Do’s and Don’ts When Working with Your Board

Learn from the mistakes of others. Kim Marshall provides a recap of a recent article in School Administrator detailing mistakes superintendents have made in working with the board and offering better approaches.

Reprinted with permission from Marshall Memo #1074, February 10, 2025. In this article in School Administrator, Nicholas Caruso Jr. (Connecticut Association of Boards of Education) describes mistakes he’s seen superintendents make with their school boards and suggests better approaches:

• A unanimous board hiring vote is best. Don’t assume you can win over no votes, says Caruso, and be especially ready to turn down a job offer if the board chair votes against you. Ideally the hiring process is where a candidate wins over the board and clarifies expectations going forward.
• Respect each board member. Caruso was a plumbing and heating contractor when he served on his local school board and often felt looked down on as the “blue collar” rep – including by a superintendent. “Treat each one of your board members professionally and with respect,” he advises, “whether they reciprocate or not.”
• Be even-handed with board members. When responding to one member, share the substance with others, says Caruso, and reach out to the board chair if there are issues with a member.
• Remain apolitical.  It’s never a good idea to take sides on political factions, says Caruso, either within the board or in the community. Stick to the knitting. 
• Be honest. Board members can lose trust in a superintendent who doesn’t tell the truth, even on small things. They need to hear all the pros and cons to have faith in a leader and make good decisions. 
• Delegate. There are some things that only the superintendent should handle, says Caruso, but others need to be delegated to competent colleagues so the superintendent’s time isn’t constantly being commandeered. 
• Make the main thing the main thing. The superintendent’s job “is to provide a quality curriculum delivered by quality instruction to each child,” says Caruso. “Keeping the board focused on that is critical” – through a clear vision statement and strategic plan, high expectations, and regular agenda items and reports to keep the focus on teaching and learning. 
• Help the board do its job: macromanagement. Boards getting too involved in details is the most common complaint Caruso hears from superintendents, but sometimes they encourage it by providing minutia about day-to-day operations. Policy is board’s role.
• Get consensus on the problem before debating solutions. “If people don’t agree on the problem at hand,” says Caruso, “they certainly won’t agree on the solution” – and will waste valuable time. 
• Orchestrate smooth public meetings. The board chair is responsible for the flow of board meetings, but the superintendent’s agenda and presentations play a key role in keeping them civil and well-organized. A good working relationship between the superintendent and board chair is vital. Sometimes bringing in a consultant can help.
• Use the threat to quit strategically. Putting your job on the line for a matter of conscience is sometimes the right thing to do, says Caruso, and usually that’s a move that can be made only once. It’s never good to threaten to quit over a matter of pride. 
• Know when it’s time to leave.  “Keep your finger on the pulse of your community and board,” he says. Gauge when it’s time for a heart-to-heart conversation with the board chair. It’s great to leave on a high note.

“Boardroom Mistakes Superintendents Make” by Nicholas Caruso Jr. in School Administrator, February 2025 (Vol. 82, #2, pp. 23-25).