1. Whose Job Is It? Part One © Iowa Association of School Boards At the Board Table Discussion Tool

2. Team IASB Harry Heiligenthal Leadership Services Director email hheiligenthal@ia-sb.org direct (515) 247-7062 Mary Jane Vens Board Development Director email mvens@ia-sb.org direct (515) 247-7023 1-800-795-4272www.ia-sb.org

3. Goals for our time together A consideration of the board’s role in three parts: 1.Consideration of a scenario and determination of “Whose Job Is It?” 2.Consideration of the same scenarios and determination of what role the whole board would play in the situation. 3.Determining indicators of micromanagement. Please consider all three parts in the given order.

4. Directions As the board reads each of the following brief scenarios, you should ask yourselves two questions: 1.Whose Job Is It? 2.What’s the Board’s Role?

5. 1. Scenario One

6. Dreamfield School District has made funds available for the purchase of 1:1 laptops for the middle school. The decision will now need to be made regarding whether funds will be invested in laptops, notebooks or tablets. One of the board members is an IT Specialist for a major company. Whose job is it to ensure the correct information is made available to inform this decision? See handout p. 3 Whose Job Is It? What’s the Board’s Role?

7. Scenario One: Whose Job Is It? IASB Thoughts on Best Practice A professional staff committee (technology director, middle school teachers, etc.) involved in this decision-making process would have the responsibility of conducting research and making the recommendation to the superintendent, who would include the committee’s best thinking in his/her recommendation to the board. The board member IT specialist may want to forward some questions to the superintendent for consideration by the committee.

8. There is danger in having a single board member serve on the committee, as that individual could easily be seen as a representative of the whole board, would have more information than their fellow board members and might make commitments which would interfere with objective evaluation of the superintendent’s recommendation. Scenario One: Whose Job Is It? IASB Thoughts on Best Practice

9. There is danger in having a single board member serve on the committee, as that individual could easily be seen as a representative of the whole board, would have more information than their fellow board members and might make commitments which would interfere with objective evaluation of the superintendent’s recommendation. Scenario One: What’s the Board’s Role? IASB Thoughts on Best Practice

10. 2. Scenario Two

11. Betty Smith approaches board member, Berti, with a request. She believes her daughter is not being treated fairly by her softball coach, who is also her math teacher. Betty wants to sit down and have a heart-to-heart talk with the coach, just to get things out in the open. However, she really wants a “witness” with some authority to be part of this conversation. She would like Berti, as the board member from her director district, to be that person. Whose job is it to help Mrs. Smith get a full and fair hearing from the coach? See handout p. 4 Whose Job Is It? What’s the Board’s Role?

12. Scenario Two: Whose Job Is It? IASB Thoughts on Best Practice Mrs. Smith needs to determine who has the “authority” she is seeking. She needs information on the chain of command. If she does not feel comfortable approaching the coach one-on-one, Berti might recommend the athletic director or the principal who has direct supervisory responsibility for the coach. The board does not have direct supervisory “authority” over individual staff members, other than the superintendent.

13. To become involved in this situation would set a dangerous precedent and possibly interfere with a board member’s responsibility to remain objective about individual staff if their actions ever resulted in a termination hearing. Scenario Two: Whose Job Is It? IASB Thoughts on Best Practice

14. The board will have reviewed district policy on chain of command. They will also have empowered staff members with the authority to deal with citizen concerns and provided staff training in needed areas. The board will have a clear understanding of their duty to remain objective about the performance of individual staff members in case of a teacher termination. Scenario Two: What’s the Board’s Role? IASB Thoughts on Best Practice

15. 3. Scenario Three

16. The Dreamfield district superintendent plans to recommend staff cuts at the next board meeting. Five teachers formed a “Save our Staff” committee and approached two board members who also happen to be ex-staff members. They asked these two board members to look at some data they have put together regarding how the district could save money without making the cuts, and thus better serve the needs of all students. As former staff members the two board members have special “insight” into the situation. Whose job is it to review the committee’s data and make sure it is part of board discussion? See handout p. 5 Whose Job Is It? What’s the Board’s Role?

17. Scenario Three: Whose Job Is It? IASB Thoughts on Best Practice The committee needs to take its report to the superintendent. The superintendent (preferably with the help of the district business manager) can review the data in reference to the entire district’s budget. The superintendent may wish to reference the committee’s data or report as he presents his/her recommendation to the board.

