Hacienda la Puente Unified board holds governance workshop to align priorities and superintendent goals

Nicole Anderson, a consultant with McPherson & Jacobson, led a governance workshop for the Hacienda la Puente Unified School District Board aimed at translating previous training into measurable board priorities and aligning those priorities with the superintendent’s evaluation.

Anderson told trustees the session was a “part two” of earlier governance work and said the goal was to ground the board in a small set of priorities they can use to steer agendas, policies and the superintendent’s goals. “This is really about … aligning those with our new superintendent and his evaluation goals,” she said.

Trustees and staff broke the board’s concerns into four broad buckets: strengthening teaching and learning (including curriculum adoption, literacy and supports for special education and English learners); staffing (recruitment, retention, professional development and evaluations); school climate and infrastructure (family engagement, safety and facilities); and budget and fiscal stability.

Several trustees emphasized the board’s role as a governance body that sets priorities and holds the superintendent accountable rather than managing day-to-day operations. “We should allow the superintendent to do his job… and not try to take it upon ourselves,” one trustee said during the discussion.

Superintendent Mr. Roach said he will present aligned goals and metrics in closed session and asked trustees to work with staff to narrow these buckets into board goals the district can measure. He said staff will propose timelines and metrics that mirror the board’s stated priorities.

The session ended with an agreement to schedule further study sessions so the board can adopt specific goals and metrics, and to front-load budget and evaluation work that will guide near-term decisions.

The board recessed for closed session and later reconvened with no reportable action.