Board-Savvy Superintendent
Should We or Shouldn’t We Serve?
BY PEG PORTSCHELLER/School Administrator, October 2020

RECENTLY, AS I WAS OUT and about in the community, I bumped into the superintendent of our school system. As we engaged in a casual conversation, he asked if I might be interested in seeking a seat on the local school board. Hmmm. Is that a good idea? Not a good idea? Should former superintendents and retired superintendents serve on school boards?

The answer, I concluded: It depends!

As with other patrons in a school district, if one has a personal agenda of one sort or another, seeking a seat on the board of education to pursue that agenda will not be particularly helpful to anyone — not the least of whom, the seated superintendent.

A Service Commitment

In addition, if one is seeking the position because one misses the “status” of the superintendency, this also is not a reason to seek a board seat. It’s also ill-advised to pursue a school board position if you only recently left the superintendency in the same community.

However, if time has passed since you left the superintendency or you have relocated to another community, volunteer service on a board of education could be a wonderful commitment. One of the many challenges of serving as a superintendent (well documented) is the time and effort it takes to communicate continuously with and educate one’s board members. The complexities of managing and leading a multimillion-dollar organization are many. Describing and explaining those complexities to lay board members is often time-consuming and ongoing, albeit necessary. Imagine how helpful it is to have someone who personally and professionally understands the importance of this task.

Superintendents may be among the few professionals who “answer to” five, seven, nine or even 11 individuals who have limited knowledge of or experience with the business of education beyond their own years as a student in a school somewhere. Many of us accept and appreciate that this is the way the system works in a democracy — community representation accompanying the tax dollars that support our public schools.

What a gift it is to have someone serving on the board who has firsthand knowledge of state and federal programs, education law, state funding formulas, education policy, union relations and more. Navigating the waters of how to use this gift judiciously and thoughtfully requires deliberate care. Former superintendents serving on boards of education should never be considered an automatic “yes” vote on issues brought before the board.

Working Knowledge

When I raised this topic among former superintendents, they shared a concern that disgruntled former employees often seek seats on school boards and, when elected, seek retaliation of one kind or another. This is not “value-added” board service.

In the best circumstances, former employees can and often do bring a working understanding of education to the board table, but only former superintendents bring an intimate knowledge of what it takes to truly lead and manage a complex system like a school district. Whether small or large, a school district often ranks among the community’s largest employers. The district operates one of the area’s largest food service and transportation enterprises and contributes to the overall well-being of the community. Having a working knowledge of these complexities can indeed be helpful to fellow board members as they step up to serve the citizens in their communities.

If you are a former or retired superintendent, should you step up and serve your community and local school system by seeking a seat on the school board? If you have a genuine interest in serving, with no agenda other than to be helpful, then, yes, go for it. Resist every urge to “get in the weeds.” Additionally, if you have “advice” on how the current superintendent, and district, might be more effective and successful, offer that advice privately and with care.

When the seated superintendent approaches you about serving, by all means say “yes” if you believe you have the time, energy and desire to add value.

PEG PORTSCHELLER, a retired superintendent, is president of Portscheller & Associates in Parachute, Colo. Twitter: @pportsch