Chapter 3: Conflicting Expectations in Superintendent and Board Relations: What Happens When Governing Boards Don’t Believe Poverty Is Their Problem?

This chapter focuses on the challenges inherent in superintendent and board relations. Conflicting expectations too often lead to discord that threatens the work of the district and the governance of the schools. The case study draws upon the author’s experience as superintendent of a school district in the American Southwest. While student performance was high across the schools, performance among students experiencing poverty was below proficient. When the superintendent proposed a plan to address the problem, the board flatly rejected her recommendations saying poverty was not their problem. The superintendent believed effective governance was a shared responsibility of the district and community. She engaged a cross‑sector network of partners to help turnaround conditions keeping children in poverty behind. With the network’s support, the board began to recognize its duty to lift student outcomes with policies that support a culture of inclusion for every child. The chapter concludes with implications, recommendations, and reflective questions. Current and future superintendents and directors of licensure programs may find recommendations throughout the chapter for developing processes and procedures to build networks of support, transform school systems, and shift the paradigm from poverty to promise.