What if the reason our school boards aren’t working… is because we’ve made it way too complicated?

In this episode of Building Thinkers, I chat with AJ Crabill to talk about the real purpose of school boards and why so many have drifted away from it. AJ has been deep in the work of turning around struggling school districts and serving at the state level, and he brings clarity to a space that often feels full of noise.

We talk about how to build effective, student-focused boards, what actually moves the needle in school governance, and how leaders can stay committed to continuous improvement without getting overwhelmed.

AJ also gives us a sneak peek of his book, Great on Their Behalf: Why School Boards Fail, How Yours Can Be Effective, and let me tell you, it’s a must-read for anyone who cares about real change in education.

Resources Mentioned:

Great on Their Behalf: Why School Boards Fail, How Yours Can Be Effective | By AJ Crabill - Coming to Amazon in Spring 2023

Leadership & Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box | By The Arbinger Institute

Connect with AJ:

AJ Crabill on LinkedIn

AJ Crabill Website

AJ Crabill on Twitter @ ajcrabill7

AJ Crabill on Facebook

AJ Crabill on Instagram

AJ Crabill on YouTube

More About Building Thinkers: 

I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.

And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.

If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.