Harrison district to consider change in how the board governs

The Harrison School District 2 board may vote Thursday to adopt a type of reform that some districts nationwide have implemented to end to conflicted and confusing approaches to governing.

However, the idea is generating its own conflict and confusion in the district.

The new system would remove the board from day to day minutia of running a district, so that it can govern with a focus on student achievement. At the same time, it would set strict parameters that a superintendent must follow in doing his job.

Harrison Board President Deborah Hendrix said the board is considering the Coherent Governance model as part of a push to institute business-like systems to raise student achievement in the district, where more than 70 percent of the students are impoverished.  

“The board needs to get itself in order, too. The model strengthens the structure of how a good board operates,” Hendrix said.

Coherent Governance was designed three years ago by The Aspen Group International of Castle Rock. The system is an outgrowth of the Policy Governance model developed nationally by consultant John Carver.

“The idea is that the board is saying to a superintendent, ‘We aren’t going to do your job for you, but we expect you to do your job,’” said Randy Quinn, senior partner at The Aspen Group International.

The board recently had a first reading  of the policy, and some critics fear it will give the superintendent too much leeway. This potential change comes on the heels of a cutting edge but controversial pay plan linking teacher performance and student achievement.

Mike Stahl, executive director of the Pikes Peak Education Association, said, “As elected representatives of the community’s schools, a board should only cede control and responsibility with voter approval. I view Policy Governance models as a move away from democratic control to one of increased power and authority in one person, the superintendent.”

But Hendrix disagrees. “We are not going to micro-manage the superintendent. If that is what we wanted, then one of us needs to run for his job.”

Many boards nationally, including at least 30 in Colorado have successfully implemented a form of Policy Governance, including Academy School District 20. “It works well,” said Doug Lundberg, board president.  “We don’t micromanage the superintendent, but he has to prove that policy is being carried out.”

Jane Urschel, deputy director of the Colorado Association of School Boards, believes such systems bring discipline and focus.

“People run for the board because they want to get rid of the band teacher and suddenly they are part of a governing team and don’t know how to conduct themselves or make the staff accountable ... so do things by the seat of their pants,” she said.

Historically, school board meetings have been based on a staff agenda and resulting board reaction to every facet of operation, be it buses, buildings, bills or what color the bricks should be, according to an article on The Aspen Group International Web site.  

Few boards focus on achieving stated end results, whether the ends are consistent with the taxpayers’ expectations and whether it has the right resources to meet those ends, the article said.

If passed, Harrison’s more than 300 policies would be replaced by about 30 concise ones with do this, don’t do this parameters. As part of its monitoring, the board would receive a comprehensive report each month on one of 13 operational areas such as financial management or personnel. The goal is to not operate from a crises mode, Hendrix said,  but rather to ensure the staff is increasing student achievement.

The D-2 board meeting is 6 p.m. Thursday at the administration building, 1060 Harrison Road.