Conclusiones y recomendaciones generales

School boards govern public school systems. A school board is made up of individual people who bring different experiences, motivations, and desires to their positions as school directors. The school board is a corporate board and the governance structure is designed for individual school board members to work jointly with other board members to eventually make decisions and govern as a unit. Additionally, the school board works in collaboration with school administrators to oversee school affairs such as budgets and policies. Working relationships and communication on school boards and between school board members, community members, and school personnel affect school governance in a myriad of ways. Considering that school boards are an integral part of school systems, conducting a study that focused on the attributes of school board members shed some light on the intricacies of the position and provided insight for superintendents and those who work with school boards.

This study looked at the perceptions of school board members in Western Pennsylvania related to their motivations for service, methods for making decisions, and relationships with other board members, the community, and district personnel. By querying board members and asking them to share their experiences, this study uncovered information further describing those who govern schools. This investigation provided a deeper understanding of a sample of board

members including who they were and how they approached their positions, thus providing insight for those who work as superintendents and with school boards.

This study surveyed school board members from specific counties in Western Pennsylvania using a survey instrument that was divided into five key areas: becoming a school board member, relationships, leadership, demographic information, and contact information. Specifically, the survey questions gathered information from sitting public school board members regarding their experiences in becoming school board members, including what persuaded them to enter an election or an appointment for a school board seat and how they became acclimated and socialized to the school board. The survey gleaned information regarding school board members’ relationships with those in the community as well as those in administrative positions, including information about how school board members communicated with their constituents, other board members, and district personnel. The survey also collected data uncovering information on decision-making for school board members, specifically how time was spent in the decision-making process, what decisions elicited pride or were particularly difficult, and how other school board members influenced decision-making on the school board. Additionally, the survey asked a few questions regarding leadership to gain insight into what challenged board members and what would assist them in their positions. Finally, the survey collected basic demographic and background information.

3.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The local control of public schools in the United States provides opportunities for everyday citizens to participate in governance and shape educational programs (Tyack, 2003). School

board members hail from different backgrounds and approach their positions in different ways. There are over 90,000 school board members in the United States (National School Boards Association, 2013) and 4,500 in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania School Boards Association, 2013). These individuals and their work shape the public school experience for millions of students.

In Pennsylvania, public school board members volunteer their time and effort to serve in local political positions. Understanding their motivations for becoming school board members informs superintendents and those who work with school boards, thus influencing the administrators’ interactions with board members. This information assists those who have close interactions with board members and may lead to more effective school governance practices. Additionally, school board members make decisions as individuals, but then collectively act as a corporate board. The method for making these decisions includes examining information flow and decision-making processes. Finally, how school board members interact with others on the board, their communities, and district administrators provides insight as to the workings of a school board and informs those who work within this structure.

Knowing that locally elected citizens volunteer their time to govern school districts and understanding why they choose to serve on a school board was enlightening. The literature provided information about the general characteristics of school board members and their motivations for service. This information, however, did not provide detail about specific board members’ stories. Understanding the backgrounds, motivations, and thoughts of Western Pennsylvania school board members in more depth provides insights for superintendents and those who work with school boards in Western Pennsylvania. Additionally, the school board evaluates the superintendent and both parties share leadership responsibility for the school

district. Since this superintendent/school board relationship is a critical aspect of the superintendency and its effectiveness, a better understanding of board members informs practice for superintendents (Grissom & Anderson, 2012).

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, superintendent contracts may be for three to five years in duration (Pennsylvania Department of Education, Commissions, 2015). This is a relatively short period of time for a superintendent to acclimate to a school district, establish a vision, and implement improvement. To establish large-scale improvements in a district, it usually takes six to eight years (Fullan, 2000). It is very difficult to reconcile the improvement process timeline with superintendent contract realities. Additionally, superintendent turnover rates can be high, with Grissom and Anderson (2012) citing a 45% turnover rate for all but the largest school districts. The typical tenure of an urban school district superintendent is even more alarming, with most staying two to three years (Glass, 2015). In a 2015 analysis of Pennsylvania School systems, of the 499 Pennsylvania school districts with superintendents, over 60% had experienced turnover of the superintendent in the previous six years due to retirement, not having contracts renewed, or leaving the position for a different field (Tatu, 2015). Although the reasons for high turnover rates of superintendents may or may not be related to their work with school boards, understanding school board members in deeper ways may help smooth transitions in and out of the superintendent positions and may provide superintendents with knowledge to help them have more effective relationships with school board members.

The superintendent is the chief executive officer of the school district and of the local school board (Hoyle, Björk, Collier, & Glass, 2005). The school board hires and evaluates the superintendent as well. It is important that superintendents understand school board members in

order to effectively navigate board relationships. This study investigated school board members in an effort to better understand their perspectives and inform school superintendents and those who work with school boards.

3.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

This research study examined school board member motivations for service, decision-making processes, and relationship structures. The specific research questions included:

Q1: What motivates a person in Western Pennsylvania to serve on a public school board? Q2: How do Western Pennsylvania public school board members make decisions?

Q3: How do Western Pennsylvania public school board members communicate and relate to others on the board, in the community, and in the district?

The research questions served as the overarching themes for the study and provided a construct for considering the ensuing data.