The Head-Board Marriage & Magisteriums of School Leadership
Just back from Quito and a board retreat as part of a headship transition for an international school. One of the most persistent issues for heads and boards closely mirrors one of the most persistent issues for couples in committed relationships: how much do they share and how much stays independent?
The figure above uses a Venn diagram to help visualize the issue. The head's turf is the circle on the left and the board's area is on the right. The overlap--Set C, for those who remember Venn diagrams--is the overlapping space shared by both domains.I am calling the two domains "magisteriums" of school leadership, invoking the late Stephen Jay Gould's use of a term rooted in religious history (for Roman Catholics, magisterium refers to the teaching authority of the Church). Gould, in one of his last books, said that science and religion are "non-overlapping magisteriums" wherein neither has anything useful to say about the other's domain of authority. The non-overlapping sort of relationship between heads and boards is probably best codified in John Carver's policy governance model.essay writing service reviewsMany boards, and some heads, prefer at least some overlap wherein lies shared decision-making. A modest-to-moderate overlap probably exists at most independent and international schools. A few dysfunctional boards, like their counterparts in dysfunctional marriages, seem to prefer a very high degree of overlap. Indeed, one board chair at an international school in Asia redrew my Venn diagram to show the head's domain entirely subsumed by the surrounding and larger board circle.I think the concept is most useful when it serves to stimulate a discussion between head and board about expectations and prefernces for degree of overlap. As in relationships, few partners want exactly the same, but through ongoing conversation can often find a comfortable arrangement. In my experience, the earlier these chats can begin in a new headship, the better for all concerned.