The School Board Member's Guidebook: Making A Positive Difference Through School Governance

by Ryan Donlan, Todd Whitaker

Overview

Every student deserves a high-impact, well-qualified, and governance-driven school board. In this helpful book, best-selling authors Ryan Donlan and Todd Whitaker show you as a school board member how to make smart, worthwhile decisions that will lead to positive change in your district.

The School Board Member’s Guidebook addresses the challenges of making realistic choices that will truly benefit the school and have a lasting impact. Topics include:

• how to work and communicate effectively with the superintendent during the year
• how to rise above contentious issues, while still showing you care about people’s viewpoints
• how to represent the interests and needs of the community at large
• how to keep your constituencies focused and informed through strategic planning and structured committee participation
• how to host constructive and cordial school board meetings

Each chapter offers strategies, tips, and sample scenarios. In addition, this timely second edition features a new chapter on the roles and challenges of the board president. With the resources and the practical advice throughout the book, you’ll be able to make a lasting difference in the lives of every student in your district.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781041012115
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/30/2025
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	136
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Ryan Donlan is a Professor of Educational Leadership at Indiana State University and specializes in helping schools with leadership, governance, and performance improvement. He has authored books on governance, leadership, and teaching, including Uncommon Sense for New Teachers: A Good Beginning is Half the Work.

Todd Whitaker is a Research Professor at the University of Missouri. He is a leading presenter in the field of education and has written 65 books, including the national best seller, What Great Teachers Do Differently.

Table of Contents

1. The Difference Maker  2. How to Find Common Ground  3. How to Maximize Constituencies  4. How to Communicate with and Manage Constituencies  5. What Boards of Education Are Really About  6. How Boards Can Govern More Effectively  7. The Superintendent as Your Shield  8. The Care and Feeding of Community Members  9. Holding Board Meetings  10. Between Board Meetings  11. The Board President: Neither Fish nor Fowl, or is it BOTH Fish and Fowl?  12. Community Caricatures  13. Governing Best: Advancing by Retreating  14. Starting Undefeated