Book Review:The Governance Core
SCHOOL BOARDS TEND TO BE THE subject of much debate across the country. Just what do they do and how important are they? And why are some so successful and others not so much?
Finally, we have a book that addresses these questions and more. Davis Campbell, former executive director of the California School Boards Association, and Michael Fullan, international expert on education system change, have joined together to write about local school district governance. The Governance Core is both motivational and practical. It addresses nearly every issue that affects governance. After 28 years as a school board member, I find it refreshing to see a straightforward, authentic treatment of the essential elements of effective governance. The basic theme can be captured in a statement from the book: "The board and superintendent can be an essential force for equity, excellence, and achievement." Rather than preach about the value of working together, Campbell and Fullan provide a blueprint for making high-powered, effective governance real. They take on most challenges boards and superintendents face with real-world suggestions. The book even addresses the issue of politics in governance that leads to an insightful discussion of the transition from campaigning to governing. Several points jump out to the reader in the progression of chapters. The book is divided into two major parts. The first part, appropriately, focuses on the characteristics of highly effective trustees. The authors make a bold statement here: "the single most powerful governance force is the governance mindset displayed by the most successful, high-performing board trustees and superintendents. |
The chapter on governance mindset is one of the most powerful. Campbell and Fullan go into great detail defining the four elements of a governance mindset in the context of a trustee's real-world experiences and challenges. Board members with a governance mind-set are system thinkers who understand the complexity of school districts; they have a strategic rather than tactical or administrative focus; they are deep learners; and they manage their public manner. It is clear that Campbell and Fullan believe that having a governance mindset, however important, will not alone ensure highly effective board governance. They state their view in the second part of the book: "Our vision is of a governance system, school board and superintendent working together as a cohesive,unified team with a common vision driven by a shared moral imperative." There are four chapters in the book devoted to the characteristics of effective boards. Throughout this section, the emphasis is on a unified focus and direction of the board. Two key concepts are presented: moral imperative and coherence. Moral imperative is defined as a relentless commitment to the learning of all students, no exceptions. What makes the concept of moral imperative different is its emphasis on "relentless commitment: to a shared core belief that is bigger than any individual personal agenda. The authors are clear that a shared moral imperative leads to a unified board that then ensures coherence, defined as a shared depth of understanding about the nature of the work of the district. This book is an important read for every school board member, superintendent, or anyone seeking to understand how effective governance works. Frank Pugh is NSBA's 2018-19 president and former member of California's Santa Rosa City School Board. Reprinted from the Oct. ASBJ
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