Whose Job Is It? Part One

© Iowa Association of School Boards

At the Board Table Discussion Tool

Team IASBHarry Heiligenthal

Leadership Services Directoremail hheiligenthal@ia-sb.orgdirect (515) 247-7062

Mary Jane VensBoard Development Directoremail mvens@ia-sb.orgdirect (515) 247-7023

1-800-795-4272 www.ia-sb.org

Goals for our time together

A consideration of the board’s role in three parts:

1. Consideration of a scenario and determination of “Whose Job Is It?”

2. Consideration of the same scenarios and determination of what role the whole board would play in the situation.

3. Determining indicators of micromanagement.

Please consider all three parts in the given order.

Directions

As the board reads each of the following brief scenarios, you should ask yourselves two questions:

1. Whose Job Is It?2. What’s the Board’s Role?

1. Scenario One

Scenario One

Dreamfield School District has made funds available for the purchase of 1:1 laptops for the middle school. The decision will now need to be made regarding whether funds will be invested in laptops, notebooks or tablets. One of the board members is an IT Specialist for a major company.

Whose job is it to ensure the correct information is made available to inform this decision?

See handout p. 3

Whose Job Is It?

What’s the Board’s Role?

2. Scenario Two

Scenario TwoBetty Smith approaches board member, Berti, with a request. She believes her daughter is not being treated fairly by her softball coach, who is also her math teacher. Betty wants to sit down and have a heart-to-heart talk with the coach, just to get things out in the open. However, she really wants a “witness” with some authority to be part of this conversation. She would like Berti, as the board member from her director district, to be that person.

Whose job is it to help Mrs. Smith get a full and fair hearing from the coach?

See handout p. 4

Whose Job Is It?

What’s the Board’s Role?

3. Scenario Three

Scenario ThreeThe Dreamfield district superintendent plans to recommend staff cuts at the next board meeting. Five teachers formed a “Save our Staff” committee and approached two board members who also happen to be ex-staff members. They asked these two board members to look at some data they have put together regarding how the district could save money without making the cuts, and thus better serve the needs of all students. As former staff members the two board members have special “insight” into the situation.

Whose job is it to review the committee’s data and make sure it is part of board discussion?

See handout p. 5

Whose Job Is It?

What’s the Board’s Role?

4. Scenario Four

Scenario FourThe superintendent has developed a plan for ongoing review of building maintenance over a five-year period. Before presenting this plan for board approval he has called board member, Jack Spratt, into his office. Jack has always been very interested in building maintenance and has offered some specific opinions and suggestions to the plan, which the superintendent has not included. The superintendent hopes to conduct a tour of buildings with Jack in tow and reach some compromise on the areas which are of most concern for Jack.

Whose job is it to present individual amendments to the plan?

See handout p. 6

Whose Job Is It?

What’s the Board’s Role?

5. Scenario Five

Scenario FiveDuring the board open forum, one of the board members brings up the idea of adding soccer to the extra-curricular offerings at Dreamfield. This idea has been suggested before, but has been viewed as an unwise addition in financially stressed times. Another board member, Amos Athletic, offers to be a coach for this new team and to do some research with similar-sized districts that have already made the commitment to a soccer team. He can acquire cost estimates for busing, equipment outlay, etc. so the board has a clearer idea of what they are really talking about financially.

Whose job is it to take the next steps for providing this opportunity for Dreamfield students?

See handout p. 7

Whose Job Is It?

What’s the Board’s Role?

6. Determining Indicators of Micromanagement

Discussion Questions

1. In each of the five situations, no area of work was identified for an individual board member. The involvement of an individual board member in “investigating” or “pre-judging” a situation is often described as micromanagement. Discuss two or three characteristics of micromanagement.

2. Following your board discussion, review “IASB’s Four Indicators of Micromanagement” to view IASB’s thinking in this area.

See handout p. 8

7. IASB’s Four Indicators of Micromanagement

IASB’s Four Indicators of MicromanagementHere are four indicators of micromanagement generated over time by IASB staff.

1. The task/work is on the level of day-to-day operations, rather than governance or “big picture” decision-making.

2. The task/work is part of a staff member’s job description.

3. The task/work takes the board member out of the chain of command as established within board policy and best practice.

4. The task/work should only be undertaken as a part of whole board deliberation and is not an individual responsibility.

See handout p. 9

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