Improving Employment Contract Conversations Between a Superintendent and a School Board

School Board members play a critical role in the public school system as they are the representatives of the community and there is no more important function they have than selecting the Superintendent. However, whether it is during an initial contract negotiation or in a renewal, they rarely have the expertise in knowing what can be done to recruit and retain a high-quality school leader. This places a greater burden on the Superintendent to facilitate the conversation and can lead to frustrations on both sides.?

Discussing compensation with a School Board can be awkward as there are several opportunities for miscommunication due to the sensitive nature of money and other benefits that the rest of the District staff do not typically receive. This creates a need to begin conversations well in advance and have a plan to annually review the compensation of a Superintendent to ensure it is in line with the current market.?

Here are five things a Superintendent can do to have productive compensation discussions with their Board:

1. Talk to the Board President or Other Experienced Trustee About Past Compensation Issues

It is important to know what issues may have arisen during the contract discussions of prior Superintendents and how they were resolved. Experienced trustees can also share what items have been “no-go’s” in the past and if those objections still remain. Learning from history can help create a smoother negotiation process.

1. Get Clarification if the Concept or the Dollar Figure is the Potential Issue

There are two reasons why a Board may object to a benefit - it is either the concept or the dollar amount. They may be okay with purchasing additional life insurance, but are opposed to the cost or they do not mind the cost, but think you should purchase that yourself. Understanding which objection they have can help keep the discussion productive and create a better final contract.?

1. ?Have Good Data to Discuss it with Your Board and Connect Them with Experts

Many times a conflict during the negotiation can arise not in a desire to provide competitive compensation for a Superintendent, but rather on what “competitive” means. Having a reliable data set of peer and aspirational districts is important to the conversation and can educate a Board on what competitive looks like in today’s environment. This is especially important when working with new Trustees or a Board that has not hired a Superintendent in many years. It can be helpful to connect your Board President or the full Board with experts in this area to help them think creatively about how they can meet both the goals of the Superintendent and the Board.

1. Have a Timeline for Discussions and Review Concepts Well Ahead of Time

If a new concept is being introduced to a Board then it will likely take time for them to understand and become comfortable with it becoming part of the compensation package. This is particularly true if the subject involves teacher/state retirement issues, such as purchasing additional service.? Most board members are from the private sector and these plans are foreign to their experience. As an example of an unfamiliar concept, if the prior Superintendent did not have a deferred compensation plan in their contract, then they likely do not understand the important part it can play in promoting longevity. Additionally, these conversations should not begin the night the contract is being discussed or even the week before. Rather, treat it as any other major agenda item and begin the education two to three months in advance of them approving the contract (so start now if your contract is discussed in December!).?

1. ?Do Not Over Ask

It is tempting to over ask when negotiating a contract in the thought that you want to start high and work downward; however this can have a negative effect if the ask is out of line with the market. As the saying goes, you want to shear the sheep, not skin it. It is important to stay within your peer group when crafting your request so you can also protect yourself and the Board from getting too far above the market and attracting negative attention towards your compensation package.

It is also important to remember that School Board members are people too and have their own constituencies to whom, real or imagined, they want to be responsive. Helping to protect Board members by not letting your compensation become a major issue by being creative and staying within the marker is important so they are able to effectively provide you protection when needed and work with you on improving the District.?