School Board and Superintendent Relations

Abstract

Superintendents and school boards mustwork together to improve schools and student academic performance. In an attempt to improve often dismal school system performance, several states passed laws over the past decade changing certification requirements for superintendents, effectively permitting anyone, however trained, to become superintendent of a school system. What happens when people outside the traditional educational establishment become leaders of schools? This case describes the actions of a nontraditional superintendent (a noneducator) hired by a district with a history of conflict between the superintendent and the school board. This case demonstrates the challenges surrounding the hiring of nontraditional superintendents, the politics of local school boards, and issues with changes in school governance structures.