2.8. Communication and Support to the Board 

The Superintendent shall not cause or allow the board to be uninformed or unsupported in its work. 

Further, without limiting the scope of the foregoing by this enumeration, the Superintendent shall not 

1. Neglect to submit monitoring data required by the board (see policy 3.4 on monitoring Superintendent performance) in a timely, accurate, and understandable fashion, directly addressing the provisions of board policies being monitored. 

Interpretation: I interpret this to mean the Superintendent will provide 

complete monitoring reports according to the work plan and on time with a reasonable allowance for emergencies. Reports will include evidence to be presented in a manner acceptable to the Board. Timely, accurate and understandable is interpreted to mean reports will be on time per the work plan or timely to relevant informational needs as identified by the Board, factual, and in a manner that can be easily understood. 

2. Allow the board to be unaware of any actual or anticipated noncompliance with any Ends or Executive limitations policy, regardless of the board’s monitoring schedule. 

Interpretation: I interpret this to mean the Superintendent’s monitoring reports and interim informational communications will truthfully and accurately alert the Board to any condition of current noncompliance or condition of noncompliance considered likely in the future, and should include a plan for incremental movement toward compliance in a reasonable time frame. This communication can be outside the work plan schedule if needed. 

3. Neglect to submit unbiased decision information required periodically by the board or let the board be unaware of relevant trends. 

Interpretation: I interpret this to mean the Superintendent will provide unbiased, factual information and/or data for Board decisions and provide information to the Board regarding any trends that may affect progress toward achieving the identified Global Ends of the District.

4. Let the board be unaware of any significant incidental information it requires, including anticipated media coverage, threatened or pending lawsuits, and material internal and external changes. 

Interpretation: I interpret “incidental information” to be that information that is timely and relevant to the Board, though it may not be provided in a monitoring report or directly related to a policy. Providing the Board with current incidental information ensures that the Board is not uninformed or surprised when unusual events occur and will be informed as soon as reasonably possible. It includes anticipated media coverage. I interpret threatened or pending lawsuits to be legal actions that have been taken against or threatened against the Board to the extent that the Board has received notification and is not unduly compromised in its quasi-judicial role. I interpret material internal and external changes to be factors that may impact the district operations. 

5. Let the board be unaware if, in the Superintendent's opinion, the board is not in compliance with its own policies on Governance Process and Board-Management Delegation, particularly in the case of board behavior that is detrimental to the work relationship between the board and the Superintendent. 

Interpretation: I interpret this to mean the Superintendent has the responsibility to bring matters to the Board’s attention that, in her opinion, indicates Board behavior which is out of compliance with Board policies. Whether an individual matter or the infraction is of the entire Board, it shall be brought to the attention of the Board as a whole. I interpret detrimental to the work relationship between the Board and the Superintendent to mean a lack of clarity in roles and responsibilities of each, which could impact the district operations in a negative manner. 

6. Present information in unnecessarily complex or lengthy form or in a form that fails to differentiate among information of three types: monitoring, decision preparation, and incidental. 

Interpretation: I interpret this to mean the Superintendent shall submit all verbal and written reports/information in a manner which is short, concise, and to the point, distinguishing between reports to be used to oversee operations (Monitoring), to make decisions, or solely for informational purposes. 

7. Allow the board to be deprived of a workable mechanism for official board, officer, or committee communications.

Interpretation: I interpret this to mean the Superintendent shall provide access to available technology tools to communicate effectively among Board members, Board committees, the community, staff, and the Superintendent. These tools will include access to District websites, email and the Internet in general. I also interpret this to mean the Superintendent will provide systems which will facilitate a reliable flow of information between the Board or Board Chair and Superintendent. 

8. Deal with the board in a way that favors or privileges certain board members over others except when responding to officers or committees duly charged by the board. 

Interpretation: I interpret this to mean that the Superintendent provides information to all Board members so all are equally informed. I further interpret this to mean the requests or direction of one Board member shall not be treated as a directive to the entire District, but rather redirected to the Board as a whole for consideration through the Board Chair or from 

Board designated committees within their defined scope of authority. Favors or privileges certain board members over others means to pick and choose who gets information or whose direction is responded to, which is in violation of board conduct (no individual Board member has authority; authority to direct the superintendent comes from the Board as a whole) 

9. Allow the board to do its work without the necessary items on its consent agenda. Necessary items are those decisions delegated to the Superintendent yet required by law, regulation or contract to be board-approved, along with applicable monitoring information. 

Interpretation: I interpret this to mean the Superintendent shall advise and include consent agenda items that fulfill the Board’s legal, contractual and regulatory responsibilities. I also interpret this to mean that if the Superintendent complies with all of the Board Executive Limitations, s/he is authorized to proceed or take action without prior approval from the Board. 

10. Allow the boards to be unaware of common concerns, needs, or issues and opportunities to collaborate. 

Interpretation: I interpret this to mean the Superintendent will inform the Board of information or concerns that are brought forward by community members as well as Superintendent concerns, needs or issues. I interpret opportunities to collaborate to mean VSBA conferences, regional meetings, or other board education opportunities to connect with other school boards or school board members. 

11. Allow the board to be uninformed in a timely manner of all significant gifts.

Interpretation: I interpret this to mean the Superintendent shall advise the Board of all accepted gifts to the EWSD District (real or cash) valued over $5000 in a timely manner. 

12. Allow the board to be unsupported and uninformed in its role as a quasi-judicial hearing body. 

Interpretation: I interpret this to mean the Superintendent shall ensure the Board has timely information and is adequately prepared for and maintains its objectivity when working as a quasi-judicial hearing body.