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 a good 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! board.dev@tasb.org or 800.580.8272

Do you know what training you’re required to receive?