The Camp Verde Unified School District met Feb. 5 to outline goals in trust, ethics and board culture.
“Building a board culture is the starting point to move forward and improve communication,” board member Helen Freeman said.
Superintendent Dennis Goodwin added that improving trust and ethics will yield harmony across the board. In December, Goodwin announced that he would not seek renewal of his contract. Since then, the board has been seeking a replacement. Goodwin’s last day is Saturday, June 30.
The board also reviewed things they took from the Arizona School Boards Association board operations leadership conference. CVUSD then used what they learned to make revisions to their handbook.
Board member Eric Lawton emphasized the importance of maintaining a vision and keeping them local.“Not all students are the same, and every community is different,” Lawton said.
He also said the board should never discount another board member’s voice.“We discount the whole group when we discount a voice,” he said.Bringing up past struggles, board President Tim Roth said there were three meetings last summer where the superintendent wasn’t present.
“We should not allow that as a board,” Roth said. “It didn’t feel like we were a team.”The board agreed that it would have been helpful to have the superintendent’s input during those meetings.
All in all, it came down to accountability.“We did not follow this as well as we should have in the past, and hopefully having this review will remind all of us,” Freeman said, mentioning that she’d like to see the handbook referenced more in meetings. Freeman also said she’d like to see clearer conversations early on.
“There hasn’t been meaningful decision-making,” she said. “There has been a lack of direction and no clear communication.”
Roth agreed with Freeman saying a lot of the issues had to do with trust, and that the board in the past has let things fly off course. Roth said he also wants board members to advocate for positive information when speaking to the public.
“When we speak, we are a board first, and we have to respect that people see us differently,” he said. “If we are going to have a positive culture, it should come from us.”
Kelcie Grega can be reached at 634-8551 or email kgrega@larsonnewspapers.com
Saturday, June 30.
The board also reviewed things they took from the Arizona
School Boards Association board operations leadership
conference. CVUSD then used what they learned to make
revisions to their handbook.
Board member Eric Lawton emphasized the importance
of maintaining a vision and keeping them local.
“Not all students are the same, and every community is
different,” Lawton said.
He also said the board should never discount another
board member’s voice.
“We discount the whole group when we discount a voice,”
he said.
Bringing up past struggles, board President Tim Roth said
there were three meetings last summer where the superinten
–
dent wasn’t present.
“We should not allow that as a board,” Roth said. “It didn’t
feel like we were a team.”
The board agreed that it would have been helpful to have
the superintendent’s input during those meetings.
All in all, it came down to accountability.
“We did not follow this as well as we should have in the
past, and hopefully having this review will remind all of us,”
Freeman said, mentioning that she’d like to see the hand
–
book referenced more in meetings.
Freeman also said she’d like to see clearer conversations
early on.
“There hasn’t been meaningful decision-making,”
she said. “There has been a lack of direction and no clear
communication.”
Roth agreed with Freeman saying a lot of the issues had to
do with trust, and that the board in the past has let things fly
off course. Roth said he also wants board members to advo
–
cate for positive information when speaking to the public.
“When we speak, we are a board first, and we have to
respect that people see us differently,” he said. “If we are
going to have a positive culture, it should come from us.”
