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Board “suggestions”

Posted by Carol Taylor on March 12, 2025 at 1:28pm

Hi!

I was wondering how president handles trustee "suggestions" given to the supe. I remind our team that only a whole board may direct the supe after a majority vote on that directive. But, my folks alternately make helpful "suggestions" including the trustee that raises cane when someone else does this. Is there a nuance here? Do all boards offer suggestions? Is it just human nature of folks who are civic minded enough to become school board trustees?

Thanks for the help.

Carol

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Replies

  • Lester Olsson May 30, 2025 at 1:23pm
    We have protocols in place to make sure that any questions get routed through the president of the board. This ensures that the sup’t is not getting slammed with what may be duplicate questions or concerns. It also allows me as the president to vet out the question or request, to ensure that it is not getting too much into the weeds of daily operating procedures which are not our jurisdiction
  • Carol Taylor March 23, 2025 at 8:02pm
    Thank you, Paul. We, too respect a practice where the whole board is bcc’d. Our challenge is the occasional “suggestion.”
  • Paul Haggett March 23, 2025 at 2:57pm
    Hi Carol:

    Our board has an operating manual that asks that all questions of the superintendent be cc’d to the entire board. We also set aside time in our monthly board meetings for items that board members would like to have placed on a future agenda. We try very hard to stick to the “no surprises” rule.
  • Carol Taylor March 22, 2025 at 10:33am
    TY Phil and Vanessa!
  • Phil Rose March 22, 2025 at 9:37am
    We have a Board set of Operating Agreements, that state "nothing about me without me," in essence. Individual Board members should be sharing concerns with the whole Board, and unless it is a concern about a specific Board member or employee, the Superintendent will share with the whole Board if the specific member forgot. As far as direction, for example, directing work, the operating agreement states that the Board (meaning as a body) needs to agree, for example, that work needs to be done, or research is necessary for a report.
  • Vanessa Warren March 21, 2025 at 9:23pm
    We have board protocols and procedures in writing and in the training manual for new members. It includes a section on how to communicate with each other and to the superintendent. No one is out of the loop and everyone stays in their lane. We instill high expectations, a high level of respect and trust for each other, and let the protocols guide our behaviors. The result has been a cohesive unit leading to a high functioning board. We have worked this way for ten years now. We have enjoyed working with one another through retirements and new members. We do reserve a few minutes on our agenda to go around the table and bring up tickler items that are discussed in the open and among the team. As a result we truly enjoy our working relationships.
    So my suggestion would be to develop protocols and procedures as a team so everyone owns the resulting documents. It’s truly worth the effort.
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