Let's Open Up our Board's Decision Making Process

By Nadine Aarsheim

The credibility of our School Board is dependent on a transparent and inclusive decision making process

But once the Board decides on a course of action representing the best aspects of various positions, it's not enough to announce the decision to the community. The Board must then build consensus around its decisions by explaining why the decision represents the best course of action for the District, and how the decision was reached. The Board's credibility as an institution depends on its ability to demonstrate that its decisions are arrived at though an analytical process that is independent, objective, and disciplined. The Board must show:

• That it considered multiple, diverse proposals from stakeholders;
• That the proposals considered were subjected to a rigorous cost/benefit analysis;
• That the cost/benefit analyses were performed through application of relevant, credible, and independently sourced data;
• And that the Board's conclusions were vetted by exposing them to constructive criticism by the community before the Board came to a decision. Only by exposing the Board's decision making process to the light of day can the Board build credibility and confidence in its decisions. We have a highly educated and well informed community that is not used to being asked to get behind positions without understanding how those positions were reached. By bringing the community into the decision making process, the Board can achieve buy-in and build consensus around its decisions.