Question 6c

Joseph Nowik -

The superintendent is the board’s only employee. It is critical that the relationship be open, honest and transparent. The eight of us must work collectively to set the measurable goals and vision for the district.

The board governs the district. (The What)

The Superintendent administers the district (The How)

Richard Evonitz -

Collegial and collaborative. The Superintendent must trust and count on his or her Board to give good advice and counsel, as the Board represents the community and distills public sentiment in a way that helps the Superintendent act.

Kathleen Weiss Boyle -

Trust but verify. Respectful collaboration built on transparency, full disclosure, and a common goal to work to the benefit of our schools. Shared responsibility. Shared accountability.

Elana Jacobs -

First of all, I understand that being a superintendent is an excruciatingly hard job with lots of stakeholders to please and communicate with. The optimum board superintendent relationship has a healthy discourse, communicates weekly with board members, supports each other, conveys the same message about District 219, has plenty of time to digest new initiatives, and ensures that all board members are equally engaged. Together, with transparency, the board and superintendent tackle difficult decisions in a thoughtful way. The board-superintendent relationship continues to become stronger with lots of discussion and debate: not always agreeing or not always disagreeing… finding a middle ground that benefits the district.

Ross Sawyers -

An optimal Board-Superintendent relationship is one in which all parties work together in partnership to offer the best education possible to the students.

Naema Abraham -

Collaborative and supportive work relationship in any setting, including the relationship between board and superintendent, is essential to successful outcomes.

Irena Petryk -

The optimal Board-Superintendent relationship is one based on collaboration and mutual respect. Each party must understand their role: Board members set priorities, create policies, and evaluate the results of these policies while the superintendent provides leadership and manages the day-to-day operations of the schools. Board members should not micromanage the superintendent but instead provide clear directives for his or her work. Communication between the board and the superintendent should be consistent, transparent, and focused on the needs of both groups.