Effective governance is the foundation of strong school systems. Through research-based insights, real-world examples, and practical advice, American School Board Journal (ASBJ) offers school board members and education leaders tools to strengthen their knowledge, sharpen their skills, and elevate their impact.
This curated collection brings together some of ASBJ’s most influential articles on school board governance—from foundational principles and leadership development to strategic planning and board-superintendent relationships. Whether you’re a new member seeking to understand your role or a veteran looking to refine your governance approach, these resources provide valuable guidance to help boards govern with excellence and purpose.
Foundation of Knowledge: New school board members need background knowledge quickly to serve effectively from the start
New school board members need a comprehensive "foundation of knowledge" quickly to be effective, which goes beyond mandated training to include laws, district policies, and key "meta-lessons". These critical lessons include understanding that authority rests with the board majority, not the individual, and recognizing the board's role as one part of a complex school system. New members must also acquire background knowledge about crucial non-board roles—including students as active agents of learning, teachers as primary instructors, and principals and superintendents who manage the system—to ensure they support success at every level.
Skills for an Effective Board: Members must learn the ins and outs of boardsmanship
New school board members must master boardsmanship—the individual skills needed for effective service—early in their tenure. Key skills include actively connecting with the whole community, advocating for students' best interests, and preparing for and contributing to board meetings. Effective boardsmanship also requires maintaining confidentiality, promoting transparency, and referring complaints to the appropriate management level. Furthermore, members must contribute to the board's collective governance capacity by collaborating with colleagues and the superintendent, supporting the board process, and pursuing continuous professional development.
Planning for the Future: Questions to ask your superintendent candidates about succession planning
A focus on succession planning is a key responsibility for school leaders. This resource notes that a proactive approach increases the supply of capable internal leaders, saves money on external searches, and attracts a higher quality of candidates. Since most boards lack formal succession plans, the superintendent must drive the initiative to identify and cultivate leaders across all district ranks (central office, building leaders, and teachers). To ensure a superintendent candidate is committed to this effort, interviewers should ask two main questions: 1) What initiatives have you personally led to promote sustainability in the top post? and 2) What leadership development opportunities will you put in place for our educators and administrators? Strong candidates will demonstrate an ability to assess district needs, create clearly outlined plans with measurable objectives, and employ distributive leadership to activate internal talent.
Ready, Set, Govern! Connecticut Association of Boards of Education earns the Leading Edge Award for its innovative approach to board development
Winner of the 2025 NSBA Leading Edge Award, Ready. Set. Govern! is a comprehensive professional development program launched by the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) in partnership with the State Department of Education. Created to fulfill new statutory training requirements, the initiative offers a "layered approach" to governance mastery through webinars, personalized in-person sessions, and dedicated mentorship for board chairs. By covering essential topics like legal duties, school finance, and ethical obligations, the program ensures new members are prepared to lead effectively from day one while encouraging full boards to learn together as a cohesive team.
The School Board as Servant Leader
Based on Robert Greenleaf’s philosophy of servant leadership, this article argues that school boards have a dual responsibility: to lead on behalf of others and to serve multiple stakeholders. The board serves the students (by focusing relentlessly on outcomes), the community (its "boss," whose values it must enact), and state/federal mandates. Simultaneously, it must lead the staff (strategically, without micromanaging) and the superintendent (by setting clear expectations and accountability), while also governing itself through self-assessment and disciplined policy adherence. Effective boards recognize these distinct roles—avoiding operational interference while ensuring the district’s mission is fulfilled.
13 Mistakes Board Members Make
Drawn from the author's 30 years of experience training board members, this article outlines the 13 most common mistakes school board members make, offering practical advice for effective governance. Key errors include lacking patience, displaying poor behavior, publicly challenging board decisions after a vote, and avoiding micromanagement or "Lone Ranger" tactics. The author warns against politics, hidden agendas, breaching confidentiality, and ignoring board policy. The most critical mistake is losing focus on the board's primary responsibility: ensuring every child receives a quality education.
Six (Not-so-Simple) Rules for School Board Success
Outlines the six essential beliefs, values, and attitudes—a "mindset for success"—that must accompany knowledge and skills for effective governance. These rules include: becoming the vital link between the community and its schools by actively listening to and reflecting community values; taking strategic responsibility for everything the district does while avoiding diversion into operational details; clearly empowering the superintendent with authority, resources, and support; rigorously holding the superintendent accountable based on clear, documented expectations for student results; proactively holding the board itself accountable for its own governance performance through self-assessment; and continuously planning for superintendent and board succession, even when turnover is not imminent.
Becoming a Better School Board Chair
Practical tips, derived from a veteran of school board governance, to help school board chairs succeed in their demanding role. Key responsibilities for the chair include being the official spokesperson, setting the leadership tone alongside the superintendent, and presiding over meetings while keeping them focused. The advice emphasizes core principles: focusing the board relentlessly on student achievement, putting students' needs first, and setting a professional culture with high expectations for fellow members. Crucial tips also cover developing a strong relationship with the superintendent, communicating often but mindfully of sunshine laws, being an inclusive role model, and using humor to defuse tense situations.
Five Lessons for Successful School Board Service
Asserting that effective board service is more of an art than a science, this resource focuses on connecting the community's will to the education of its children. The first and most critical lesson is that an individual board member has no more authority than any other citizen away from the board table, only gaining power when voting as part of the board majority. To achieve goals, a board member must build a majority coalition, often requiring informal relationship-building with colleagues away from the formal setting. Other key lessons include maintaining informative and timely communication with the superintendent to avoid surprises, ensuring the board chair effectively conducts meetings and is the sole spokesperson, and practicing "good boardsmanship" by publicly supporting a board decision even if one voted against it.
Sound Advice for School Leaders: 24 Tips to Help Make You a Better School Board Member
This article draws on the author's nearly 40 years of experience training and working with boards. Key advice includes: always putting students' needs first and adhering to the district's mission; dropping political party affiliation at the boardroom door; remembering to represent all children; knowing the distinct roles of both the board and the superintendent; and building strong relationships through honest, one-to-one communication. The article also emphasizes being an advocate and a role model, using emotional intelligence, adhering to the chain of command (the "mantra" for handling problems), and focusing on the budget as the most important policy document.
Four “Big Ideas” of Board Governance
This article, which uses a "juggler" metaphor, outlines the Four 'Big Ideas' of Board Governance—the essential, non-delegable responsibilities of a school board. Three ideas represent primary board tasks that must be kept in the air: Strategic Voice (giving voice to the community's long-term values, hopes, and vision for students, both outwardly through advocacy and inwardly through planning); Operational Guidance (providing clear direction to the superintendent and staff through policy and budget decisions while avoiding the trap of micromanagement); and Accountability (rigorously monitoring district performance to ensure both strategic outcomes and community expectations are met). The fourth, and most important, idea is Governance Readiness, which involves the board orienting itself to its role, continuously building its capacity, and organizing its work to ensure the other three "balls" stay in the air.
The Governance-Achievement Link
Sometimes overlooked in the national education debate, school boards play a pivotal role in improving student achievement. Research confirms that effective boards make a difference by sharing a core belief and commitment to the central importance of student learning. These successful boards establish nonnegotiable goals, align their work and resource decisions with those goals, and create a student-centered culture. Furthermore, they develop genuine accountability systems that are rigorous, consistent, and aligned to district objectives, and they act as a learning organization by formalizing ongoing professional development for the board itself to effectively lead the district.