Landing the best trustees in your boardroom

School Administrator, June, 2004 by Susan F. Shultz

Isn't it ironic that the one organization with the power to set the direction for our schools, the board of education, is the one organization whose members are often randomly selected, rarely evaluated and almost never held accountable to measurable standards of excellence?

My premise is simple: Better boards of education mean better schools. With corporate governance center stage and the recognition that strategic boards are a critical advantage, doesn't it make sense to bring the best possible board members and best practices into the boardrooms at our schools?

In the process of a national superintendent search, I was struck by the value of strategic boards that effectively and thoughtfully address outcomes. Alternatively, I am distressed by the damage inflicted by flawed boards that pursue special interests. While school boards are elected by the shareholders, and most school superintendents cannot directly determine their selection (increasingly like the CEO in corporate America), superintendents can and should make a difference in helping ensure that the best possible trustees, fully informed and engaged, are sitting in the boardroom.

Identifying Candidates

When we consult with proprietary and nonprofit organizations, I follow a seven-point process (detailed in The BoardBook) for recruiting corporate board members. These logical steps can be applied to school boards. If you don't know who you are looking for, how do you find that individual? Help your board be proactive in recruiting the best by being clear about the board's mandates and expectations and by defining the qualities and expertise that are most likely to help the board succeed. It is probably done best within the framework of a governance committee.

* Create a board charter.

Clarify the expectations of the board, how it will be structured (through committees, number of meetings, agendas, etc.) and evaluated. For example, the board's priority is to employ the best possible superintendent and to help ensure she or he has the necessary resources and support to succeed.

Access whatever resources are necessary to facilitate the creation and ongoing refinement of a charter. Make the charter available to the voters.

* Create a needs matrix.

Help the board prioritize your challenges and strategic issues, What expertise, attributes and skills will help? Surely the mandate for financial literacy in corporations is equally relevant to schools in these times of stringent budgets and activist watchdogs. How about successful operating experience, human resources expertise, diversity, geography, expertise in relevant disciplines such as real estate, education, banking, e-learning, technology and administration?

Then define the current board members in the context of the needs matrix. Where is your bench strength? What backgrounds and attributes will be most valuable going forward?

* Encourage the board to develop a measurable profile for each director slot.

Urge the board to circulate the profile within your organization and among all the affected constituencies to gain consensus and additional input. Then circulate the profiles to potential candidates and referral sources. Gain buy-in from as many of your constituencies as possible before putting names to the profile.

* Encourage the board to recruit proactively to each profile.

Too often recruitment has to do with relationships, such as golf buddies or celebrity appeal (consider that O. J. Simpson served on the audit committee of Infinity Broadcasting) or special interests, rather than the individual's capacity to contribute meaningfully. Too often, recruitment is reactive.

CEOs repeatedly are astounded at the caliber of the individuals willing to serve if approached in the right way. This is an extraordinary opportunity to gain valuable expertise and vision not otherwise available or affordable.

* Interview potential directors in the context of your board.

In candidate forums, audiences should pose tough questions, describe real situational issues and take advantage of the opportunity to learn from and strategize with the prospective directors. How do they rank against the profiles and needs matrix? Keep the focus. And publicize the results.

Explore time availability and commitment. Most school boards conduct meetings of the whole twice a month with committees sometimes meeting in the interim. Consider the fiduciary obligations, time commitments and liabilities. Look for people who will elevate the caliber of the board.

* Encourage self-evaluation.

The board should evaluate objectively the process, outcomes and effective ness of the overall board, the key committees and the individual members annually, using the charter metrics and benchmarks agreed on by the board. This helps the board and the individual directors understand their strengths and areas for improvement.

* Recruit in a continuum,

The board should keep the matrix in mind and maintain a list of prospects tied to the future. If an unexpected opening does occur on the board, a process and options are in place.