Forum

Retreat Facilitators

Posted by Suzie Lustig on January 25, 2021 at 9:50am

We are planning a retreat and wanted to see if anyone has a facilitator/trainer they would recommend.  The topic I would like to focus on is the use of public discussions/new business/work sessions.

And I would welcome input on how you organize your BOE discussions (work sessions, new business, items for discussion, etc)- and if these topics are driven by BOE members or based on meeting presentations by admins?

 

You need to be a member of Board Officers' Forum to add comments!

Join Board Officers' Forum

Email me when people reply –
Follow

Replies

  • Laurie Osmond January 29, 2021 at 12:05pm
    Thank you, @TracyYoung, I left them a voicemail as soon as I saw this thread.
  • Tracy Young January 29, 2021 at 11:59am
    @LaurieOsmond - TregoEd.org (mentioned by Laura Ferone below) deals with conflict resolution through their situation appraisal. It might be worth checking out.
  • Laurie Osmond January 29, 2021 at 11:45am
    I'd be curious to see if there are any board officers out there who have used facilitators who are skilled in leading a clearing-of-the-air with board members. We're in a situation where trustees may have simmering issues with one another, long-standing personality conflicts and animosity about recent votes. There is also a growing mistrust of each other as some believe the superintendent has been lobbying individual trustees about a board vote, while not contacting others. So I'm not looking for a plain vanilla retreat facilitator, as we've had plenty of those who serve merely to remind about board roles and responsibilities. Anyone? Also, what are other board officers' thoughts on coaches/facilitators for the purpose of helping develop a superintendent's leadership skills in navigationg a relationship with another administrator who she has animosity towards, but who has greatly benefitted students and the community?
  • Pat Aitken January 29, 2021 at 10:18am
    Legal counsel is often helpful either in facilitating or suggesting facilitators. They often have insight into how the various districts they serve operate. BoE Pres and VP have standing biweekly meeting with Supt which includes agenda review, and any trustee may request/suggest an item be addressed. We typically establish a presentation calendar early in the year, to ensure we cover priority topics.
  • Laura Ferone January 29, 2021 at 10:01am
    We had a NYSSBA person come for retreat. Unfortunately this person had only served for 3 years as a board member and wasn't as helpful as we needed. We are now contracting with TregoEd to do another. We used them in our high school district with great success. They are able to help prioritize goals and priorities.
  • Tracy Young January 29, 2021 at 9:24am
    We have used an NYSSBA facilitator (Michael Bieber) in the past. We try to use workshops/retreats for long term planning. This may include presentations by administrators if appropriate. We try to present 1) the goal 2) provide relevant information if needed 3)work on the outcome and how to evaluate progress. I'm happy to chat in more detail.
This reply was deleted.