Report: School Board Has Room for Improvement

Members of the Manasquan School Board seem to have a much higher opinion of themselves than the board as a whole, according to a self-evaluation conducted for the state School Board Association. 

Kathy Winecoff, a state school board representative, on Tuesday took the board to task on the results of their self-evaluation, which she said indicated the board had to improve its communication between members, the administration and the public. 

The 22 page report (attached to this article) shows that the board has difficulty achieving its goals, micromanages its policies, lacks focus on student achievement, is disrespectful to each other and the administration, lacks trust and needs to improve its relations with district staff.

The board, however, has improved its knowledge of the budget process with help from Business Administator Margaret "Peg" Hom, generally works well with Superintendent Geraldine Margin, and mostly portrays the district in a positive light, the report says.

A few members, however, have promoted an overall public distrust of the board and administration, the report says. 

The self-evaluation was comprised of nine categories: planning, policy, student achievement, finance, board operation, board performance, board/superintendent relationships, board/staff relationships, and board and community. 

In all nine categories, each member scored themselves higher -- in most cases much higher -- than the board as a whole.

Scoring was done on a 0 to 4 scale: not observed (0), unsatisfactory (1), adequate (2), good (3), and commendable (4). 

Anonymous comments from board members supplemented the numeric scores.

Planning - Board Score: 2.6, Individual Score: 3.3

While the board has set goals, it has problems working collaboratively to achieve them, a member wrote. 

Some members don't value reviewing their progress toward those goals and are too busy micromanaging instead of making policies, a member wrote. 

The board should involve a wider array of community members than the few who speak at meetings, a member wrote. 

A strategic planning conference, in which all walks of the community are invited to brainstorm and formulate long-term goals for the district, would help attract more voices to the discussion, a member wrote. 

Another member wrote that the board could do a better job engaging the community. 

Policy - Board Score: 2.3, Individual Score: 3.2

The board has difficulty understanding that its a policy-making body, and instead focuses on micromanaging the district, a member wrote.

And while the board is keeping up to date on its policies with the help of Strauss Esmay, its policy provider, it has shown little interest in reviewing and developing broad policies, a member wrote. 

A lack of interest by members to join the Policy Committee contributed to its disbandment, a member wrote. 

Members also need to become more knowledgeable regarding its policies and bi-laws, as many do not understand the difference between policies and regulations. The confusion has led to micromanagement from members, the a member wrote. 

"The biggest fault of this board is the interference of members in the day-to-day operation of the school," a member wrote. 

Student Achievement - Board Score: 2.8, Individual Score: 2.9

The board has not helped the administration improve the district's focus on student achievement, a member wrote. 

The administration has done a good job, but the board's lack of focus has hampered those efforts, a member wrote.

Student achievement should be their highest priority, a member wrote.

While the district's test scores are "commendable" they can still be improved, a member wrote.

The board receives regular updates from the superintendent on student achievement but needs more information regarding individual teacher performance, a member wrote. 

The board seems to have no unified idea of what the community expects regarding how to improve student achievement, a member wrote. 

Finance - Board Score: 2.8, Individual Score: 2.9

The board has created a Finance Committee and has instructed the administration to provide quarterly financial updates, but does not always consider board goals when making financial decisions, a member wrote. 

Another member commended the district's business administrator for her job keeping finances in check and helping the board understand the budget process. 

The creation of the committee and the assistance of Hom have helped the board improve its understanding of the budget process, a member wrote. 

"This is a big improvement and the board should be commended for this initiative and effort," a member wrote. 

Board Operations - Board Score: 1.9, Individual Score: 3.2

The board does not act effectively or efficiently and members are disrespectful to each other and the administration, a member wrote. 

A lack of trust between members and the administration has undermined the board's new committee structure, a member wrote. 

"Lack of respect for fellow board members is apparent in the way board members address each other in public meetings as well as in written and oral communication," a member wrote. 

Members' reliance on emailing puts the board at risk of violating the Open Public Meetings Act, a member wrote. 

Winecoff on Tuesday said that board members should do away with emailing each other entirely and instead talk in person or on the phone. 

Board members, who often disregard the chain of command by contacting Board Attorney R. Armen McComber without going through President Michelle LaSala, should go for training with the New Jersey School Board Assocation, a member wrote. 

The board has had trouble moving from its committee system to the board as a whole system.

"We have not been operating as a team at all," a member wrote. 

Board Performance - Board Score: 1.5, Individual Score: 3.7

The board lacks trust and oftentimes confidential information is freely floating around town, a member wrote. 

Individual members demand information from the administration without authorization or a consensus from the entire board, a member wrote. 

Winecoff said that no member had the right to request reports or documents from the administration. The board as a whole must request the information, Winecoff said. 

Some members also appear to be ill-prepared for meetings by forgetting previous board action and then question the administration, a member wrote. 

"I personally do not feel comfortable speaking my opinion at times because of a lack of confidentiality," a member wrote. 

Closed session discussions are often leaked to the public, a member wrote. 

Some members also put their personal feelings before their board responsibilities, a member wrote. 

Board Superintendent Relationships - Board Score: 2.1, Individual Score: 3.6

Many members work well with the superintendent, but others do not have confidence in her, a member wrote.

"The entire Board needs to work with the Superintendent so that she can focus her energies on the district's future," a member wrote. 

Certain members only communicate with Margin via email and have flat-out refused to meet her in person after expressing concerns in both public and closed session, a member wrote. 

Some members have even been vocal in their desire to oust the superintendent, a member wrote. 

Board/Staff Relationships - Board Score: 2.4, Individual Score: 3.6

The board has not focused on staff relations and can do a better job recognizing successful district programs, a member wrote. 

Some members have even been quoted as questioning the need to recognize students and staff at board meetings, a member wrote. 

The district each month recognizes students and teachers for their work, which Winecoff said was an important step toward improving those relations.

One member wrote that the board was working to improve its personnel policies, but another said they lacked a "good facilitator" for their meetings and board as a whole. 

Another, meanwhile, wrote that the board did an "excellent job" providing for professional development. 

Board and Community - Board Score: 2.5, Individual Score: 3.5

While many members represent the board in a positive light, a few have promoted public distrust for the board and the administration, a member wrote. 

"Some board members represent the taxpayer instead of every child in our schools," a member wrote. 

Another member commended Hom for her juggling and organizing the use of the district's buildings and grounds by community members. 

"We do a great job of providing the facilities to the community even though the demands for gym time outnumbers the actual free time for use," another member wrote. 

Perhaps highlighting the disconnect between board members, one said the community was satisfied with the board's performance and has heard few complaints, while another said that the actions of a few have created a "high level of distrust and a lack of confidence within the community."