Fable (Claude Code) — ESB Content Production Instructions

Overview

You are producing four workstreams of content for the Effective School Boards (ESB) framework, authored by AJ Crabill. This document is your complete instruction set. Read it fully before starting any workstream.

The Four Workstreams (In Order)

Workstream 1: Update 6 Existing Workbooks

Clarify Priorities: Setting Goals & Guardrails

Budgeting, Auditing, Rightsizing

Cascading Priorities Throughout the School System

Leading a Functional School Board

Transitioning, Searching for, Interviewing, & Evaluating a Superintendent

Evaluating Board Performance

Workstream 2: Create 6 New Workbooks

Using the existing workbooks as format templates, create:

Three Diets: Policy Diet, Agenda Diet, Committee Diet (combine into one workbook)

Community Engagement and Communication

Focus Mindset: The Board Member’s Internal Work

Focus Mindset: Onboarding New Board Members

Focus Mindset: Creating Student Outcomes Culture

Monitor Progress: Evaluating Goal and Guardrail Improvement

Workstream 3: Complete The Effective School Board Coach (TESBC)

A book about the journey of the person who would use the Playbook. Narrative, mindset, relational skills. ~65,000-80,000 words.

Workstream 4: Complete The Great On Their Behalf Practitioner’s Playbook

A technical manual. Step-by-step chronological engagement guide. ~50,000 words. Purely operational. No stories, no reflection.

Grounding Documents — Read These First

Primary (Required for All Workstreams)

https://github.com/ajcrabill/esb-com/tree/main/resources/writing-resources https://github.com/ajcrabill/esb-com/tree/main/resources/writing-resources/esb-context-injection.md — ESB terminology, voice, banned words, structural moves

https://github.com/ajcrabill/esb-com/tree/main/resources/writing-resources/Core Grounding Documents/ https://github.com/ajcrabill/esb-com/tree/main/resources/writing-resources/Core Grounding Documents/ESB Official Glossary - 7.1.26.md— ESB glossary https://github.com/ajcrabill/esb-com/tree/main/resources/writing-resources/Core Grounding Documents/Effective School Boards Framework - Implementation Guide.md — Framework overview https://github.com/ajcrabill/esb-com/tree/main/resources/writing-resources/Core Grounding Documents/Effective Strategic Planning.md — Outcomes/Outputs/Inputs planning framework https://github.com/ajcrabill/esb-com/tree/main/resources/writing-resources/Core Grounding Documents/GOTB 3rd Edition (manuscript).md — Great On Their Behalf, 3rd edition. AJ’s signature book. Primary voice reference. https://github.com/ajcrabill/esb-com/tree/main/resources/writing-resources/Core Grounding Documents/Governance Language ESB Coaches Avoid.md https://github.com/ajcrabill/esb-com/tree/main/resources/writing-resources/Core Grounding Documents/Inputs, Outputs, & Outcomes Deep Dive.md — Three-level framework details https://github.com/ajcrabill/esb-com/tree/main/resources/writing-resources/Core Grounding Documents/great-on-their-behalf.md — Great On Their Behalf, 3rd edition. AJ’s signature book. Primary voice reference. https://github.com/ajcrabill/esb-com/tree/main/resources/writing-resources/Templates/ https://github.com/ajcrabill/esb-com/tree/main/resources/writing-resources/anti-slop-skill/ https://github.com/ajcrabill/esb-com/tree/main/resources/writing-resources/voice-profiles/ https://github.com/ajcrabill/esb-com/tree/main/resources/writing-resources/content generation guides/ https://github.com/ajcrabill/esb-com/tree/main/resources/writing-resources/content generation guides/AJC-content-generation-guide.md — Complete content generation guide with voice, architecture, quality gates, anti-slop rules

Workbook Format Reference

~/Downloads/ESB Workbooks/ — All 6 produced workbooks. Use as format templates.

ESB Framework Rules (Binding)

The One Conviction

Write from one place: Student outcomes don’t change until adult behaviors change. Every document reflects this, opens near it, and ends by bringing it home to students.

