Olentangy Local Schools’ Board of Education members will participate in a work session focused on collaboration and cooperation in accomplishing the district’s mission “to facilitate maximum learning for every student.”
“The board felt that this was an appropriate time to come together,” said Scott Galloway, Board of Education president. “So much has happened in the past year with the election of new board members, the passage of our operating and bond issue, Dr. Davis’ resignation and the ongoing search for a new superintendent. We felt this was the perfect time for us as a group to come together and fine tune our focus so we are providing the best service possible for our students and the community.”
“As with any productive team, there needs to be time to think, discuss, plan and strategize,” said Kathy LaSota, deputy director of board development for Ohio School Boards Association. “Work sessions, retreats and workshops are the most common ways for boards to find the time to do this important work. Effective boards put aside their individual agendas and focus their collective energy on providing the best possible education for students by setting a vision with high expectations and standards. The ongoing work of the board is to ensure that board, staff, parent and community commitment to that vision remains strong over time.”
The work session will include two experts in the fields of Carver Policy Governance Model and meeting facilitation. Irene Bandy-Hedden helped the Olentangy board re-write their policies based on the Carver model in 2004. According to Policy Governance, the authoritative source on the Carver Policy Governance Model, “the model enables the board to focus on the larger issues, to delegate with clarity, to control management’s job without meddling, to rigorously evaluate the accomplishment of the organization; to truly lead its organization.”
During the work session, each board member will have the opportunity to clarify or ask questions about their three top priority policies. Bandy-Hedden will be able to provide insight and history regarding specific policy questions.
Carolyn McKanders will facilitate the meeting and help guide the board through the fine-tuning of their governance processes. McKanders is an independent educational consultant specializing in individual, group and organizational development. She is the Co-Director of the Center for Adaptive Schools, an organization whose mission is to help schools develop and sustain professional collaborative cultures by developing technical and social resources to realize continuing student improvement. Olentangy Local Schools uses the Adaptive Schools model on a regular basis to help facilitate the continuous improvement process. McKanders’ expertise includes providing polarity management training that helps organizations identify and manage competing tensions inherent in social systems.
The total cost of the entire work session will not exceed $4,000 and will be paid for out of a Board Professional Development fund. “Under Ohio Revised Code, the board may allot at least $20,000 each year or two dollars per student, which ever is greater, for the purpose of professional development so that board members may grow and become better at their jobs just like our teachers,” said Galloway. “During the Organizational Meeting held in January 2008, the board unanimously voted to create this fund and the board has not hosted a work session of this nature since 2002. This conference will entirely focus on our needs, policies and actions that work to improve our student achievement. I can’t think of a better professional development opportunity for our board members.”
The Olentangy Board of Education work session will take place on July 22 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the district’s Administrative Offices, 814 Shanahan Road in Lewis Center. All community members are welcome to attend this important meeting.