Our district did a three-year study of block scheduling at our high school. The final vote was scheduled for an October meeting, just two meetings into the term of a newly-elected board member. Six board members were prepared, had studied the issue, and were ready to vote for the change. What happened? The small group of parents and teachers who were opposed to block scheduling got to the new board member, convinced him the change would negatively influence student achievement, and that the vote should be postponed. Lesson learned? The superintendent should have quickly (immediately after the election) provided that board member with the background of the study to help them understand the thinking of the board as they prepared to vote affirmatively.

A board member in our district has suggested a community based committee to discuss how the board can best communicate with our publics—parents, non-parents, senior citizens, parents of preschool youngsters, families in the four communities we serve who all subscribe to different newspapers. It's a great idea, one we will implement in January or February, 2004. The lesson: "What are the communication challenges facing your district?" We can struggle with the answers ourselves; after all, we're the superintendent, the person charged with "problem solving," or we can reach out to those who will be affected by the decision. I know a superintendent who once had personal notepads that said, "Those who would do unto others, should know what those others prefer!"