Team Building for School Boards
Whether you’re on a football team or a board-superintendent team, you’ve got to learn how to work well with your teammates — or risk dropping the ball.
The State Board of Education considers teamwork critical to the function of school leadership teams and requires board-superintendent teams to receive team-building training annually.
Here are the key requirements:
- Leadership teams must spend at least three hours in a team-building session each year.
- All board members and the superintendent must attend.
- The activity should enhance team effectiveness.
- The session must include a review of the roles, rights and responsibilities of the board as outlined in the Framework for School Board Development.
- It should include an assessment that identifies continuing education targets for the year.
- The Framework for School Board Development should be used as a guide for identifying useful continuing education topics.
Start Planning Your Team Activity
Your team should decide in advance what you'd like to accomplish in your team-building session. Get started by:
- Posting team-building options on a meeting agenda and discussing what kinds of activities might benefit the team
- Agreeing on an activity that you think will help the team improve its working relationships
- Deciding on a time when all team members can participate and who might facilitate the activity
Find an Expert Coach for Your Team Training
Like an experienced coach, a TASB Board Development Services consultant can help increase your team's skills by conducting a team-building session.
Your board decides which subject area to focus on in your training. The possibilities include:
- Assessing performance and planning for improvement
- Clarifying roles and working relationships
- Understanding work styles and personality types
- Refining operating procedures
- Addressing common problems
- Developing a vision and setting goals
- Improving community relations
The More Districts Participating, the Better
When two or more districts conduct a workshop together, each pays a reduced price. (Team-building topics are limited for these sessions.)
Ask us about team-building options! Contact us at board.dev@tasb.org or 800-580-8272, ext. 2450.
Do you know what training you’re required to receive?
This article was originally published in Oct. 2020 and has been updated.