18. If two board members come into the board meeting “armed” with this information when other board members have not had access to it, and it has not been reviewed in relation to the whole district’s “big picture,” district unity could be negatively impacted. Scenario Two: Whose Job Is It? IASB Thoughts on Best Practice

19. The board will have established district goals and priorities which have been a guiding factor in overall budget formation. The board will hear reports from the superintendent regarding any committee recommendations that are pertinent and accurate. Ultimately the board is responsible for asking good questions and making the decision as a whole board on the superintendent’s recommendation. Scenario Three: What’s the Board’s Role? IASB Thoughts on Best Practice

20. 4. Scenario Four

21. The superintendent has developed a plan for ongoing review of building maintenance over a five-year period. Before presenting this plan for board approval he has called board member, Jack Spratt, into his office. Jack has always been very interested in building maintenance and has offered some specific opinions and suggestions to the plan, which the superintendent has not included. The superintendent hopes to conduct a tour of buildings with Jack in tow and reach some compromise on the areas which are of most concern for Jack. Whose job is it to present individual amendments to the plan? See handout p. 6 Whose Job Is It? What’s the Board’s Role?

22. Scenario Four: Whose Job Is It? IASB Thoughts on Best Practice Hopefully, Jack has had an opportunity to express his concerns and opinions at the board table in front of the whole board. A tour of buildings is a good idea, but it would be preferable if the whole board were invited, rather than singling out one “chosen” board member. The superintendent is responsible for making any adjustments to the plan before it is presented to the board.

23. The whole board will review the plan as presented by the superintendent. The board will discuss the plan and generate any questions or concerns they may have in advance of voting on the plan, in order that the superintendent can seek appropriate information to clarify his/her recommendation. The board will have policy on buildings and grounds and planning. Scenario Four: What’s the Board’s Role? IASB Thoughts on Best Practice

24. 5. Scenario Five

25. During the board open forum, one of the board members brings up the idea of adding soccer to the extra-curricular offerings at Dreamfield. This idea has been suggested before, but has been viewed as an unwise addition in financially stressed times. Another board member, Amos Athletic, offers to be a coach for this new team and to do some research with similar-sized districts that have already made the commitment to a soccer team. He can acquire cost estimates for busing, equipment outlay, etc. so the board has a clearer idea of what they are really talking about financially. Whose job is it to take the next steps for providing this opportunity for Dreamfield students? See handout p. 7 Whose Job Is It? What’s the Board’s Role?

26. Scenario Five: Whose Job Is It? IASB Thoughts on Best Practice It would be easy to say: “Since Amos is so excited about this, let’s tell him to do the research.” However, this proposal needs to be reviewed in relation to the big picture of district extra-curricular offerings, budget and staffing. The athletic director may be asked by the superintendent to do this research and make a recommendation to the superintendent, who will then make a recommendation to the board. This research is a staff responsibility.

27. The whole board will have access to whatever information is provided by professional staff regarding costs of this program. They will also ask for input from professional staff on the overview of the existing extra-curricular program and the needs and strengths of that existing program. They will review policy on student activities. They will make their decision on any superintendent recommendation in this area based on these resources. Scenario Four: What’s the Board’s Role? IASB Thoughts on Best Practice

28. 6. Determining Indicators of Micromanagement

29. Discussion Questions 1.In each of the five situations, no area of work was identified for an individual board member. The involvement of an individual board member in “investigating” or “pre-judging” a situation is often described as micromanagement. Discuss two or three characteristics of micromanagement. 2.Following your board discussion, review “IASB’s Four Indicators of Micromanagement” to view IASB’s thinking in this area. See handout p. 8

30. 7. IASB’s Four Indicators of Micromanagement

31. Here are four indicators of micromanagement generated over time by IASB staff. 1.The task/work is on the level of day-to-day operations, rather than governance or “big picture” decision-making. 2.The task/work is part of a staff member’s job description. 3.The task/work takes the board member out of the chain of command as established within board policy and best practice. 4.The task/work should only be undertaken as a part of whole board deliberation and is not an individual responsibility. See handout p. 9

32. Vision & Voice for Public Education