Productive Board Relations

Presented by the Oregon Educational Collaborative

​

November 3 and 4, 2026

​

Gary Peterson, OEC Executive Director

​

To Ponder…

​

How well do you know your Board members:

​

• Their interests?
• Why they are on the Board?
• What they hope to accomplish?

​

To Ponder…

​

​

You are an educator – To what extent can you/should you be the instructional leader of the Board?

​

What are the opportunities to assume this role?

To Ponder…

​

​

How will you handle a situation when the Board votes against your recommendation?

​

To Ponder…

​

​

The Board may not always be right…but they are always the Board

​

What does this mean for you and your role?

​

​

To Ponder…

​

​

There are times to lead the Board and times to guide the Board

​

How do you know when to lead and/or when to guide?

​

​

To Ponder…

​

​

Communication with your Board is essential.

​

How do you communicate with your Board members individually and collectively?

​

To Ponder…

​

​

To what extent do you have responsibility to help the Board “look good”?

​

How can you do that?

​

Essential Board Strategies

​

• Know your Board members

​

• Communicate!

​

• Be positive!

​

Essential Board Strategies

​

• Good data + good process = good result

​

• Distinguish between the “policy” and the “operations” roles

​

Essential Board Strategies

• Make sure that the “personnel” and “evaluation” sections of your contract are clear.

​

• Be clear with the Board on what you can (strengths) and will (learn to) do

​

• The Board’s success is usually your success!

​

​

Essential Board Strategies

• Have your Board develop their own internal “operational agreements” - For example, how to work collaboratively as a team, respecting the views of others, communicating openly and honestly.

​

• Develop Board-Superintendent Operating Agreements
• OSBA has a really good template: 20190806_SuperintendentOperating-AgreementSample.pdf

​

Types of School Boards*

​

• The Supportive Board
• The Micromanaging Board
• The Divided Board
• The Passive Board
• The Activist Board

​

​

• *Courtesy of the American School Board Journal, November 1996

Characteristics of a Supportive Board

​

• Works collaboratively with the superintendent, focusing on strategic goals and trusting administrative expertise.
• Board members generally like and respect each
• Philosophical differences are admitted and discussed openly
• Board members are open to creative and visionary approaches/ideas
• Board members are proud of their service and accomplishments as well as those of the district

​

​

Characteristics of a Micromanaging Board

​

• Frequently intervenes in operational decisions, often blurring the line between governance and management.
• Has a high need for communication but may or may not act based on information provided to them
• May or may not follow administrative recommendations
• Often questions administrative decisions
• Requires considerable time and attention from the superintendent

​

Characteristics of a Divided Board

​

• Characterized by factions or persistent conflict, which can hinder decision-making and erode public trust.
• Board members do not like or respect each other
• Board members have deep philosophical differences
• Every decision is seen as a potential conflict with a split Board
• “A “bad” school Board will always checkmate a good superintendent”

​

​

Characteristics of a Passive Board

​

• Reluctant to engage deeply in policy or oversight, often deferring excessively to the superintendent.
• Looking to maintain the status quo
• Slow to accept or adopt new approaches regardless of the opportunity
• Often in denial about the state of the district and the progress it is or isn’t making

​

​

Characteristics of an Activist Board

​

• Driven by strong ideological or community agendas, sometimes at the expense of consensus-building.
• Board members may or may not like or respect each
• Most of the Board is interested in making significant changes
• Changes are often based on personal interests or beliefs
• Changes may or may not focus on students

​

​

​

What type of Board do you have?

​

• How do you know when to lead and/or when to guide the Board that you have?

​

• What have you found to be successful practices with your Board?

​

Special Board Situations

How might you work with a Board member who wants your individual attention – perhaps dropping by your office regularly to discuss district operations?

​

​

Special Board Situations

How might you approach a situation with your Board when one of the Board members doesn’t “fit” in with the rest of the group either through experience, temperament or individual agenda?

​

​

Special Board Situations

How might you work with a Board member who is “non-confidential”, i.e. takes information from private conversations or Board executive sessions to others?

​

Special Board Situations

What is your unique/special Board situation?

​

​

Characteristics of Quality Relationships with Boards

​

• Mutual Trust and Respect

​

• Honest two-way Communication

​

• Being present with Understanding and Empathy when personal need arises

​

• Always Professional

​

Oregon Educational Collaborative