THE ESSENTIAL WORK OF VERMONT SCHOOL BOARDS

1. THE ESSENTIAL WORK OF VERMONT SCHOOL BOARDS Vermont School Boards Association Webinar April 10, 2012

2. How the webinar works • We’ll control your computer screen • Listen through computer • Written question responses • During presentation and afterward • Polling • Archive on VSBA web site • Online evaluation following the webinar

3. Introductions to the VSBA Staff Kerri Lamb klamb@vtvsba.org Steve Dale sdale@vtvsba.org Harry Frank hfrank@vtvsba.org Nicole Mace nmace@vtvsba.org 800-244-8722

4. SESSION GOALS • Introduce the staff of VSBA • Present the Essential Work of School Boards • Address Common Challenges of Board Members • Explain the services of VSBA

5. WHY DO WE HAVE SCHOOL BOARDS?

6. WHY SCHOOL BOARDS • To assure that the education of our children remains a high priority in each community--LOCAL OWNERSHIP. • To be certain that children are educated in a way that reflects the values of local communities (within parameters). • To be certain that our local education systems are effective. • To build strong support for education among the general public

7. DUAL STRUCTURES FOR LOCAL EDUCATION GOVERNANCEA Brief History of Education in Vermont

8. THE ROLE OF THE BOARD The school board acts as trustees on behalf of the community to provide strong oversight of public education, assuring: • high quality education for students • the public gets good return on its investment • the system operates effectively and ethically -Board goes “first” and “last” -Board members are not administrators

9. THE ROLE OF THE SUPERVISORY UNION BOARD Overseer of education for the region through the Supervisory Union, assuring mutual accountability with superintendent, and seeking greater student opportunity and operating efficiency.

10. THE ESSENTIAL WORK OF SCHOOL BOARDS • Engage the community in support of the education of students. • Create a vision for education in the community. • Establish policies. • Hire a superintendent to provide leadership and manage the district. • Develop and adopt a budget and oversee finances. • Monitor progress toward the vision. Assure accountability for results. • Meet key legal roles—quasi-judicial; collective bargaining

11. ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY IN SUPPORT OF THE EDUCATION OF STUDENTS. • Board members are liaisons with the community • Board needs to be strong advocates • Educate the public around the future—need their assent to move into the “new world”

12. Participant Poll Community Engagement

13. CREATE A VISION FOR EDUCATION IN THE COMMUNITY. • If our kids had an ideal education, • how would we know it? • what would be happening? • What do you want children to know? • What do you want them to be able to do? • What kinds of experiences do you want them to have? • What kinds of citizens are you encouraging?

14. Examples • Are we committed to addressing the achievement gap? • How important are the arts? • How fast and fully will we integrate technology? • Do we want all 6th graders to be able to speak a foreign language? • Do we want all parents to be fully engaged in the education of their children? • Can we achieve more for our children seriously exploring connections with neighboring districts?

15. Participant Poll Vision

16. ESTABLISH POLICIES • Be clear on what you want accomplished • Set parameters—areas where you don’t want the administration going • Based on informed values of the community • Assure major legal obligations are met • Assure sound risk management Don’t micromanage Don’t tie the hands of administrators to make reasonable decisions based on the facts- preserve flexibility Be clear about the Role of the Local Board and the Role of the SU Board

17. Participant Poll Policies

18. HIRE A SUPERINTENDENT TO PROVIDE LEADERSHIP AND MANAGE THE DISTRICT. • Hire a superintendent to serve as CEO of all districts and of the SU itself. • Assure mutual accountability. • Create a true board—sense of common mission, able to articulate priorities for superintendent, invested in the interests of all member boards. • Board/Supt Relationship is key to success • Good communication, clear priority setting, regular evaluation.

