Additional Resources for Governance Growth
Provided by IASBThe six Foundational Principles of Effective Governance are the top resource for Illinois school board members seeking to understand governance.
IASB offers an array of further resources for boards of education and individual board members. These include in-district workshops for the leadership team, usually presented by the IASB Outreach & Training:
- The Basics of Governance
- Board Self-Evaluations
- Board Governance Review (BGR)
- Board Evaluation Instrument (BEI)
- Starting Right
- Myers-Briggs® Team Workshop
- Customized Board Self-Evaluation
- Setting District Goals and Direction
- Making Meetings Matter
- Reflecting on Communication and Community Engagement Tactics
- Equity: An Educational Imperative
- The Trust Edge® Experience
- The Superintendent Evaluation Process
- Monitoring District Goals Using Data
- Monitoring District Performance Through Policy
- Strategic Planning
Patrick Allen tabs people as his favorite resource. “One of the best resources when it comes to good governance is relationships with board members from other districts. At events like Division Meetings and the Joint Annual Conference, you can meet others who are interested in improving their overall board governance. This provides the opportunity to build relationships and learn from each other, as well as having people you can reach out to when the need arises for issues you are facing.”
Arlana Bedard recommends The Art of School Boarding by Jim Burgett, which posits that good governance is more art than science.
Katie Bulava and Bedard both mention Coming to Order: A Guide to Successful School Board Meetings for a tactical approach to good governance. “All board members should have Coming to Order at their disposal,” Bulava says. “This invaluable guide includes items like agenda preparation, legal requirements for meetings, roles and responsibilities, public concerns, working with the media, and many other topics. It also includes guides to everything from parliamentary procedure to seating charts.”
Perry Hill IV recommends the board policy manual as a resource for good governance, “Because it is the board policy manual that references those key mandatory points of consideration that should be discussed, debated, and deliberated upon. Ultimately, they should be the source for any decision that is made.”
Laura Martinez recommends the IASB online publication “A School Board Member’s Approach to the Job,” which outlines the responsibilities and duties of a board of education member whose job is to serve in trust for the community.
Natalie Williams-McMahon recommends the IASB booklet School Board Governance Basics, which includes the Code of Conduct and School Board Member Opportunities and Expectations, because it “answers the many questions that school board members may have, and can give clarity for best practices.” Williams-McMahon also notes that her team, IASB Outreach & Training, can be a valuable resources for school board members.
Those are just some highlights of the resources available to school board members. Visit iasb.com to browse a multitude of resources for good governance. These include free publications, pamphlets, and podcasts. The new IASB Community is a forum for school board members to share ideas with their peers. IASB also has an online bookstore, from which you can purchase titles such as those mentioned above, plus popular titles such as Essentials of Illinois School Finance and The Effective School Board Member, plus many more. <
Resources associated with this article can be accessed via IASB.com/Journal.