In this book, veteran school board member Richard E. Mayer takes a humorous but substantive approach to the serious relationship between school administrators and board members. While the overwhelming majority of school board members have good motives, even people who mean well can make bad moves. This book shows how to prevent good intentions from creating bad outcomes. Each chapter presents a negative school board scenario, offers
alternatives, and provides win-win solutions. Key features include brief case studies, lessons learned for boards, and lessons learned for administrators.
In addition to highlighting typical traps, the case studies light the path to positive collaboration and shared decision making between superintendents and school boards. Whether you are a school board member or an administrator who is trying to figure out what goes on in school board members' heads, How Not to Be a Terrible School Board Member provides clear direction in a realistic and memorable way.
In addition to serving on the Goleta Union School District board of education since 1981, Richard E. Mayer is a professor of psychology and education at University of California at Santa Barbara. His research focuses on instructional methods and how to design effective online instruction. He has authored 25 books and hundreds of journal articles, but this book is the only one he has dedicated to school board service.