BoardWise: Governance team members write in
Published: June 28, 2012
BoardWise is a forum for board members and superintendents across the state to share questions about governance and board-superintendent relations. Send your questions to
boardwise@csba.org
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Dear BoardWise:
How will Common Core State Standards impact student learning? In these very tough economic times, where will the funding come from to pay for implementation? We never seem to figure out unfunded mandates and we continuously keep promoting this vicious cycle—new micromanagement from the state, and the same old excuses when it comes time to ante up. So, how will the Common Core help kids—and who's going to pay for it?
Sincerely,
Tired of Unfunded Mandates
Dear Tired:
You raise two excellent governance questions. California’s existing state standards were considered to be rigorous and world-class—among the best in the nation—before we adopted the Common Core’s math and English language arts and literacy standards. But the Common Core does raise the bar on expectations for student performance. As with any reform, the benefit to students will largely hinge on the extent to which the change is implemented with fidelity and integrity over the long term.
Implementation at the local level will have associated costs in three key areas: teacher professional development; new instructional materials; and textbooks and technology infrastructure. According to a February 2012 white paper prepared for the nonprofit, nonpartisan Pioneer Institute, the projected cost for implementation by all 45 states that have adopted the standards is $15.8 billion in one-time and operational costs over seven years. The California State Board of Education’s adoption of the standards in August 2010 was part of the state’s application for federal Race to the Top competitive grants, but California was not granted RTTT funds. So there are no additional local funds associated with the adoption of the Common Core on the horizon, and LEAs will have to determine how to reallocate existing funds to pay for implementation.
So what’s the board role in all of this? Through transitions in administrative leadership, a local governing board can keep its district focused on a quality implementation process for the Common Core. Boards establish district direction and approve the district budget. In order to fund 2012-13 implementation goals, the board may need to reprioritize district goals, and maybe even put some goals on hold. It will likely mean repurposing general fund dollars to the extent possible. Some costs—for technology, for example—may be met with categorical funding flexibility, and boards should be sure to ask staff to explore all possible options.
CSBA’s Policy and Programs Department has initiated a series of policy advisories—Governing to the Core—on Common Core implementation. The first installment can be found here: http://bit.ly/Kw1AEf. Best of luck.
Dear BoardWise:
The board president would not allow me to make a motion. Can she do that? What are my options?
Sincerely,
Cut Off
Dear Cut Off:
Article 2 of Education Code 35010 is fairly simple. It states: a) Every school district shall be under the control of a board of school trustees or a board of education; b) the governing board of each school district shall prescribe and enforce rules for its own government not inconsistent with law or with the rules prescribed by the State Board of Education.
In other words, the board must create a set of rules that the board will follow in conducting business. Since board business can only be conducted at board meetings, it seems clear that the code requires boards to have rules that govern its board meetings.
The root word of “president” is preside, and that is the primary duty of the president—to preside over meetings. CSBA sample bylaw 9121 suggests that the president shall “enforce the board’s policies relating to the conduct of meetings and help ensure compliance with applicable requirements of the Brown Act.” (That’s from CSBA’s “Call to Order: A Blueprint for Great Board Meetings,” available for free download at http://bit.ly/L0iU4U or in a handy bound volume from the CSBA Store.) In other words, the president presides in a manner consistent with state law, district bylaws and the board’s governance agreements.
Many boards’ bylaws state that meetings will follow parliamentary procedure, and some specifically cite Robert’s Rules of Order. The latter may work for Congress, but they’re probably more complex than a local board needs. The League of Cities has adopted “Rosenberg's Rules of Order,” self-described as “simplified and slimmed down for 21st century meetings”; they can be found at http://bit.ly/MwGRMB.
You may want to consider meeting with the board president and perhaps the superintendent to talk about how adopting clear and specific rules of order will help the board manage its meetings more effectively. Having clear procedures will help members know how to support the president in managing the meeting, and it will provide the staff and community with a consistent experience of how board meetings work.
Good luck!
BoardWise