BoardWise: Governance team members write in
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
.
Dear BoardWise:
In May, our board will evaluate our superintendent. I have some experience in the business world with evaluating staff, but I have never done it as a member of a board. I think the superintendent is doing great, and I want the process to go well. Is there anything unique about evaluating the superintendent? Any helpful hints?
Thanks,
Looking for Wisdom
Dear Looking for Wisdom:
Your question is one that CSBA’s governance consultants often encounter. The superintendent evaluation is one of the board’s most important tasks and is directly connected to the board’s responsibility for oversight and setting direction for the district. A high-quality evaluation process is at the core of the board’s governance work, and its development and implementation should be guided by five overarching principles:
Purpose: In his book “Five Habits of High-Impact School Boards,” Doug Eadie suggests that the purpose of the process is twofold: “to strengthen superintendent performance and the board-superintendent partnership.” Note that both of these premises have implications for how the evaluation is conducted. Not only do you want to strengthen the performance of your superintendent by giving effective guidance and feedback, you also want to improve the board’s relationship with the superintendent by the manner in which it is done.
Collective authority: One person evaluating one person is something with which many board members have experience. When five to seven board members must evaluate the superintendent as one collective, that usually requires more time and discussion to reach agreement.
Clear process: Because it’s a collective work, it’s important for there to be clarity among all members of the governance team regarding the instrument, process and timeline that will be followed.
Focus: A superintendent’s job is extensive, and evaluating all aspects of it would be daunting. Boards need to focus the evaluation on the most important areas of the district this year. In a sense, the superintendent’s goals established by the governance team are a statement about how the board wants the superintendent to focus his/her time and energy.
Clear expectations: Perhaps the most difficult aspect of any evaluation process is developing clear and measurable goals at the outset, so that both the board and the superintendent have the same understanding about how performance will be assessed. As a general rule, effective processes focus on four key areas:
- Long-range priorities: The annual goals should be aligned with long-range priorities.
- Service to the board: The relationship between the superintendent and the board is critical to ensuring smooth and efficient governance and administration.
- Key operational issues: Given the current fiscal meltdown, close monitoring and reporting of the approved budget might be something that boards want to carefully track.
- Professional development goals: The board may want to encourage the superintendent to identify one more areas of interest for his/her professional growth that would contribute to the district’s improvement goals.
If you haven’t already done so, ask the board president or superintendent for the process and goals already in place this year. Go over them and if you have any questions, and ask for clarification.
Good luck!
BoardWise
BoardWise is written by CSBA’s Governance Consulting Services and Policy Analysis staff: Babs Kavanaugh, Christopher Maricle,
Leslie DeMersseman and Luan Burman Rivera. Find out more about Governance Consulting Services at
www.csba.org/gcs.aspx
.