolution any of its employees, a committee of the board or that is established by the board, a school council, or a joint committee established under section 63, to do any act or thing or exercise any power that the board may or is required to do or exercise subject to the directions and limitations set out in the resolution, except for those powers referred to in subsection (2). • (2) The board shall not delegate the power to make a bylaw under this Act, the power to close a school or school building under section 58, the power to requisition from a municipality that the board may have from time to time, and (f) the power to hold a hearing under section 104. • (3) Notwithstanding subsection (1), the board shall not delegate, except to the superintendent, the power to suspend the services of a teacher, or the power to terminate the services of a teacher.

34. Roles of Board (Generic) • Leadership: • vision, priorities, dispute resolution • Decision-making: • best process, access to quality information & advice • Public participation: • determine best approach; identify administrative contact

35. Roles of Board • Ensure open door communication: • Provide access; ensure information available; don’t over-react to complaints • Guard resources: • Set policies; monitor; meet with auditor • Policy Leadership: • Identify the issues; review/refine/update/observe

36. Roles of the Chair (Legislated) • 65(1) At the organizational meeting, and afterwards at any time as determined by the board, the board shall elect one of its members as chair and another as vice-chair to hold office during the pleasure of the board. • (2) If the chair through illness or other cause is unable to perform the duties, the vice-chair has all the powers and shall perform all the duties of the chair during the chair’s inability to act or absence. • (3)If both the chair and the vice-chair through illness or other cause are unable to perform the duties of the office or are absent, the board shall appoint from among its members an acting chair…has all the powers during chair’s …absence.

37. Roles of the Chair (Generic) • Chairing meetings; providing guidance • Team-building; encouraging consensus • Advocate of Board’s agenda • Public spokesperson • Conduit of decisions to public and others • Board’s primary linkage to Superintendent & others

38. One Key to Good Governance The relationship of the Board to its chief officer is one of the most significant keys to any system of governance. This relationship must be founded on respect, trust, role clarity, open communication, transparency of decision-making and no surprises.

39. Roles of the Superintendent (Legislated) • Transfer of teachers (Sec. 104, School Act) • Suspension of teachers (as delegated) (Sec. 105) • Report to Registrar regarding suspension (Sec. 109) • Serve as chief executive officer of the board and the chief education officer of the district or division (Sec.113)

40. Roles of the Superintendent • carry out the duties assigned to the superintendent by the board (Sec. 113) • supervise the operation of schools and the provision of education programs • implementing education policies established by the Minister • ensuring that students have the opportunity to meet the standards of education;

41. Roles of the Superintendent • ensuring that the fiscal management of the district or division by the treasurer or secretary-treasurer is in accordance with the terms or conditions of any grants received by the board; • providing leadership in all matters relating to education in the district or division • report to the Minister with respect to the matters referred to in the form and contain the information required by the Minister. (Sec. 113)

42. Roles of the Superintendent • A board shall not enter into a contract of employment or a contract renewing a contract of employment with an individual who is appointed as a superintendent under this section unless the contract includes a maximum term of not more than 5 years with no option to renew or extend the contract at the end of the term if the individual is not reappointed under this section. • (2) If a board intends to reappoint a superintendent named in a contract referred to in subsection (1), the board shall, not less than 6 months before the contract ends, give to the Minister, in the form and containing the information required by the Minister, notice of its intention to reappoint the superintendent. (Sec. 114)

43. Roles of the Superintendent • The Minister may make regulations governing the qualifications, appointment and conditions of employment and termination of employment of superintendents of schools. (Sec. 115) • The board shall • appoint a secretary and a treasurer, or one person to act as secretary-treasurer…(sec.116)

44. Roles of the Superintendent (Generic) • Experienced, educated, professional policy advisor to Board; conduit of decisions to organization • Implementer of Board decisions • Key linkpin between Board & administration; quality control of advice up & action down • Key defender of the principles undergirding quality education for all students

45. Roles of the Superintendent (Generic) • Defender of the administration & teachers • Champion of the administration; mentor • Approval authority for administrative actions • Stimulant for good governance; sound & inspired leadership & top flight education • Partnership builder; liaison to admin colleagues

46. Expectations of Board Members

47. What Is Expected of Board Members? (1) • A willingness to learn this new role • A desire to provide effective leadership to their administration, communities/parents/students • An understanding that governing bodies and their administrations two distinct components of same team • Respect for the distinctiveness of each role; desire to avoid overlap and enhance accountability • High level of integrity

48. What Is Expected of Board Members? (2) • Desire to serve; the attitude of a servant heart • Recognition of the need for orientation to this Board, organization and culture • Respect for the ideas of others • Focus on governance (the real role of a Board) • Willingness to be agents of change • Questions!

49. Hallmarks of a Successful Board

50. Hallmarks of a Successful Board Member (1 of 2) • Prepared to learn • Servant of those being served • Respectful of others, yet not afraid to challenge • Well-prepared; but open to the ideas of others • Understands & accepts democracy • Prepared to ask “dumb questions”