The Role Of School Boards And Superintendents In Public Schools

“School boards and Superintendents each have distinct roles, but they must be innovative and use common sense in all areas; however they must remember that it is all for the students.” This quote confirms that in order for students to compete they must be supported by a school district that is led by a Superintendent and School board that has the vision and know how to give students what they need to succeed. This is shown in a High School that Works report entitled Improving Schools Requires District Vision, District and State Support, and Principal Leadership. In a report from the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), they oversaw a study of 35 superintendents and school board leaders. The study found in order for a school district to be highly effective; it had to have a clear, focused mission with key beliefs and practices that lead to school improvement. Moreover, these districts had a school board that was focused on student improvement, and district leaders that allowed school leaders to focus on curriculum and instruction. Furthermore, the study found that the school board and superintendent must together develop a strategic vision that raises the bar for student achievement (Bottoms, G., & Schmidt-Davis, J., 2010). Ultimately the best way for me to push my vision forward; according to this study is to ensure that the “school board is involved in developing school improvement plans, and that they feel included in its implementation.” Moreover, the goal of a superintendent is to provide the board with thoughtful, research- based recommendations for improving school curriculum and instruction. Furthermore, a superintendent must ensure that they have a unified vision, and as one board member is quoted as saying, “I need to give the superintendent resources and support to get him where he needs to go. But he’s the one responsible to get there, not the board. I don’t want to take that from him (Bottoms, G., & Schmidt-Davis, J., 2010).” In order to get my vision fully executed, it is going to require that I adapt my leadership style to conform to a more inclusive leadership approach. This is bore out in the educational literature, particularly Directive Versus Participative Leadership: Two Complementary Approaches to Managing School Effectiveness. In this piece the author found how essential it is for a school and district leader to effectively manage a team using a cooperative style; which includes making sure all relevant viewpoints are included in decision making. The author also found that it is important to also have a very direct management style which allows team members to understand the chains of command, and the decision making process. Moreover, the piece discusses that both of these leadership styles are not, “opposite ends of a single continuum, but they are mutually exclusive (Somech, A., 2005).” The article, features a study that dives into the research, and data that shows the compatibility and contradiction of these …show more content…
This is why my district has started a problem based learning curricular program around engineering and biomedicine. Moreover, with reference to my vision statement students within district are already starting to develop the communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creative skills need to compete in the 21st century. This is shown in the data, according to the ESEA data 69.9% of students within the district score exemplary or met on science assessments; however when it comes to mathematics we are lagging behind by .5% when compared with other districts within the state. This is why according to the article, “Superintendents were dependent on principals and teachers to carry out vision statements, and were most successful when they elicited commitment from the staff; providing them with the resources, buffering staff from outside meddling, and engaging them in conversations about instruction (Lashway, L., …show more content…
Similarly, this paper argues that while a standard based with approach is good for improving instruction for all students; it is as important that schools look to institute an opportunity to learn standards for all students; particularly for students from diverse backgrounds, and learning abilities. Furthermore, in order to fully fulfill my vision statement, “teachers are going to have to have in-depth staff development that encompasses the presentation, implementation, and refinement of teaching techniques and methodologies (Including At-Risk Students in Standards-Based Reform: A Report on McREL 's Diversity Roundtable II,