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

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Ryan Donlan (Indiana State University, USA) Todd Whitaker (Indiana State University, USA)

The School Board Member's Guidebook

Making A Positive Difference Through School Governance

Ryan Donlan (Indiana State University, USA), Todd Whitaker (Indiana State University, USA)

$68.95 $58.96

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Routledge
30 September 2025

Organisation & management of education

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.

By: Ryan Donlan (Indiana State University USA), Todd Whitaker (Indiana State University, USA)
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Edition: 2nd edition
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
Weight: 453g
ISBN: 9781041012115
ISBN 10: 104101211X
Pages: 124
Publication Date: 30 September 2025
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

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

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.