39. How School Boards Can Boost Student Achievement

A great teacher, we all know, can change the course of a child’s life. The same is true of school board members, as well. They have a different role, but the choices school board members make can help their district’s students reach their potential. So, how does that happen? The work of a school board to deliver a quality education to all children is called governance, and that's the focus of this month's episode. The Wisconsin Association of School Boards has created a new framework to help school board members understand quality governance. It’s called the “Essential Elements of Governance,” and it goes into detail about the five crucial areas that research suggests school boards should focus on. We talk to two people here at the WASB, both former Wisconsin superintendents, who had a hand in creating this framework. Ben Niehaus is director of member services for the WASB, and Fran Finco is a governance and search consultant. You can see a graphic describing this framework here. We’ll talk about why we made this framework, what its parts are and how you can learn more about how to put it into practice. If you want to learn more, register for a Spring Workshop, held at six locations throughout Wisconsin from May 9-23. Learn more and register at the event website. We will also discuss governance topics at the 2023 Summer Leadership Institute, held July 14-15 in Green Bay. The event website has details.