Savannah-Chatham School Board retreat reveals internal, external communication challenges

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to show the correct salary range for the Deputy of Strategy, Innovation, and Performance job opening with the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System.

With the backdrop of Oatland Island Wildlife Center, the Savannah-Chatham Public School System's Board held its annual retreat Aug. 17-18. The two-day intensive roundtable focused on the following key agenda items:

• Analysis of board members’ workplace styles

• Update of Superintendent Denise Watts; 100-day plan

• Review of the SCCPSS's brand and communications

• Recap of the 2021-2026 Strategic Plan

The board learns about their individual leadership styles

Executive Coach and Culture Strategist Sharon Pflieger of Greenlight Leadership Company, acted as a moderator throughout the retreat. She kicked off the first day with a review of professional personality assessments taken by the board members. Pflieger led the board through an analysis of where they fell on a spectrum of traits that guide how they process information, lead teams and collaborate with others. Members then discussed how this knowledge of each others' work styles can foster better understanding of to effectively engage one another.

Board members felt their self-assessments were fairly accurate. Watts noted that she was one of only two board members who leaned more toward being performance-oriented. Most of the board members leaned toward being people-oriented. A correlation was drawn between the fact that superintendents are hired while board members are elected. The consensus was that it made sense for the board to be more people-oriented while the superintendent remains focused on accomplishing a vision laid out by the board.

The implication of the first morning’s exercises was that the board members would apply this new self and team awareness in the discussions that were to occur during the rest of the retreat. To their credit, they did exhibit a strong sense of self-awareness when conflicts or heated debates arose throughout the two days.

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25 days and counting

Among the most pertinent topics was an update on Watts’ 100-day plan. Watts expressed surprise at having already reached the 25-day mark. She’d already visited many district schools and continues her “listening and learning” engagement opportunities.

Key takeaways from her update include the recommendation to hire a Deputy of Strategy, Innovation, and Performance. The job description for the position indicates a salary range of $164,462-$239,131 annually and requires a master’s degree or an equivalent combination of a bachelor’s degree and significant experience in education administration. Rather than backfill administrative roles that had been cut, Watts recommended hiring for this new position first. She indicated the person to fill this position would serve as the "number two to the superintendent." She did not say exactly how this role would differentiate from current Deputy Superintendent positions held by Bernadette Ball-Oliver and Vanessa Miller-Kaigler. Watts did say that this person would need to have the skills and experience to effectively bring people together and galvanize them. She made a point to mention that any current administrative changes are being made at the level of the central office, not at the school level.

Watts also said that district leaders will continue to "refine the literacy plan and build an understanding of it to make budget recommendations in order to operationalize that plan." One example she provided was the creation of a Literacy Effectiveness Officer position, which the district aims to post soon and fill by the end of September. With literacy as the district’s North Star, she said, this person’s “sole job…is to think about literacy and how we engage internal and external stakeholders around our vision for every third-grade student to be proficient in reading.” When asked by board members what type of educational qualifications this position might require, Watts responded, "a background in elementary education because that is where our key focus is."

Struggles to communicate internally and externally

Across both days, the board engaged in lengthy debates about lines of communication and the SCCPSS brand.

Regarding lines of communication, board members expressed frustration at regularly receiving duplicate meeting invitations, redundant emails and confusing text messages. Members of the SCCPSS cabinet that were present attributed the communication issues to changes in personnel who had previously funneled emails and meeting invites to the board members. Watts advised that she would review the current procedures and make recommendations to reestablish consistency.

Toward the end of day one and into the start of day two, the board set aside time to strengthen their understanding of the SCCPSS brand. Strikingly, the board did not begin with a review of the current mission statement and promotional language. At the instruction of Watts, the brand exercises intentionally focused on the aspirations that board members had for the district. Upon review of what board members came up with, some members contested that the district already embodies many of the attributes. Many board members seemed to miss the point of the exercise, which was to establish, in the moment, their collective language around the concept of a unifying WHY, as Simon Sinek defined it in relation to the Golden Circle Concept. On the start of the second morning, the board actually watched Sinek’s now-famous TEDTalk. After the video, District 2 Board Member Dionne Hoskins-Brown mentioned that former board president, Joe Buck, had presented board members with a copy of Sinek’s Start with Why, a few years back.

The board never did define what might be interpreted as an enhanced district mission or even a unified mission for the retreat. When asked by a member of the press if someone could share the current SCCPSS mission statement, board members balked. After a few moments, members of the SCCPSS communications team shared the WayForward Strategic Plan 2026 overview, which contains the current mission statement, on the conference room’s projection screen. Current Board President Roger Moss later stated how concerning it was to him that, when asked, many of them could not easily recall the mission.

These two communication struggles were further underscored by multiple laments from board members about the public’s lack of awareness about SCCPSS policies, procedures, opportunities, achievements and offerings. Consensus among the board seemed to be that more measures were needed to combat the perpetuation of a tarnished district brand. During her 100-day plan update at the end of day one, Watts did state that at every board meeting she has attended so far, someone has mentioned the district is not effectively telling its story. She recommended enhancing communication department staffing as a first step toward addressing the issue. Another idea shared was the need for brand advocates, whether those are satisfied parents or other members of the community.

A not-so-strategically-placed plan

The SCCPSS mission:, “Together, we ignite and foster lifelong learning at the highest levels for all.”

The WayForward Strategic Plan 2026 overview does contain the district’s mission, vision, guiding principles and objectives. Finding the full Strategic Plan online, however, proved difficult even for Watts. The board asked her to comment on the plan as superintendent rather than a candidate for the superintendent role. Watts reiterated at the retreat what she had said in interviews, “I was surprised at how short it was.” Her comment prompted debate about the true strategic plan which was elsewhere online and more robust than the public-facing overview. Watts admitted that she had a limited understanding of the plan because she had yet to see the full version.

Hoskins-Brown stated that the full PDF version of the strategic plan is accessible online in the form of the District Accountability System Reporting, Evaluating, and Monitoring Instrument Return to Learn Navigation Plan or DAS-REMI. Watts and the board agreed to table much of the discussion of the strategic plan until she has had time to review the in-depth version. She stated that if she had such difficulty accessing the plan, she could imagine the struggle external stakeholders might have in locating it.

A final important point about the strategic plan was made by District 4 board member Shawn Kachmar. “In the last five or so years, there has been no clear correlating document that connects the strategic plan to budget expenses.”

The entirety of the School Board of Education retreat was recorded. It will be made available on the SCCPSS website.

Joseph Schwartzburt is the education and workforce development reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at jschwartzburt@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Savannah Chatham County School Board Retreat Notebook August 2023