Mandatory Vocabulary

Never Name

Never name specific school systems, districts, or cities as examples

Never name CGCS (Council of the Great City Schools)

Never name rival frameworks (Policy Governance, SOFG, Lone Star Governance, LSG)

Genericize: “one school system,” “a large urban school system,” “boards across the country”

The Distinctions That Matter

Board work vs. superintendent work

Monitoring vs. managing

Goals vs. Guardrails vs. Initiatives

Adult inputs vs. student outcomes

Outputs vs. outcomes

Owners vs. customers

Alignment vs. agreement

Support vs. surrender

The Three-Step Framework (Cascading)

Board adopts Goals/Guardrails (Outcomes) → Superintendent adopts Interim Goals/Interim Guardrails (Outputs) → Staff adopts Initiatives (Inputs)

Four Elements of a Monitoring Report

The Goal — restated exactly as adopted

The Data — current vs. past vs. target, on a line graph, by student groups

The Superintendent’s Interpretation — on track, off track, or insufficient data

The Evidence — supporting documentation

Voice Rules (Binding)

Register by Format

Workbook: Second-person practical facilitator (“you”), neutral teaching voice, ~14-16 words/sentence, imperative, heavy tables

Book (persuasive chapters): First person (“I”), story-led, ~23 words/sentence, 4-8 sentence paragraphs

Book (definitional chapters): Second person (“your board”), direct, precision-as-hook

Guidance doc: “We recommend,” second person, instructional, 14-16 words/sentence

AJ’s Signature Moves (Use Naturally, Never Force)

“The board’s job isn’t to [X] – it’s to [Y]”

“Here’s what often happens…”

“We recommend” (never “I recommend”)

“It depends on what you mean by…”

“This is a critical distinction”

“Not X, but Y”

“Diagnose, then prescribe”

End every piece by bringing it back to student outcomes

NEVER Words — Kill on Sight

Tier 1 (rewrite the sentence): delve, utilize, facilitate, elucidate, endeavor, encompass, embark, pivotal, tapestry, realm (metaphorical), beacon, harness, underscore, bolster, multifaceted, foster, seamless, transformative, revolutionize, testament, paradigm, synergy, synergize, holistic, catalyze, catalyst, juxtapose, myriad, plethora, nuanced (as filler)

Tier 2 (flagged in clusters of 3+): comprehensive, cutting-edge, innovative, streamline, empower, enhance, elevate, optimize, scalable, intricate, profound, resonate, cultivate, galvanize, cornerstone, game-changer

Sentence-initial transitions (never start a sentence with): Moreover, Furthermore, Additionally, Notably, Consequently, Ultimately, Therefore, Indeed, Thus, Subsequently, Nonetheless, However, Nevertheless, Meanwhile, In conclusion, In summary

AI filler phrases (never use): “provides valuable insights,” “plays a crucial role,” “in today’s…”, “at its core,” “it’s worth noting,” “importantly,” “interestingly,” “paves the way,” “dive into,” “let’s explore,” “as we can see,” “as mentioned earlier,” “at the end of the day,” “when it comes to,” “in the realm of,” “one might argue that”

Banned Governance Language

“Micromanage / micromanaging” — reference board work vs. superintendent work instead

“Rubberstamp / rubber stamp” — describe whether the board is exercising informed judgment

“Stay in your lane” — reference governing policies or the board/supt distinction

“Good / bad / right / wrong” as judgment — frame as effective vs. ineffective

“District / school district” — say “school system”

“Equity” as a bare term — describe specifically (reading-rate gaps, resource disparity)

“Achievement gap” — describe the gap with data or name the system failure

Politically-coded terms (DEI, anti-racist, woke, parents’ rights, SEL as wedge) — ESB is non-partisan

Mechanics

No em dashes. Use – (spaced double hyphen) or split the sentence

No semicolons in body prose. Use a period

No ellipses. No exclamation marks (at most one per ~4,000 words)

Straight quotes only. Never curly/smart quotes

Oxford comma always in lists of three or more

Contractions where natural (“it’s,” “doesn’t,” “you’ll”)

Sentence-initial “But,” “And,” “So” are fine

No italics for emphasis. Carry emphasis with sentence structure

No horizontal rules (—) anywhere

Reading level: 8th grade or below. Never above 10th

Anti-Slop Rules

Pass 1: Mechanical Scan

Scan for ALL Tier 1 words (kill on sight)