19. Participant Poll Superintendent

20. MONITOR PROGRESS TOWARD THE VISION. ASSURE ACCOUNTABILITY. Establish a plan for regular monitoring of results Achievement of Student Outcomes • Trends over time • Reasonable Progress • Multiple Measures Compliance with Policies • If in policy must be monitored • Set regular schedule • Focused on the past • Minimum information needed to satisfy Board • Can always go deeper Financial Compliance/Performance

21. Participant Poll Monitoring

22. DEVELOP AND ADOPT A BUDGET TO FULFILL THE VISION AND OVERSEE FINANCES. • Establish priorities. • What is the vision? • What is most important? • Establish parameters. • $ limits? • Absolutes? • Expect administrators to be creative in developing a budget to achieve the vision within the parameters. • Connections with other districts? • Use of technology? • “Own” the SU Budget • Assure sound oversight—internal controls, regular financial reports

23. Participant Poll Budget

24. ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES • Serve as a quasi-judicial board to resolve disputes • Negotiate employment contracts

25. GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE AND ETHICAL OPERATIONS • No legal powers outside of the board. • Follow Vermont Open Meeting Law. • Board members assure that schools are well run, but don’t run them. • Avoid conflict of interest or perception. • Recognize validity of Board decisions, even if don’t agree with them

26. Common Board Challenges (Picture of town meeting)

27. CASE STUDY # 1 THE GROCERY STORE You have been on the school board for the past 3 months. You are in the grocery store and a person in town with whom you are acquainted comes up to you and begins to complain about her child’s teacher. She feels that the teacher is not responsive to her child’s needs, but also that she is not attentive to a high-needs child in the classroom. She wants the school board to do something. • How do you react? What do you say? • How do you leave it with her? • What do you do next?

28. HANDLING COMPLAINTS • Receive complaint • Follow complaint policy and procedures—Have one! • Direct through chain of command • Inform chair and administrator • Follow up later with complainant, if appropriate • Board final level of complaint appeal - not first

29. CASE STUDY #2WORKING WITH YOUR SUPERINTENDENT You are on one of 8 boards in your supervisory union. Your Superintendent has been on the job for five years. You do not sense that the Superintendent is invested heavily in the success of your district. You do not like some of her hiring decisions and are not totally pleased with some of the services provided by the SU central office. • What do you do? • How do you get things on track in a productive way? • When and how do you address performance issues?

30. WORKING WITH YOUR SUPERINTENDENT • Assure mutual accountability • Superintendent is CEO • Implement the education program of the board • Board sets priorities and parameters • Clear, on-going communication and evaluation • annual goal setting, regular evaluation

31. CASE STUDY #3THE BUS COMPANY EMPLOYEE   A community member has come to you expressing concern about a board member who works for the bus company with whom the district has a contract. This board member has served on the board for two years and this is the first time the potential conflict of interest has come up. The board member has never voted on a contract with the bus company that employs her but you know the contract is up for renewal this year. • Do you have an obligation to do something about this apparent conflict? • What should the bus driver do? • What should you say to the concerned community member?

32. CONFLICT OF INTEREST • Conflict of interest policy is a required policy. • Policy includes the procedures that board members themselves should undertake in order to avoid a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict. • According to 16 V.S.A. §557(a), no school board member shall solicit or receive anything directly or indirectly any compensation for recommending or voting to procure any service, thing, or supply purchased with public funds.

33. VSBA—PRIMARY FUNCTIONS • To serve as the collective voice for 280 boards and 1500 elected school board members. • To support boards in successfully achieving their work.

34. KEY VSBA SERVICE AREAS • Advocacy • Board Development and Support • Communications • Legal and Policy Services • Consultation Services

35. RESOURCES FOR BOARD MEMBERS • On-Line Information for Board Members VSBA Website DVD Lending Library Web Stream Videos • VSBA Essential Work of School Boards • Phone consultation/problem-solving • Member-to-member support • Vermont Education Law Book

36. CONTACT US Kerri Lamb klamb@vtvsba.org Steve Dale sdale@vtvsba.org Harry Frank hfrank@vtvsba.org Nicole Mace nmace@vtvsba.org 800-244-8722

37. Important Dates • New Board Member and Board Chair Trainings • April, May and June - 2012 • Details on VSBA website • VSBA Regional Meetings • September 2012 • Time and Place to be Announced • VSBA Annual Conference • October 25 & 26, 2012 • at Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee