Biggest Challenges Faced By A School Board President At College School District
Peter's biggest challenge as President of the Board is balancing his desire for rapid progress with the realities of bureaucratic processes; the example of a new school kitchen, requiring "a vote by the taxpayers," health inspections, and chef hiring, illustrates how even seemingly simple projects can take "a couple years" to complete.
Executive/Leadership, Project Management, Overcoming Challenges, Achieving Goals, Problem-Solving
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Peter Wright
President of the Board
College School District
Occidental College
MPA: University of Southern California; PhD: University of California, Santa Barbara
Political Science, American Studies
Education
Education
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. Balancing the need for rapid progress with the realities of slower processes in large organizations.
2. The multi-year timeline required for even seemingly simple projects (e.g., building a new school kitchen) due to processes such as taxpayer votes, county health inspections, and hiring.
3. The importance of patience and persistence in achieving long-term goals within a complex system such as a school district.
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your current role?
I like to go very fast, and it's sometimes difficult to realize that you have to go slow to go fast. Progress isn't always quick.
This is particularly true even when working within a really efficient school system; things don't happen overnight. I would like to see a new kitchen built, but that will require a vote by taxpayers to make it possible.
The funding it's going to take also involves going through the county for health inspection and hiring a chef. I think it would be one of the most fulfilling things for students and families to have really delicious and healthy meals.
It's hard to recognize that this doesn't happen in a week or a month. It takes a couple of years to actually make that happen. So, I wish that progress could happen much quicker.