Post on 30-Jan-2022
Working with District LeadersPrincipals, Superintendents, School Boards
Nan RecordsMASE New LeadersOctober 2019
“The nature of the relationships among the adults who inhabit a school has more to do with the school’s quality and character and with the accomplishments of it’s pupils, than any other factor.”
~ Roland Barth
“The art of communication is the language of leadership.”
~James Humes
WHO
WHY
HOW
WHAT
Working With/Communicating withYour Principal(s)Your Superintendent(s)Your School Board(s)
WHO…•Single Building or a Single District
•One or more Principals•Single Superintendent•Single Board
•Co-op or Education District…•Multiple Principals•Multiple Superintendents•Governing Board, with multiple single District Boards
WHY…
• Building a relationship with our Principal(s), Superintendent(s), and our School Board is our responsibility
• Communicating with our School Board is not an extra job….it is part of our job
WHY…
• School Boards are charged with“…ensuring that the District’s
vision, goals, and outcomes are articulated in written board policy, reflected in every part of the organization, and mirrored in the budget planning and implementation efforts.”
~MN School Board Association
WHY… School Boards
• MN School Board Association’s published list of Education Acronyms totals 103 acronyms.
• Nearly 20% of the list are special education acronyms.
WHY…
• Special Education can be a “hot topic”
• Student Protections and Discipline• Cross Subsidy
WHY…
• The superintendent is the top executive ("CEO") in the school district. The superintendent implements the schoolboard’s vision by making day-to-day decisions about educational programs, spending, staff, and facilities. The superintendent hires, supervises, and manages the central staff and principals.
• ~Anne Martens Stand for Children
WHY… Superintendents
• School principals are held responsible for supervising, evaluating, developing and building a learning culture in his or her school. Knowing the real needs of students in the school and developing a learning culture in the school.
• ~Anne Martens Stand for Children
WHY… Principals
“To some extent we are all the prisoners of stereotypes; we see each other in terms of distorted and oversimplified images. Better communication in the realm of ideas, of the arts, and of science can help refashion these false images. And by seeing more clearly we may act more wisely.”
~Chester Bliss Bowles
WHY… ALL School Leaders
HOW…. School Boards
Depends on your Board is…
•Single Board or Governing Board•Periodically presenting at regularly scheduled meetings
• Board member orientation for multiple single districts is one way to build and strengthen relationships
HOW…. School Boards
• Annual orientation session is done in the early evening.
• Relaxed atmosphere where conversation is encouraged.
• Serve good food!
HOW…. School Boards
Single District Principal(s)
Typically they meet as a Admin Team, don’t be afraid to ask to be a part of those team meetings
HOW….
Multiple District Principals
• Consider having Co-op/Ed District Principal meetings • Quarterly• Divided Elementary and
Secondary
HOW….
WHAT… School BoardsSingle or Multiple School Boards•The structure of your organization
•General information about the student make-up of your organization
•General comparisons of your student make-up with the region and state
WHAT… School Boards•Mandates…IDEA
•What’s done at the state and local level is based on federal• State and local entities can exceed federal • State and local entities can not do LESS than federal
WHAT… School Boards
•IDEA•Premise is to provide a Free and Appropriate Public Education for ALL students regardless of their handicapping condition
WHAT… School Boards
•IDEA•FAPE is provided in the least restrictive environment
WHAT… School Boards
•Mandates… Parent Rights•Conciliation Conferences•Mediation• Filing a compliant with MDE• Filing a due process hearing
WHAT… School Boards
•Mandates… Student Protections• Important that they are aware of the protections before action is taken …•Want to be proactive on this topic rather than reactive!
WHAT… School Boards
•Mandates… Disability Areas• State mandated criteria•Briefly explain process of identifying students with disabilities
WHAT… School Boards
•Funding the Mandates…•Federal•State•Maintenance of Effort
WHAT… School Boards
•Describe the process MDE has for monitoring due process compliance and fiscal procedures
WHAT… School Boards
•Invite them to site visits
WHAT… School Boards
•Bottom line… what it all means
WHAT… School Boards•Bottom line… what it all means for them• If parents share a compliment or a complaint…• Listen…. • if it is a compliment, share the good news!• if it is a complaint, be cautious about forming an
opinion… • keep in mind the world of Special Education is very
complicated and sometimes things on the surface may not make sense
• Share what you have heard with the Superintendent
Multiple District Principals
• Updates on general sped topics
• Updates on monitoring• Updates on child count• Have a focus on
instruction to assist in teach evaluations
WHAT….
Multiple District Principals
• You Be The Judge Scenarios
WHAT….
Risk Analysis
WHO
WHY
HOW
WHAT
WHY
Communicating withYour School Board(s)Your SuperintendentsYour Principals
WHY…
“The first time you say something, it’s heard. The second time, it’s recognized, and the third time it’s learned.
~ John C. Maxwell
WHY…
“In the end, people are persuaded not by what we say, but by what they understand.”
~ John C. Maxwell
“To some extent we are all the prisoners of stereotypes; we see each other in terms of distorted and oversimplified images. Bettercommunication in the realm of ideas, of the arts, and of science can help refashion these false images. And by seeing more clearly we may act more wisely.”
~Chester Bliss Bowles
WHY…