Suggestion for BoardNet

Jorge Nelson 24 May 2001

No Date

________________________________________________________________

Niall, Lew and all others:

How about creating "BoardNet"; a listserve moderated by a volunteer

professional liaison chosen by our AAIE board. The liaison would then guide

Boardnet members to logical and rational policies and help to promote

Trustee-ship, at the same time minimize the micomanaging behaviors that come

from immature boards and/or cronyism, etc. As a moderator, unsuitable

material could be censored and replies could come from the group through the

guidance of the moderator only, not unsolicited. The approach is a bit more

controlled than HeadNet, but I feel it is warranted as board members have

little or no formal training, unlike the plethora of professional members in

the growing number of "---Net" groups.

How about a "Memo to the Board" case study approach using online education

resources for board members who really care about becoming blue ribbon

quality. I feel that with the plethora of AAIE members there is an

incredible resource out there waiting to help us get what we deserve - board

members who care about what's best systemically for the children, not about

their own children in isolation or about making power plays for political

positions.

Jorge

When I write plethora it reminds me of Henry Fonda's ad lib in "On Golden

Pond" when he is asked the name of his deceased wife and he responds, "Ethel

Thayer... thounds like I'm lithping, doethn't it?"

-----

Following others, I think it would be highly inappropriate for board members to have access to the headnet. We all accept that effective school governance is a partnership between board and school head - but the fact remains that there are times when it should be possible for heads to share issues with colleagues without fear that board members could "listen in". Being a school head is essentially a lonely occupation - we have no peers in our own establishments. Therefore it is essential that we should have the opportunity to share issues in confidence with our true peers - who are colleagues in other schools.

With only a few weeks to go, I wish everyone a relaxing and revitalizing summer.

Alex Horsley

Headmaster

Chinese International School

Hong Kong

ahorsley@cis.edu.hk

www.cis.edu.hk

----

Good morning,

It would be patently inappropriate for Board Members to have

access to ServiceNet traffic. It has nothing to do with "right to access"

or "secrecy". It has everything to do with constructive, professional

dialogue amongst peers.

There are times, surely, when Heads share Headnet messages with

some or all board members, but that is very different.

I can also make a good case for excluding Headnetters from

PrincipalNetters' correspondence.

Cheers, john Sly, Forked River

-----

From: Michael Farr <mfarr@kcparrish.edu.co>

Subject: Re: ServiceNet

To: HEAD-NET@TC.UMN.EDU

I DO NOT AGREE THAT BOARD MEMBERS SHOULD HAVE THEIR OWN NET; THEY ARE OFF

THE WALL ENOUGH WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO PICK UP MORE OFF THE WALL IDEAS FROM PEOPLE ALL AROUND THE PLANET.

JORGE, A NOBLE IDEA NO DOUBT, BUT WHAT WOULD RESULT FROM A BOARD NET WOULD BE NEITHER LOGICAL OR RATIONAL MOST OF THE TIME-- AT LEAST THAT HAS BEEN MY EXPERIENCE. MIKE

I honestly don't see any good coming out of giving board members a vehicle

to communicate with each other. For each good thing that comes of it will

also come several not so good things. They are not educators and they have

personal agendas. Why make it easier for them to make our lives miserable.

Idealism is great in the Ivory Tower, but this is the real world folks.

Mike Farr

=====

More on ServiceNet

When HeadNet was first discussed the concept of Board inclusion was mentioned

and quickly dropped for many of the same reasons that we have read in the

avalanche of email on subject this past week. No HeadNet email has created

such a huge response on the negative side--it wasn't even a debate!

One more comment from days past when the HeadNet concept was in its infancy

re: Board inclusion: Board members are temporary players in the educational

arena while administrators are professionals with a long term commitment.

Board members have their own agenda and "come and go"--e.g. some years ago

at ISKL I had 88 Board members in 8 years who served on a 14 member board.

Temporary Board members can do a great deal of damage in a short period of

time with no accountability. As to SeviceNet--No No, No!

On the same subject but different tack:

It's been noted on HeadNet with increasing frequency that requests have been

made in the "name of the Board" or the "Board would like to know-----" which

leads to the possibility that the Board is already involved with HeadNet. I

have some problem with this as it could lead to the Board micro-managing the

school based on HeadNet responses. Yes, we need to gather information yet we

should be careful about distribution and requests.

HeadNet has been an outstanding success as an important tool for the

administrator--let's keep it that way.

I'll be awaiting replies especially from John Sly.

Cheers. Bob Gaw, HR*

Carson City, NV

*Happily Retired

====

Date: Thu, 24 May 2001 06:49:43 -0500

Sender: Headmasters List at International Schools <HEAD-NET@TC.UMN.EDU>

From: Joe Stucker <fjstucker@COTOPAXI.K12.EC>

Subject: Service Net & Board Members

Dear Lew and All

I would like to offer another perspective relating to board members having access to Service Net.

* Maybe such an opportunity is a way to educate board members on what others are doing

* Maybe access could be limited to two board officers

* Maybe old pros like John Sly, Gil Brown and Gail Schoppert and others could moderate the site, thus providing some on-going Board training, which we all know boards can use.

* Maybe not all board members are out to 'get us'

* Maybe such a site would be particularly beneficial to small schools in isolated locations

* Maybe it is not just heads who feel isolated, especially in the isolated locations

* Maybe it is worth a try

* Maybe it won't work and maybe we will never know if it could ultimately be beneficial.

Regards, Joe

Dear All,

I second Joe's suggestion for Boardnet: I never was one to treat board members like mushrooms ("Keep them in the dark and feed them bullshit"). Having conducted multiple governance institutes and other workshops for board members, 95% of those attending were excellent and listening to them had a saluatory effect on the loose cannons. With good moderators in place and in control of the content of responses (the key to making it professional and effective), commonly accepted standards will be upheld.

Regards,

Jim Ambrose

Back