By George H. McShan
05/18/04 -- Maintaining effective leadership in public education is one of the greatest challenges that we are facing today -- and will face in the future of our American democracy.
It is my belief that effective leadership in public education does not occur in a vacuum, in an ivory tower, or behind closed doors, but in collaboration with those we hope to lead and with those who will share our leadership responsibilities. Collaboration with all stakeholders in education is vital to our success.
In April, I had the honor of addressing the second annual Northwest Celebrating Educational Opportunities Conference for Hispanic Students in Portland, Ore.
This conference is a collaborative project of the state school boards associations of Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and Washington. It is modeled after a similar conference created in 1992 by the state associations of Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California.
This was a great conference. It is an excellent example of what can be achieved by public education leaders when we are inclusive in our vision and replicate best practices.
A panel of students from each participating state offered clear examples of triumphs and voices of hope for the future. I learned that to achieve success in life, you have to look at life through a new lens each time you learn the lesson of an enriched perspective.
Generating public dialogue
Among NSBA's four goals, this one might be the most challenging to achieve: "Americans will value and invest in public education, actively support their public schools, and understand the critical role of school boards."
The fact that only about 25 percent of adults have children enrolled in our public schools makes it difficult to get the public to buy in to public education. The public must be assured that their schools and their school boards are working in the best interests of all students and are using best practices to ensure the playing field is level for every child who steps through our schoolhouse doors.
As school board members and educators, we believe this sounds good, and we think that the public should trust and support our lofty goals. The truth is that the public has different points of view about some issues in public education -- and this is nothing more than an expression of liberty and freedom in our American society.
Differing points of view and robust debates are characteristics of a free and healthy democracy.
As you engage the public, particularly in your local school districts, there are questions you can have your community ask itself about public education:
• What type of school district do I see when I picture my community/city/town in the future, and how can I help us get there?
• What have I done as a concerned citizen and how can I help my school to be the very best?
• What are the public values of my community, and what added value can the school district bring to my community?
These questions should generate some dialogue about the perceptions and the expectations of public education in your school district. This is an opportunity for school board members to tell the story about public education. The end result of our story should be: "The closer you get to public education the better it looks."
Keeping the lines open
There are no easy answers to many of the issues facing public education today: the student achievement gap, urban versus suburban versus rural education, funding disparities, accountability measurements, and on and on.
As elected school board members, you have been entrusted by your citizens to tackle these thorny issues in your efforts to ensure that your children's futures are as bright as they can dream them to be.
Many times, citizens misunderstand your role or misperceive your stand on education issues that are so dear to you and your community. Don't let these misunderstandings interrupt the dialogue. Don't let them destroy the trust.
Although you might agree to disagree on occasion, it is important to recognize and praise local citizens who are involved in education. Give them recognition for their support of and passion for public education. Let them understand that you do not look at public education as a financial statistic or as a cost of doing business, but rather as a crucial investment in the future for all children in your community.
Trust is built from inside out. As school board members, we must keep our word, honor our commitments, always be consistent, and embrace moral and ethical values that are respected by the community. And we must keep the lines of communication open.
Aligning resources
So how do we make measurable progress toward meeting NSBA's goal of getting Americans to value and invest in public education?
In addition to the trust and relationships that you have built and continue to build on, it is my experience that school board governance is most effective when it is data-driven and when resources are aligned to achieve the goal.
The framework for school board governance in your state association can be an excellent tool to use in addressing policy issues. What I have found is that by jointly using NSBA's Key Work of School Boards and your state school boards association's governance model, one gets the breadth and depth of effective leadership that is inclusive of critical issues, such as accountability, alignment, continuous improvement, and collaboration.
As we address the requirements of meeting adequate yearly progress under the No Child Left Behind Act, we can address specific targets and ensure that strategies and resources are in place to hit those targets.
I encourage you to work collaboratively with the leadership of your state school boards association and NSBA to strengthen our effectiveness in working with the public. We must look beyond the immediate to a better, brighter tomorrow and focus on what we dream for the future.