What does a school director do?

In Washington, members of the local school board are called school directors.  As a group, they provide governance of the school district and work with the superintendent to provide leadership for the district.  That leadership promotes student achievement through planning, policy setting, advocacy and monitoring performance so each and every student succeeds.  The school board makes decisions and sets policy regarding matters such as bond and levy elections, budget adoption, facilities, curriculum adoption, employee relations and transportation.

There is a definite line between governing the district and administering its daily activities. While boards are ultimately responsible, they employ a superintendent who manages the day-to-day functions in the school district.  Effective hiring and evaluation of the superintendent is one of the most essential responsibilities of a school board.  School boards also exercise their leadership in establishing a long-term vision for the school district and holding the superintendent accountable for making progress toward that vision.

To help fulfill their leadership role, school directors across the state developed and approved the Washington School board Standards, a framework for effective school governance.  The standards include board roles and responsibilities and the expected skills, knowledge and behaviors of school directors, as well as resources and references that support the standards.

The standards are based on these five core principles:

1. Responsible school district governance
2. Communication of and commitment to high expectations for student learning
3. Creating conditions district-wide for student and staff success
4. Holding the district accountable for student learning
5. Engagement of the community in education

The full standards, with benchmarks and indicators are available here.
 

Publications and Presentations

Workshop Schedule
(PDF - color handout)

Candidates' Guide to Serving on Your Local School Board
(PDF – 2-Page Color Handout)

Washington School Board Standards

About WSSDA

Serving on Your Local School Board Slide Presentation
(PDF/PowerPoint – 47 slides)