Professional Intimacy of Board Chair Relations

Originally published in School Administrator Magazine, October 1, 2025

The importance of taking time to build a high level of trust between superintendent and board chair.

A high-trust, collaborative relationship between a superintendent and school board chair is a requisite to navigate conflicts that arise and ensure the district’s leadership stability.

Often, it’s conflict with school boards that leads to superintendent turnover. That turnover is prevalent. In Oregon, 197 districts appointed 156 new superintendents during a recent four-year period. Before I came on board in 2019, my district had three superintendents in three years.

Superintendent turnover leads to delayed implementation of educational initiatives and frequent changes to strategic priorities. When a district experiences that instability, it’s challenging for staff, students, families and the entire community.

Meaningful Experiences

Building a high level of trust between the superintendent and the board chair requires significant time to foster authenticity, respect and alignment on goals. In my 5,500-student district about three hours south of Portland, Ore., the board chair and I meet during the weeks the board does not convene. And during board meeting weeks, we hold pre-meetings and post-meetings with the vice chair. Professional intimacy not only requires spending time together but also sharing meaningful experiences. After attending a leadership development summit in 2024, I debriefed the chair on a group problem-solving protocol I’d learned. Since then, we’ve used the protocol to resolve issues in community meetings, leadership team meetings and with the mayor and city council.

Shared meaningful experiences are powerful relationship builders. When I attended that summit, I thought it would have been incredible if superintendents and chairs had been able to learn together. So when Cognia, the nonprofit organization hosting the summit, announced that board chairs would be included in 2025, we leapt at the opportunity.

Read the full article.