Document Type
Issue Area One
Abstract
To build mutual understanding and trust within and between the board of education and the superintendent of schools, parties must address at least three facets of the relationship. These facets are a continual pursuit of role responsibilities, a basic understanding of expectations, and effective communication.
When two parties come together to work on a task, the best time to begin the process of mutual understanding is at the outset. Each party in a trusting relationship must have a comfortable feeling for role responsibilities. In these days of collaborative decision-making, there may not be the hard and fast definitions that existed in earlier times. Still, at least at the outset of a relationship, individuals should be aware of their responsibilities. Most people would agree that board members are responsible for setting policy. As the elected officials, they are accountable to the electorate for the major decisions of the school district. The board must establish clear guidelines for the superintendent to carry out the day-to-day decisions. This does not mean the superintendent does not have any part to play in the development of policy. In fact, most districts rely on the staff to point out gaps in policy development or the need to update policy. The superintendent, although not the decision maker, has a definite role as the advisor to the board on policy development.
Journal Title
Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series
Volume
4
Issue
1
First Page
15
Last Page
18
Publisher
Institute for Educational Leadership, University of Northern Iowa
City
Cedar Falls, IA
Copyright
©1993 Institute for Educational Leadership, College of Education, and University of Northern Iowa
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Flynn, Peter F.
(1993)
"Board/Superintendent Relations: Roles, Expectations, and Communications,"
Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series: Vol. 4:
No.
1, Article 7.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/iel_monographs/vol4/iss1/7
