Name:	School Board Message
Subject:	School Board Message
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SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS DEVELOP DISTRICT GOALS AND SUPERINTENDENT SELECTION PROCESS DURING TWO-DAY TRAINING SESSION

	School Board Members developed a new set of goals for the Broward County Public Schools district, as well as a selection process for the superintendent of schools during a two-day facilitated meeting that ended Tuesday evening.

	The meeting, which was held Monday and Tuesday, April 16 and 17, was facilitated by Dr. Bill Mathis, a nationally recognized expert on public and private sector governing board operations, and focused on roles and responsibilities for Board Members, communications strategies, and norms for conducting highly effective board meetings.  The last half day of the meeting was devoted to development of the major goals for the school district and a selection process for a new superintendent.

	The major goals developed by the Board include:
	
·	Ensure that all students perform to their highest potential
·	Improve high school graduation rates
·	Improve student health and wellness
·	Develop an administrative structure that fosters streamlined district operations.
·	Improve communications between the Board and its major stakeholders
·	Adopt best business practices
·	Reward Excellence

The Board’s proposed vision statement is to “prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s work world.”

Board Members also developed a selection process for the new superintendent, after the majority of Board Members expressed the desire to obtain community input for retaining Interim Superintendent Jim Notter for the permanent post as head of the school system.  The process will involve a series of five community meetings, one held in each of the four District Areas and one held at a central location.  The dates, locations and times of the community meetings will be determined in the near future with the goal of scheduling all of them between now and early June.  The Board plans to use the input from this series of community meetings in their final decision regarding who will be selected for the permanent position of superintendent.

“We certainly got a lot accomplished over the past two days,” said Ms. Beverly Gallagher, Board Chair.  “We not only worked out clear plans for how we will operate as a deliberative body in the future, we also moved ahead with development of the District’s major goals for the 2007-2008 school year and a selection process for a permanent superintendent.  That is certainly a lot of get done in just two days.”