Flag Tier 2 clusters (3+ in a paragraph)

Flag AI filler phrases

Check em-dash/en-dash density (banned)

Check sentence-initial transition overuse

Check average sentence length (proxy for reading level)

Pass 2: Structural

Check for these patterns:

“felt something [verb] in [body part]” variants

“[X] landed like [Y]” constructions

“let out a breath [they] didn’t realize [they] were holding”

“a sense of” / “the weight of” / “a wave of X washed over”

Over-explained silences

Repeated rhetorical structures across chapters

Metaphor overuse (same metaphor 5+ times in a book)

Flashback duplication (same scene verbatim in 2+ chapters)

Voice drift (some chapters in guidance register, others in book register)

Paragraph uniformity (every paragraph same length)

Workstream 1: Update 6 Existing Workbooks

What to Do for Each Workbook

Read the existing produced workbook (from ~/Downloads/ESB Workbooks/)

Read the corresponding “numbered doc” source draft if it exists (from ~/Downloads/ESB Source Documents/)

Identify outdated content, missing concepts, and structural improvements

Rewrite to match current ESB practice, AJ’s voice, and the anti-slop rules

Ensure the workbook matches the existing format (tables, checklists, step-by-step processes)

Workbook Format (from Existing Workbooks)

Title page with “Effective School Boards Implementation Workbook Series” branding

Introduction: Effective School Boards (the 5 tenets with diagnostic questions)

3-7 major sections, each with a specific topic

Heavy use of tables (checklists, templates, worksheets, self-assessments)

Step-by-step processes with numbered steps

Case studies where applicable

End by returning to student outcomes

~8,500-13,000 words

No stories — workbooks are practical, not narrative

Specific Updates Needed Per Workbook

1. Clarify Priorities: Setting Goals & Guardrails

Add a bridging section showing how Goals/Guardrails fit into the broader cascade (Outcomes → Outputs → Inputs)

Update the interim metrics section to reference the Predictive and Influenceability Tests

Review the SMART checklist against the “Rules for Strong Goals” from current practice

Ensure all terminology matches current ESB glossary

1. Budgeting, Auditing, Rightsizing

Connect the Budgeting section to the Zero-Based Cascading Budget Review approach

Connect the Rightsizing section to the initiative alignment framework (strategic abandonment feeds into rightsizing)

Add a Budget → Cascade connection table

Update case studies if applicable

1. Cascading Priorities Throughout the School System

This is the most outdated workbook. Review carefully against the Three-Step Framework (Outcomes → Outputs → Inputs)

The numbered doc 12 (“Align Resources - Cascading Priorities.docx”) uses a newer framework — but it’s a separate document, not the source. Compare and decide which framework to use.

Ensure the initiative alignment content (KDM, strategic abandonment, standard-lowering/raising, strategic adoption) is current

Update the Playbook Page Elements section if the portal-based playbook has replaced the standalone document

1. Leading a Functional School Board

Add proper heading styles throughout (currently has none)

Cross-reference the Three Diets workbooks (once created)

Cross-reference the onboarding workbook (numbered doc 02)

Update the “Board Work vs. Superintendent Work” section to reference the Three-Step Framework’s role delineation

Update Appendices (Board Monitoring Calendar, Legal Notice)

1. Transitioning, Searching for, Interviewing, & Evaluating a Superintendent

Replace the evaluation section entirely with content from numbered doc 13 (“Align Resources - Superintendent Evaluation.docx”) — 8,744 words, 12 tables, full ESB-aligned evaluation framework

Add a bridge showing how evaluation connects to the cascade

Restructure the workbook as: Transition (event-driven) → Search (process) → Interviewing (process) → ESB-Aligned Evaluation (new)

1. Evaluating Board Performance

Add the self-evaluation evidence checklist (mentioned in the Handbook Ideas)

Cross-reference the Agenda Diet and Committee Diet workbooks

Update the 50% monitoring time recommendation to reference the Three-Step Framework monitoring questions

