In response to a column by Joshua Starr about how superintendents act as buffers between the school district and the community, Rachel S. White and Mark Lineburg suggest that school board members must also serve a buffering function. They encourage school board members and superintendents to work in concert when making decisions and communicating those decisions to the community. Specifically, they stress the importance of centering students in their decision making and of creating a shared language about the decisions they have made.
