The One Resolution That Actually Changes Your District

January 1, 2027

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Happy New Year.

I’m not going to give you a list of resolutions today. You’ve already seen enough of those. Instead, I want to give you one question. The question that separates the boards that make a real difference from the boards that look busy.

Here it is:

What is one thing you will do differently this year that will make students better off?

Not “what will your district do.” Not “what will the superintendent do.” What will you do — as a board member — differently than you did in 2026?

Maybe it’s the way you prepare for meetings. Maybe it’s the questions you ask when data is presented. Maybe it’s the conversations you have with your superintendent between meetings. Maybe it’s the discipline to stay focused on outcomes instead of operations.

One thing. That’s all it takes to change the trajectory.

The research on organizational change is clear: the most effective transformations don’t come from sweeping reforms. They come from small, consistent actions that compound over time. One different meeting. One different conversation. One different question. Repeated until it becomes a habit.

The boards I’ve seen turn around their districts didn’t do it with a single dramatic decision. They did it with the discipline to do one thing differently, every day, until that one thing became the standard.

You’ve spent December planning. You’ve set your goals. You’ve built your scorecard. You’ve aligned your budget priorities. You’ve planned your first ninety days.

Now comes the hard part — the part that separates boards that govern from boards that meet.

January is the proof.

Go prove it.