Update the board self-evaluation to include alignment with the cascade

Workstream 2: Create 6 New Workbooks

General Approach

Use the existing workbooks (~/Downloads/ESB Workbooks/) as format templates

Use the corresponding numbered doc source drafts as content starting points

Restructure and rewrite to match AJ’s voice, current ESB practice, and anti-slop rules

Each workbook should be ~8,500-13,000 words with heavy tables

1. Three Diets: Policy Diet, Agenda Diet, Committee Diet

Combine numbered docs 09, 10, 11 into a single workbook

Structure: Policy Diet → Agenda Diet → Committee Diet

Each diet gets its own major section with step-by-step process, checklists, and templates

Up to ~55 pages total

1. Community Engagement and Communication

Combine numbered docs 14 and 15 into a single workbook

Structure: Community Listening → Community Engagement → Community Outreach → Communication Calendar → Reporting

Draw from the “10 Steps to Effective Decision Making” framework from GOTB Ch18

1. Focus Mindset: The Board Member’s Internal Work

Base on numbered doc 01

Structure: Why Mindset Matters → The Behavior-Benefit-Cost Framework → Identifying Your Own Patterns → The Three Questions → Moving from Pretending to Possibility

1. Focus Mindset: Onboarding New Board Members

Base on numbered doc 02

Structure: Why Onboarding Matters → The Pre-Training Approach → Core Training Content → Ongoing Support → Coach’s Role in Onboarding

Heavy use of tables (numbered doc 02 has 51 tables)

1. Focus Mindset: Creating Student Outcomes Culture

Base on numbered doc 03

Structure: What Is a Student Outcomes Culture? → The Role of the Board → The Role of the Superintendent → Measuring Culture → Sustaining the Culture

1. Monitor Progress: Evaluating Goal and Guardrail Improvement

Base on numbered doc 07

Structure: Activity Monitoring vs. Outcome Monitoring → The Monitoring Calendar → Reading Monitoring Reports → Effective Monitoring Questions → From Data to Action → Annual Evaluation

This fills the biggest gap in the existing workbook set — no Monitor Progress workbook exists

Workstream 3: The Effective School Board Coach (TESBC)

Book Type

Narrative practitioner handbook. ~65,000-80,000 words. The book is about the journey of the person who would use the technical manual.

Architecture

Part I: The Foundation — Why school boards need coaches (3 chapters)

Part II: Who the Coach Must Be — Mindset: Responsibility, Integrity, Presence (3 chapters)

Part III: What the Coach Must Know & Do — The Four Tenets as coaching domains (4 chapters)

Part IV: The People You Work With — Board members, superintendents, board chairs, ownership line (4 chapters)

Part V: The Journey of the Coach — Certification, own goals/guardrails, finding your coach, support system (4 chapters)

Part VI: Leading the Movement — Certification, cohort leadership (2 chapters)

Conclusion

Voice

Book register: ~23 words/sentence, 4-8 sentence paragraphs

Story-led openings for persuasive chapters

First person (“I”) used naturally

Coaching conversations can include dialogue

Wider emotional range — humor, tension, vulnerability

The NEVER words and banned governance language STILL apply

Source Material

~/Downloads/ESB Source Documents/the effective school board coach - 2025 backup.docx — Newsletter archive (~12,500 words, Q&A format) — mine for stories and concepts

~/Downloads/ESB Source Documents/Effective school board coach.docx — Same content

~/Downloads/ESB Source Documents/Effective Coaching Resources.docx — Link collection, certification info

~/Downloads/ESB Source Documents/Effective School Boards Coaching Commitment.docx — Philosophical underpinning

~/Downloads/ESB Source Documents/School Board Member & Coach Profession.docx — Role definition

~/Downloads/ESB Source Documents/Coach Handbook Ideas.txt — The Handbook Ideas document

~/Downloads/coach-libra-outlines.md — The outlines I developed

What to Do

Read the outline from ~/Downloads/coach-libra-outlines.md

Read the coach newsletter archive for stories and concepts

Read the Handbook Ideas document

Draft each chapter using the book chapter architecture (story opening → body → close with student outcomes)

Run the Council review process on chapters

Run anti-slop scans

Workstream 4: The Practitioner’s Playbook

Book Type

Pure technical manual. ~50,000 words. Chronological month-by-month engagement guide. No stories, no reflection, no journey.

