Board of Education, Administrators Meet for Joint Retreat

On Tuesday night, school administrators and Board of Education members sat down together in the EHS cafeteria to discuss how the two groups can work together to ensure that Eastchester’s schools continue the work of enhancing experiences for students, families and staff members alike. 

For three hours, trustees and educators discussed their vision for the district, worked to identify areas for potential improvement, and used the Board of Education/Administrative Retreat to make certain that every decision is made with the best interests of the district’s stakeholders in mind. EUFSD Superintendent Dr. Alison Villanueva explained that fostering close ties between administrators and board members is integral to the work that goes on behind the scenes and that events like Tuesday’s retreat are vital to the overall health of a school district.

This is the third joint Governance Retreat the district has held since Dr. Villanueva’s arrival at EUFSD, bringing together BOE Trustees and Central Office Administrators, in addition to separate retreats held twice a year for each respective group.

“In general, retreats for a Board of Education and Superintendent are very helpful, but not every district has joint retreats for both the Board of Education and administrators,” said Villanueva. “But I feel like we have a really healthy and productive relationship here, and having it twice a year is a really great touch point. 

"Collaborative work between your operational and policy-making groups is what creates a governance,” she added. “And here in Eastchester, I believe we are truly creating a strong governance model.”

Tuesday’s retreat featured presentations from administrators, small-group exercises, and roundtable discussions designed to challenge participants to examine how the district is working within the existing framework of the “Four Pillars, Four Campuses, One Vision, Elevate Eastchester” approach to ensure that the school experience is being strengthened for all. In seeking input from various parties—from building leaders and community members to athletics administrators and special education directors, for example—Villanueva said that those who participated in the retreat came away with a deeper appreciation for the work being done in the district in the academic, social-emotional, and community-building spheres.

Some of the topics touched upon included student test data, demographic and enrollment studies, and classroom observations. 

“We all bring different perspectives to the table; if you’re deep in the weeds of day-to-day operations, like an athletic director, school principals and teachers, or if you’re a policy-maker kind of sitting at 36,000 feet, you might not necessarily know all the details of what is going on,” she explained. “So it gives us an opportunity to hear different perspectives, understand what the goals are, and build bridges.”

Now in her second year as the leader of Eastchester’s schools, Villanueva said these sessions are especially informative, as they provide her with unique insight as to how district policies are being implemented and how these policies affect various stakeholder groups. 

“The joint retreat was anchored in a needs-based approach, which means we are gathering information to move forward together as a district,” said Villanueva. “Folks who have been here longer have history to bring to the table, and those who are newer have a chance to stop for a moment and listen. And I think that the people who are newer may come in thinking about an issue in a slightly different way, so it’s all very complimentary.”