As a new governance era dawns at ASCD, we want to share with you highlights of the new structure and how it will improve working relationships within our Association.
To thrive as education leaders, we often seek avenues for improving our relationships—with administrators, teachers, parents, students, school board members, and others. Interpersonal relationships can be strengthened at the district and school levels by a few people making a concerted effort. The shift at ASCD is on a grander scale, however, and teams of ASCD members, leaders, and staff have worked to weave a strong new web of leadership strategies that intertwines lessons from the past and a vision of the future.
In 1996, an ASCD working group was formed to study the Association's leadership structure. That reflective and forward-looking effort resulted in recommendations for revisions that will be instituted next year. What will these changes mean for all of us in the future? We hope the information in this column will enlighten you as we travel down this new path together.
Q: How will the governance structure change?
A: At the core of the new structure will be a leadership body called the Board of Directors, which replaces the Executive Council. The Board will include the President, President-Elect, Immediate Past President, and up to 18 other Board members. The Leadership Council, a new body of approximately 160 members, will also be formed, with a primary focus on establishing the Association's positions on education issues. The Review Council's status and work within the Association will not change.
Q: How did this new vision of governance come about?
A: ASCD's Executive Council appointed the Governance Evaluation Commission (GEC) in 1996 to reflect on the Association's leadership processes and suggest improvements. After three years of study, the Commission recommended a revised structure, which incorporated feedback from many constituent groups and required changes to ASCD's Constitution. As a result, the Constitution Review Committee was formed to create new constitutional language. After reviewing the language, the Board of Directors voted to send the proposed changes to the membership, which approved the revised Constitution in October 2000. Since then, the Governance Transition Advisory Committee and ASCD staff have worked diligently to lay the groundwork for the new structure's implementation.
Q: What are the goals in changing ASCD's governance structure?
A: We have crafted a stronger governance structure that better supports dialogue, deliberation, and decision making. Members of the new leadership bodies will be able to respond to fast-changing situations and opportunities, and they will work to enhance ASCD's involvement in issues and influence work. The groups' processes will be collaborative, communicative, democratic, effective, ethical, flexible, inclusive, learning-centered, and representative.
Q: What is the charge of the new Board of Directors?
A: The new Board will have clear accountability for Association governance and stewardship. It will function as the policymaking body of the Association with decision-making authority for areas such as fiduciary affairs, strategic direction and alignment, and organizational policies.
Q: On what will the Leadership Council focus its attention?
A: The Leadership Council is a new body that will cultivate the Association's influence through the identification and development of positions on pivotal educational issues. Council members will also play key roles in the Association's strategic planning, identifying policy concerns, and supporting the health of affiliates and other constituent groups.
Q: When will the changeover to the new structure occur?
A: ASCD's governance structure will change March 10, 2003, at the close of the 58th ASCD Annual Conference and Exhibit Show in San Francisco, Calif. However, achieving fully staggered terms will require three more years.
During the Conference in March, the outgoing and incoming groups will gather together for a special celebration to mark this new era at ASCD.
Makeup of Governance Groups
Transforming Our Leadership - table 1
| Current Executive Council Total of 15 members 8 elected by Board of Directors from its ranks President, President-Elect, and Immediate Past President elected by membership at large 4 others elected by membership at large Members serve 3-year terms | New Board of Directors Up to 21 members 9 elected by Leadership Council from its ranks President, President-Elect, and Immediate Past President elected by membership at large 6 elected members at large Up to 3 elected by Board to ensure diversity |
| Current Board of Directors Approximately 289 members (varies) 67 affiliate presidents (1 each) 134 guaranteed representatives from affiliates (2 each) Approximately 43 current proportional affiliate representatives (1 for each 2,700 ASCD members living in the affiliate's geographic boundaries) 15 Executive Council members 30 elected members at large | New Leadership Council Approximately 184 members (varies) 134 guaranteed affiliate representatives (2 each) Approximately 10 proportional affiliate representatives (1 for each 5,000 ASCD members living in the affiliate's geographic boundaries) 18 elected members at large 21 members of Board of Directors (nonvoting/voting) Executive Director (nonvoting) |
Responsibilities of Key Leadership Groups
Transforming Our Leadership - table 2
| Current Executive Council (Until March 10, 2003) Establishes working groups, appoints members and chairs of those groups. Adopts and reviews policies. Authorizes budget transfers. Recommends budget actions to Board of Directors. Recommends applications for affiliation to Board. Recommends candidates for Executive Director to Board. Assumes Board of Directors' duties between Board meetings. | New Board of Directors (Starting March 10, 2003) Approves strategic plan. Approves Review Council recommendations. Adopts, revises, and monitors policy implementation. Fulfills fiduciary responsibilities of the Association. Allocates Association resources. Takes action in response to Leadership Council recommendations. Establishes working groups to accomplish the Board's work. Fills vacancies of Board members elected at large (until next election). Elects up to three members to Board to ensure diversity. Reviews and takes action on recommendations for constitutional review process. Reviews applications for affiliate status and Association partnerships and alliances. Regularly examines its own performance. Annually reviews Executive Director's performance. |
Responsibilities of Representative Groups
Transforming Our Leadership - table 3
| Current Board of Directors (Until March 10, 2003) Establishes Association positions on critical issues. Adopts the annual ASCD budget. Elects 8 of its own members to serve on the Executive Council. Elects 10 members at large to the Board. Acts on applications for affiliation. Determines what proposed constitutional changes will be sent to Association members. | New Leadership Council (Starting March 10, 2003) Establishes Association positions on critical issues. Develops and monitors Association's Strategic Plan. Elects members to the Board of Directors. Develops and monitors action plans for Board-approved Review Council recommendations. Identifies policy concerns and provides policy feedback to Board. Designs and monitors programs to support affiliates and other constituent groups. Establishes working groups to accomplish work of the Council. |
If you have questions about the governance changes, contact Becky DeRigge, e-mail: bderigge@ascd.org; phone: 1-800-933-2723 or 1-703-575-5601.