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BOARD-SAVVY SUPERINTENDENT

Virtually every superintendent spends time and energy thinking about how and when to communicate with their board of education members — and how often.

Most boards have one official business meeting per month. Often those meetings are supplemented by a work or study session at least once a month to provide opportunities for board members to learn about complex issues prior to any potential action that might be taken. Study sessions can deepen the board’s understanding of various aspects of the district. Before these meetings and in between these meetings, what should communication from the superintendent to the board look like?

In my experience, most superintendents provide a weekly update on Fridays to their board members. This may take the form of a written e-mail summary or a voice mail summary if necessary.

The information contained in these communiques might include announcements of staff and student successes and awards, upcoming events, updates on projects, summaries of civic or legislative activities and other pertinent happenings of possible interest to board members. Of course, what’s included will differ based on the size of the district and size of the community or communities served by the district.