Board schedules coaching sessions with CESA 6 executive after book-study discussion

The Waunakee school board voted at its Sept. 8 meeting to proceed with exploratory coaching sessions led by Ted, executive director of Cooperative Educational Service Agency (CESA) 6. The board’s decision followed a presentation and Q&A about what board coaching would involve.

Ted described his background as a superintendent, principal and an elected mayor and said his work with boards uses the Baldrige Criteria for governance to help create a shared language and improve governance practices. “When we get together, the very first time is we just come to a baseline and create a language so that we have a culture of excellence amongst ourselves,” Ted said.

Board members asked about logistics and frequency. Ted recommended three quarterly sessions leading up to a summer leadership retreat and said the sessions are typically in person. Board members expressed support for a short series of external sessions to complement their internal book study. “I really like what Ted said about bringing us from our divergent experiences more together,” a board member said.

Next steps: Board staff were instructed to coordinate scheduling; Rebecca and administration will reach out to set dates. No final contract or fee was approved at the meeting; Ted and board members discussed fee structures in general terms but did not finalize a price.

Why it matters: The board framed the coaching as external, structured support to help newly elected and longer-serving members align on statutory responsibilities, strategy, leadership and results. Several members said external coaching could accelerate their ability to function as a cohesive elected body.

The board will bring scheduling options back for confirmation; the board asked that sessions not be run on regular board meeting nights to avoid time pressure.