Now Elected, Now What: The Path to Successful School District Governance

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Description

The information in this book will provide board members with simple tools to become an effective member of the board, even in the first term. Board members are introduced to Values Governance system that incorporates community process techniques, curricular, and instructional innovations. This new model provides greater efficiency, effectiveness, and coherence in the governance of the board. With the completion of this survival guide, the new board member is ready to join the board with some skills in hand.

Reviews

A 2001 Public Agenda survey of school administrators found that 69% of them felt that school board members micromanaged. Anecdotally, this continues as a problem today and likely explains much of our nations excessive superintendent turnover. Farrell, Nayfack, Smith & Wohlstetter (One Size Does Not Fit All) argue that school board micromanagement is seen as a contributing factor to the perceived failure of American education. Now Elected, Now What: The Path to Successful School District Governance by Chuck Namit well describes the boards governance role in a manner that both new and veteran members will appreciate. This is a welcome resource to help board members better understand their role and value to our education system. -- Steve Lamb, former Governance Consultant/Educator, California School Boards Association and Oregon School Boards Association
Chuck Namit has probably done as much or more research on school board governance than anyone else I know. Not only that, but he has taught it and lived it as a board trainer and as a school board director. All-in-all, Chuck Namit has developed a process that boards should consider if they are determined to improve achievement in their district. His work in this area will give them a solid foundation for improving the governance of the school district. Namit uses this book to describe various aspects of school governance and the latest thoughts regarding board decision-making and adds his contribution Values Governance. -- Nicholas D. Caruso, Senior Staff Associate for Field Service and Coordinator of Technology, Connecticut Association of Boards of Education
As a former University Professor of Educational Leadership I highly recommended Now Elected, Now What The Path to Successful School District Governance. This publication provides valuable tools and an effective theoretical and hands-on practical foundation for any student who plans to work with non-profit organizations. This book may be appropriatelyutilized in many of the University level courses preparing graduates for both administrative and governance roles. -- David A. Steele Ed.D, retired Superintendent of North Thurston Public Schools, former Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Seattle Pacific University
PowerFULL! An intense collection of practical and proven principles, tactics and strategies. Dive deep with any of the Values Governance elements, then advance enriched with a board warriors wisdom. Not for the mild at heart. Dedicated tothose pursuing a legacy of excellence. -- Randy Black, Director of Member Relations, Colorado Association of School Boards
We certainly did not have anything like this book when I was on the school board. It can help make board members real players in their districts and not just rubber stamps for the superintendent and administration. It makes being a board member a more challenging job because it shows what really should be doneand how to do it. -- Sam Hunt, Washington State Senator, former North Thurston Public Schools school board member, former Washington State House member

Author Bio

Chuck Namit is an education and nonprofit consultant and is president of Strategem, LLC, governance and leadership group that provides training, facilitation, board self-assessment, CEO and superintendent evaluation, CEO coaching, and Values Governance training services for the public schools and the community. Namit has been a North Thurston Public Schools board of director for twenty-four years and spent nine years as a board member of the Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA)the state school board association.