Serving on a local school district board comes with the responsibility of working as a collaborative member of the district or county office of education governance team. Understanding the roles and responsibilities of a trustee requires individual as well as collective professional development to function as a high-performing team.

Individual school trustees serve as a member of a governance team working to create the vision, goals and structures of a local school district. As a team, the board and the superintendent commit to work collaboratively as they strive to provide the best educational programs for every student.

Building trust is key and open communication is a necessity. When a new trustee is appointed or elected, meeting time should be dedicated to sharing the board’s vision and how it wants to get there. Providing opportunities for new members to ask questions is essential in building collective collaboration in fulfilling these goals.

Each member of the governance team needs to know how they agree to operate. A way to accomplish this is by reviewing the ocal educational agency’s board handbook. If your LEA doesn’t have one, creating one is important. There should also be a set of foundational agreements established by each board including:

• A vision statement so trustees can describe where the district is going;
• Goals for the district and students delineated in a strategic plan with measurable benchmarks;
• Clear understanding of roles and responsibilities of the trustees and of the superintendent;
• A Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) that sets the mile markers, plans and resource allocation to meet the goals to improve student outcomes;
• A multi-year financial plan going beyond the requirements of the budget, including best- and worst-case scenarios; and
• A board governance calendar for planning.

The discussions required to create and regularly review these documents and agreements serve as a foundation for establishing professional and collegial relationships. By spending time on these issues, trustees can forge board cohesion and trust.

CSBA can support boards with professional development in the following ways:

• Orientation for New Trustees: a one-day program preparing for the first 100 days;
• Institute for New and First-Term Board Members assists new trustees with the issues they will face in their first two years of service;
• Brown Act workshops outline and clarify the requirements of the California Open Meeting laws;
• Equity Network Training is a multi-course network that provides a platform for superintendents and two trustees to collaborate and build capacity to govern through the lens of equity;
• Masters in Governance^® (MIG) program is a five-day workshop to take trustees to the next level of leadership;
• Governance Consulting Workshops support your board through specifically designed workshops for new governance teams, a board handbook review/development, or a tailored workshop to explore district-specific issues;
• The Online Learning Center features a plethora of video on-demand training on issues of governance.

Choosing to serve your community as a school district or county office trustee requires commitment and dedication. Board members should lead by example, honing their understanding and practices in good governance by accessing the training provided to them by CSBA.