[Winona Online Democracy] Greetings,
I was hoping to get some input and ideas from W.O.D. members on the format of school board meetings. (for those on the list who may not know, I currently serve as Chair of the school board for Winona Area Public Schools). At the beginning of this school year, I decided that my personal focus this year as a board member would be "board governance" -- I want to focus on helping the board function as best as possible and set up structures that promote constructive dialogue between board members (as well as, between the board and community) and good decision making. Recently, we made changes in our meeting structure in an attempt to: - create a more constructive dialogue (we've been known to argue a bit), - reduce the length of meetings (which tend to run upwards of 4-5 hours) - and, in general, create an environment that is more conducive to good decision-making Our traditional structure is comprised of two meetings a month (the first and third Thursdays) which take place in the City Council Chambers and are broadcast on cable access. The first meeting of the month is meant to be a "Study Session" in which the board does not conduct business, but only discusses issues. It has evolved over time, though, into pretty much just another business meeting. The new structure includes the following: 1. We have created "board committees" in which 3-4 board members discuss issues with administration and make recommendations to the board. Currently, there is a Budget Committee and a Board Operations Committee. These meetings are not televised, but are open to the public. The reasons for creating the committees was (1) to provide more opportunity for board/admin dialogue during the formation of policy (rather than having the board only see the "finished product" at board meetings) and (2) to contribute to shorter regular board meetings by transferring some of the discussion to the committee meetings (which can then be summarized in a recommendations to the full board). 2. We changed our study session to become an "actual" study session. It is now an untelevised meeting that is open to the public and takes place at a less formal setting. The agenda is limited to a few topics and issues are not voted upon (unless there is a time constraint involved). Board members also discuss the agenda for the regular meeting and indicate what information they will need from administration at the meeting. The purpose of these changes is to (1) to reduce conflict at regular meetings by allowing board members to participate more directly in setting the agenda (2) to allow board members to get a feel for other board members' views on issues before we need to vote on them (3) to encourage more constructive dialogue by providing an environment that is less formal and "feels" more like a discussion/dialogue, as opposed to our regular meetings which tend to feel more like a "public hearing". At the first "new" study session we had difficulties with the public hearing the board. We will provide amplification at the next meeting to try and alleviate this. I am sensitive to keeping the operations of the board as open and transparent as possible. I think it is a balancing act to try and allow the board opportunities to discuss issues in a format that doesn't always feel like they are "on stage", while still providing the public with access to the process. Issues such as televising meetings are important, but I also think the public has an interest in the board members being able to work together constructively. I think everyone would like to see "less entertainment and more good decisions" by the board (well . . . almost everyone ;-). In addition to the changes described above, we are also going to hold a board retreat in November (or late October) in which we will have a professional facilitator guide the board through a goal setting process and try to help the board develop a common vision for the future of Winona Area Public Schools. We are also considering holding "listening sessions" every three months for the sole purpose of the board receiving public input. So -- for those who have made it this far into the email -- what do you think of this effort? What else can (or should) we do? Do you have any suggestions regarding the changes and/or how the board can function most constructively? -Steve Kranz, Board Member -Winona Area Public Schools _______________________________________________ This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy All messages must be signed by the senders actual name. No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list. To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please visit http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona Any problems or suggestions can be directed to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] If you want help on how to contact elected officials, go to the Contact page at http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org
