Championing Change Preparing CCSESA for the Future California

Championing Change: Preparing CCSESA for the Future California County Superintendents Educational Services Association CCSESA Early Observations February 2021 Fern Tiger Associates 2013

“Of all the agencies in California, we should be #1. We’re the brightest. We’re the easiest to maneuver. There’s only 58 of us… We need to increase our credibility of what we stand for as educational leaders, not as politicians. ” - County Superintendent Fern Tiger Associates

Methodology • Interviewed 70+ stakeholders, including 55 county superintendents • Observed diverse CCSESA meetings • Reviewed organization documents • Conducted background research on broad state education context • Reviewed past/current print/media • Reviewed financial information (budgets, dues, policies, etc. ) • Designed/facilitated February Planning Committee Meeting Fern Tiger Associates

“I think CCSESA should be about bringing our voices together to help us address systemic barriers. ” - County Superintendent Fern Tiger Associates

“So you're dealing with 58 really key leaders in education. You would think when they all got together, it would be really powerful, right? You would just think it would be more powerful than it currently is. ” - External Fern Tiger Associates

Thematic Topics (Early Findings) • Mission/Vision • Governance • Staffing • Member Relationship with CCSESA • Steering Committees • Visibility and Brand • Communications • Fiscal Fern Tiger Associates

Observations (Overarching) • Great enthusiasm about new leadership and potential for CCSESA to emerge in more central role • Members don’t feel “ownership” of CCSESA • Members challenged to articulate “value-added” by CCSESA (beyond “networking”) • Strong (unanimous) desire for CCSESA to be the voice of education in CA Fern Tiger Associates

Observations (Overarching) • Sense – internally and externally – that CCSESA needs to “stand for something” but that the organization is timid and hides behind “differences of the 58” rather than the “strength of the 58” Fern Tiger Associates

“What I see at CCSESA is --- if it rocks the boat, we don’t take it on. I think that has to stop. We need the space to call out – respectfully – things that are political and focus more on systems that need to be torn apart to support kids; I don’t want to go through exercises to try to appease 58 adults. ” - County Superintendent

Observations Mission/Vision • Not memorable • Lacks inspiration • Accurate, but not aspirational • No vision statement, only mission Fern Tiger Associates

“We need to think outside the box. We need to innovate. We need to be creative. We need to think of new ways to try to solve problems. We need to take risks and we need to do more than sit around a table if we’re going to be a strong organization. ” - County Superintendent

Next Steps (March/April) • Share information from through regional system (combine some regions to create 6 meetings) • FTA to complete remaining interviews (mostly external) and develop full Findings for next Strategic Planning Committee (May 7) • FTA to begin vision/mission suggestions for next Planning Meeting • Schedule sufficient time with Board (after May Planning Committee meeting) to discuss critical issues, mission, vision, etc. Fern Tiger Associates