Professional Development Topics
By Robert Evans, Ed.D.
The New Challenges of School Governance: Rethinking Strategic Planning
(Note: This has been titled “Meeting The New Challenges of School Governance”)
As the pace of change accelerates, school board members and trustees, especially those who work in the business world, can encounter—and cause—real frustration. Convinced that innovation is vital, eager to help their schools change, they are often amazed by the resistance from faculty and the slow pace of implementation. Convinced, too, of the value of clear benchmarks and measurable goals, they often chafe at educators’ preference for softer data. For their part, administrators are often at a loss to convey to board members the unique nature of schools, the psychology of educators, and the complexities of appraising teacher performance.
The program is offered as a full-day or a half-day workshop and as a keynote. Both workshop formats include a mixture of presentation, large group Q & A, discussions in pairs and small groups. The full-day permits more sharing, discussion, and role-playing and practicing. Rob always likes to tailor programs to meet the specific needs and interests of a school or a district and is glad to discuss this.