Successful School Board Leadership

Gary Ivory is department head and associate professor at New Mexico State University. He is editor of What Works in Computing for School Administrators (Rowman & Littlefield Education, 2001) and is co-coordinating, under the auspices of the University Council for Educational Administration, the Voices study of school superintendents and principals. Michele Acker-Hocevar is a professor of educational leadership at Florida Atlantic University. She is co-coordinating, under the auspices of the University Council for Educational Administration, the Voices study of school superintendents and principals.

I found [this] book very helpful in organizing some of the ongoing challenges of being a member of a successful school board. The balance of what is in the best interests of the students with the ongoing public and private pressures of being on the board are clearly delineated... [the] book clearly expressed the balance that the board must maintain and the potential consequences of not clearly identifying the appropriate role of the board trustee... The conflict between the many roles of the board members makes it a very challenging experience. Your book, which includes a thoughtful discussion of the issues as well as philosophical frameworks and potential solutions, was a very good read... [This] book is a must read for anyone who is thinking of running for a board position as well as...'seasoned veterans.'

• 1 Challenge: Leading in an Era of Change2 Success Strategy: Selling the Vision3 Success Strategy: Prioritize and Make Decisions4 Challenge: Fostering Student Achievement5 Success Strategy: Basing Decisions on Data6 Success Strategy: Recruit, Keep, Develop, and Rely on Good Staff7 Success Strategy: Learning About Education and Your Role8 Challenge: Shortages of Resources9 Challenge: Mandates and Micropolitics10 Challenge: Understanding your Superintendent's Perspective11 Challenge: The Need to be Re-Elected12 Success Strategy: Obtain Meaningful Community Input13 Success Strategy: Maintain Good Relationships