FAYETTEVILLE -- Fayetteville School District Superintendent John Mulford and the School Board outlined protocols for communication and cooperation during a work session Wednesday.
It was Mulford's first public meeting as superintendent. He succeeded John L. Colbert on July 1.
With tables arranged in a U shape in the center of the room, Mulford and the seven board members discussed ground rules and ways to work together to bring out the best in the school district and its students. They agreed on the importance of open communication, asking questions, avoiding surprises and following the chain of command, which were key topics. The meeting lasted over three hours.
"I thought it was a good meeting," Mulford said. "It was a long one, but we had an opportunity to discuss a lot of items that will be valuable to me as I hit the ground running here in Fayetteville and kind of help chart the direction we want to head as a district."
Mulford and the board shared expectations for each other, making sure everyone is on the same page. The school year starts Aug. 14.
"In order to make progress, you have to know where you're going," Mulford said. "It's critical for me to understand what the board's expectations are, what the focus is of the board, academically, as well as how we govern. I can't underestimate its importance. I'm grateful they took time to talk through those things."
School Board President Nika Waitsman said the board doesn't want to only hear the good news. Members need to know about the challenges Mulford faces, too, she said.
"I think communication is key, but also communication from Dr. Mulford to our community is equally important," Waitsman said.
Amid the inevitable back-and-forth of the decision-making process, Waitsman said, it's important for everyone to be operating with the same information and that nobody is left in the dark.
"I think what we have found in the past as a board is if we're all well informed, that's why we end up coming to consensus so often," Waitsman said. "When you have all the information, sometimes the decisions are much more clear and much easier to make."
Mulford, the 14th superintendent in the school district's 152-year history, comes to Fayetteville from Springfield, Mo., where he was deputy superintendent of public schools. It's Mulford's 26th year in education, and he's been a teacher and administrator in public and private schools.
With Mulford new to Northwest Arkansas, board member Tim Hudson encouraged the superintendent to lean on the group as a resource.
Mulford arrives at a pivotal time in Arkansas after the passage of Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' state education overhaul, the LEARNS Act. Many questions about LEARNS and its effects remain. Mary Claire Hyatt, the district's general counsel, mentioned at the meeting that with the uncertainty surrounding LEARNS, it'll be a changing landscape over the next year.
"What I know is here in Fayetteville, we're going to respond to the challenge," Mulford said. "So whatever comes out of those rule-making committees, we'll dissect that. We'll make adjustments. We'll do what we need to do to assure that our kids are successful."