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Picture this: It is a school board meeting day.

One board member calls the morning of the board meeting to ask for specific data to be discussed that evening. An hour later, another member calls with a completely different request. Meanwhile, your team has spent days preparing for a major report to be presented that same evening, and now they are nervous about getting caught flat-footed by questions no one saw coming.

Sound familiar?

Here is what I have learned: questions are good. A genuine desire among board members to know, to help, to support, and to hold the school division accountable is good. Iron sharpens iron. But what is not helpful is when those questions and agendas pull everyone in so many different directions that they begin to splinter the organization.

A superintendent cannot lead a focused, cohesive division under a scattered school board 鈥� and a board cannot govern effectively without operational structures that channel their energy toward shared purpose.

The good news is that we, as leaders, can establish that structure to anchor our work with intentional effort.

Assume the Best, Then Build the Relationship

The first strategy sounds simple, but it requires discipline: keep an open mind and always assume the best. 

Most school board members enter their roles with a genuine commitment to serve their community well but may have limited experience in school division leadership. They are not trying to create chaos but are trying to do their jobs with the tools they have and to do what they believe is in the best interests of children and the communities they serve. I鈥檝e learned that when I receive a call with an unexpected request, to start with curiosity, not defensiveness. What is driving this question? What does this member need in order to be informed and prepared?

A superintendent cannot lead a focused, cohesive division under a scattered school board 鈥� and a board cannot govern effectively without operational structures that channel their energy toward shared purpose.

Beyond assuming the best, I believe investing in relationships that exist outside of the board room matters, so it is important to first look for common ground. Likely, we have more in common than that which divides us. Individual coffee conversations spent understanding what each board member values, worries about, and hopes to accomplish help to build a strong foundation and prevent strained relationships. 

Create Structure Beyond the Board Room

One of the most effective tools I have found is using two-by-twos (2x2s): intentional conversations with one or two board members at a time and with members of the core cabinet present. These conversations are scheduled ahead of school board meetings to preview what is coming, surface questions early, and make sure no one walks into the room without context.

This is about respecting the board and our leadership team鈥檚 time. When board members are prepared, they lead well. When they are surprised, they react 鈥� and reactions in a public meeting from either board members or staff rarely serve our students or staff well. 

It is also advisable to make your core cabinet team members directly available and accessible to board members. If you cannot trust your team to take a call from a board member and handle it well, then you may have the wrong team in place. Making leadership accessible is not a vulnerability. It is a sign of organizational health.

Structure also means establishing clear, shared expectations between the superintendent and the board about reasonable timelines and processes. Guardrails are agreements that protect everyone, including the staff doing the work behind the scenes.

Protect Your Team in the Process 

But what good is an aligned, cohesive board if your team is frantic?

The goal is not just a prepared school board. It is also about maintaining a balanced, secure, and confident staff. The team shows up ready when staff members have enough lead time to prepare and know which questions are the most pressing before meetings start. Use dry runs as part of this process to help you look around corners, so you have a chance to better understand how presentations sound before they are spoken into a microphone. Ask your team to listen to themselves and put themselves in the shoes of not only school board members but also students, parents, principals, and teachers.

The goal is not just a prepared school board. It is also about maintaining a balanced, secure, and confident staff. The team shows up ready when staff members have enough lead time to prepare and know which questions are the most pressing before meetings start.

That preparation signals to your team that you will not send them into the room without everything they need. There is a difference between checking the box that says 鈥渄one鈥� and checking the box that says 鈥渨ell done.鈥� It is not well-done until all perspectives are considered. We must commit to having the discipline to do things consistently well. Consistency builds trust, and trust is everything.

Come Back to What Holds

Not every board dynamic is easy, and no two boards are the same. There are moments when alignment feels far away, and the path forward is unclear. In those moments, I come back to a vital reminder: You cannot do anything meaningful from a place of ill will, but almost anything else is workable. Where there is goodwill, there is potential. Where there is potential, there is a path back to what matters most.

And what matters most is and must always be our students.

Structure does not exist for its own sake. It exists so that the people responsible for serving children can do that work 鈥� together 鈥� with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

In this "Building the Story Together" series, Dr. Verletta White explores how superintendents and school boards can build the trust and structures that keep public education's promise to students. Drawing from her experience in Roanoke City Public Schools (Va.), she covers everything from proactive communication to mutual accountability to advice for aspiring superintendents.

Part 1: Building the Story Together: You Can't Build Board Trust in a Crisis