Architecture

Chapter 0: Using This Playbook

Chapter 1: Winning the Work (Months -2 through 0)

Chapter 2: Entry and Baseline (Months 1-2)

Chapter 3: Orientation and the Implementation Timeline (Months 2-3)

Chapter 4: Clarify Priorities (Months 3-6)

Chapter 5: The Monitoring Rhythm (Months 4-24)

Chapter 6: Closing Year One (Months 11-12)

Chapter 7: Year Two — Alignment and Ownership Transfer (Months 13-24)

Chapter 8: Renewal or Graduation (Months 22-24)

Voice

Technical manual register. No stories, no anecdotes, no reflection

Do this, produce that, confirm it, move to the next step

Every step has: When, Who, Purpose, Prepare, Do, Produce, Confirm, Avoid, Sources

Two dosage tiers (Baseline and National Exemplar) throughout

~14-16 words/sentence, imperative

The NEVER words and banned language STILL apply

Source Material

~/Downloads/ESB Source Documents/ESB 2-Day Script.docx — Workshop script

~/Downloads/ESB Source Documents/ESB 1-Day Staff Alignment Workshop Script.docx — Staff workshop

~/Downloads/ESB Source Documents/Effective School Boards Framework - Implementation Guide.docx — Framework overview

~/Downloads/ESB Source Documents/ESB Board Implementation Timeline Template.docx — Timeline template

~/Downloads/coach-libra-outlines.md — The Playbook outline

What to Do

Read the Playbook outline from ~/Downloads/coach-libra-outlines.md

Read the workshop scripts and implementation guide for operational detail

Draft each chapter using the step-anatomy format

Ensure every step has a concrete deliverable, quality bar, and evidence standard

Run anti-slop scans (especially for story drift — the Playbook should have ZERO narrative)

Quality Gates

Per-Chapter Gate (All Workstreams)

Does it open by grounding the reader in why school systems exist, then connect to the topic?

Reading level 8th grade or below? (Book register: 8th-10th acceptable)

Are ESB distinctions drawn cleanly?

Does it end by bringing it back to student outcomes?

Voice matches the register for the format?

ESB terminology correct? No PG terms?

Mechanics correct? No em dashes, no semicolons, straight quotes, Oxford comma?

Zero NEVER words or AI-hallmark phrases?

No banned governance language?

No named organizations?

Full Book Gate (Workstreams 3-4)

Chapter continuity: each chapter’s ending hooks into the next chapter’s opening

Thread consistency: core metaphors introduced properly, referenced consistently

Framework consistency: every mention of Goals, Guardrails, etc. uses the same vocabulary

Voice drift check: no pockets where the voice shifts from the established register

Part boundary integrity: each Part stays in its lane

Council Review (Workstreams 3-4 Only)

For each book:

The Critic (GPT-5.6 Sol) — structural editor: argument quality, logical flow

The Reader (Claude Sonnet 5) — target audience proxy: clarity, engagement

The Verifier (Kimi K2.6) — ESB glossary alignment, fact-checking

The Red Team (Claude Fable) — adversarial edit: finds voice drift, AI tells

Any chapter below 8.0 on any dimension enters the revision loop. Pass when all chapters ≥ 9.0 composite.

Output Format

Workbooks

ESB-formatted DOCX: 0.5” margins, 18pt bold centered title, 14pt bold left headers, 11pt body, single-spaced

File name: “AJ Crabill - [Workbook Title] - produced v3.docx”

Save to: ~/Downloads/ESB Workbooks/

Books

Complete manuscript in DOCX format, one file per chapter

Book title as filename

Save to: ~/Downloads/

Sequence

Workstream 1 (Update 6 workbooks) — easiest, builds familiarity

Workstream 2 (Create 6 new workbooks) — uses existing formats

Workstream 3 (TESBC) — narrative, requires most voice skill

Workstream 4 (Playbook) — technical, requires least voice skill, save for last

Before starting each workstream, re-read the grounding documents and this instruction set. Do not drift.