[speedgibson] Speed Gibson: Meetings, Bloody Meetings - Part 1

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Posted by Speed Gibson:
Meetings, Bloody Meetings - Part 1
http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1214023705.shtml


   As I posted earlier, there were numerous articles including an
   editorial and a letter to the editor in this weekâs Sun Post on our
   Northwest suburban public school districts. About half of them were
   about District 281, the Robbinsdale Area Schools. Iâll spare you the
   long build-up and cut to the chase, the common thread: leadership.
   The word âleadershipâ clearly can have many meanings and connotations.
   Letâs start with one aspect I thought I might post about in July.
   Todayâs unsigned Sun Post editorial "[1]District 281 School Board must
   show leadership now" has forced my hand:

     School Board meetings are long and not nearly as productive as they
     need to be. Instead of biting the bullet and moving ahead, board
     members continue to postpone decisions and request additional
     information from staff.

   and

     A four-hour School Board work session on June 9, for example, was
     frustratingly inefficient, fraught with tedious work-smithing and
     unfocused discussions. The bulk of the agenda was pushed to yet
     another work session in July. The School Board doesn't have this
     kind of time to waste.

   Maybe youâve seen the wonderfully amusing (because itâs true to life)
   training video [2]Meetings, Bloody Meetings starring John Cleese of
   Monty Python fame. School Board meetings in District 281 are not that
   far gone, but the Sun Postâs criticisms are valid in my opinion. For
   Iâve been to almost every one for over six months now.
   So what would I do? First, I would change the seating chart.
   Currently, the dais (OK, really just a table) seats eight, the seven
   Board members and the Superintendent, by State law an ex-officio
   member of the School Board. To the right is a smaller table that seats
   four for those making presentations, equipped with additional lights
   and a camera for the cable TV broadcast.
   I would move the Superintendent to the Presentation area. I would
   redistribute the remaining seven chairs so that the Chairperson sits
   in the exact center. On either side would sit the Clerk and the
   Treasurer. The others, including the Vice Chair would occupy the
   remaining seats, with the newer members on the outside. Should the
   Chairperson be away, the Vice Chairperson or whoever is chairing the
   meeting would take the center position.
   The minor reason for this is to geographically reinforce who is in
   charge of the meeting, much like a Mayor and Council. The major reason
   is to clarify the major purpose of a School Board meeting, a public
   dialog between the Board and the Superintendent, much like a City
   Council and a City Manager.
   Take for example a recent presentation of District enrollment
   projections by the Executive Director of Technology, who took his
   place on the right hand table and went through his PowerPoint
   presentation with the Superintendent and elected Board watching from
   the main table. But unlike the elected Board, the Superintendent is
   not the recipient of this analysis, a member of the audience. He is
   ultimately the producer of it, and is not seeing these slides for the
   first time. He can and should where appropriate or in response to
   questions clarify the presentation. He can do this best by sitting
   next to his subordinate.
   Indeed, thatâs the idea. The extra positions on the right hand table
   are for presenters, usually staff. They can come in and out, point by
   point on the agenda. Itâs right for the Board, the Superintendent, and
   those making presentations. Were I, say, presenting my new design for
   the District web site, I know that I would be most honored and most
   comfortable having my Superintendent by my side, not off in the
   distance.
   A more functional seating plan better identifies roles, particularly
   the unique roles of the Chairperson and the Superintendent for
   everyone involved, including the public. But there are more changes
   needed to address the points raised by the Editorial and others. In
   part two, I will continue with the agenda and flow of the meetings
   themselves.

References

   1. %E2http://www.mnsun.com/articles/2008/06/20/opinion/rs19schooledit.txt%E2
   2. file://localhost/var/www/powerblogs/speedgibson/posts/%E2