Table of Contents

Foreword by Frank Pugh
Foreword by John Malloy
Introduction: Politics, Governance, and System Improvement
Unity of Purpose: Driven by a Shared Moral Imperative
Politics, Governance, and System Improvement
How This Book Is Structured
Shift to Positive Drivers
Concluding Comments
PART I: MINDSETS FOR EFFICACY
Chapter 1. Moral Imperative and the Governance Core
The Nature of Governance
A Fundamental Choice
Five Major Themes of Good Governance
The Governance Core
Concluding Comments
Chapter 2. Trustee Governance Mindset
Systems Thinking
Strategic Focus
Deep Learning
Manner
Concluding Comments
Chapter 3. Superintendent Governance Mindset
Typical Governance Styles
Examples of Purposeful Superintendent Support for Governance
What These Superintendents Have in Common
Supporting a Trustee Governance Mindset
Concluding Comments
Chapter 4. Welcoming New Trustees
The First 100 Days: What the Board Should Do
The First 100 Days: What New Trustees Should Do
Concluding Comments
PART II: GOVERNING FOR EFFICACY
Chapter 5. Governing With Coherence
Coherence
Coherence Making
Coherence in Perspective
Distractions and Challenges to Coherence
Concluding Comments
Chapter 6. Governance Culture
Processes That Develop Governance Infrastructure
Concluding Comments
Chapter 7. The Governance Job: Systems Thinking and Strategic Action
Setting Strategic Direction
Policy Direction and Approval
Stewardship and Support
Oversight and Accountability
Community Leadership Throughout
Concluding Comments
Chapter 8. Governance Tools
Discussion Meetings
Governance Handbooks
Board Self-Evaluations
Continuing Board Education
Concluding Comments
PART III: THE CHALLENGES AHEAD
Chapter 9. Rising to the Occasion
All Rise
Appendix I: Template for Creating Board Protocols
Appendix II: Three Comparisons of Effective Governance Principles
References
Index
Acknowledgments
About the Authors

About the Author

Davis Campbell is the former Executive Director of the California School Boards Association and is Chair of the University of California Davis, School of Education Advisory Board and a Senior Fellow at the Center for Applied Policy in Education.

Campbell has a deep and broad background in public education. He served for 12 years in the California Department of Education, serving six of those as Deputy State Superintendent of Public Instruction in charge of all education programs. In 1988 he was appointed Executive Director of the California School Boards Association, serving in that capacity until his retirement in 2001. He has also served as an elected trustee on the Yolo County Board of Education. In 2020, Campbell was awarded the 2020 University of California Davis Alumni Association Distinguished Achievement Award.

Campbell maintains an active consulting practice in effective governance in education as well as nonprofit agencies at both the state and international level. In California, in addition to continuing education governance programs with school districts, Campbell has provided workshops for nonprofit organizations as well as governance workshops and presentations with cities, counties, and special districts. Campbell’s international work includes governance support for American and International schools in Madrid Spain (15 years), Barcelona Spain, Lisbon Portugal, Paris France, Rome and Milan Italy, Tunis Tunisia, Cairo Egypt and British Columbia Canada.

Michael Fullan, Order of Canada, is the former Dean of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, and Professor Emeritus of the University of Toronto. He is co-leader of the New Pedagogies for Deep Learning global initiative. Michael served as Premier Dalton McGuinty’s Special Policy Adviser in Ontario from 2003-2013. He received the Order of Canada (OC) in December 2012 and holds five honorary doctorates from universities around the world. His ‘interim autobiography,’ Surreal Change, covers his pre-Covid-19 era to 2018. Michael and his colleagues are now working diligently on field-based comprehensive system change in several countries. Under the umbrella of what they call the ‘humanity paradigm’ —equitable-equal deep change that integrates local (school and community), middle (district/regional), and centre (policy) entities. Michael’s latest books are Spirit Work and the Science of Collaboration (with Mark Edwards, 2022), The Principal 2.0 (2023), The Drivers (with Joanne Quinn, 2023), and The New Meaning of Educational Change, 6th Edition (2025).

For more information on books, articles, videos, podcasts please go to: www.michaelfullan.ca

Reviews

The Governance Core is a masterpiece that calls on governing board members to seize the moral high ground, establish a unity of purpose, and pursue governing excellence. The book is insightful, engaging, and filled with real-world examples that illuminate important principles needed for effective governing. The Governance Core is a must-read for new or veteran school board members.  
*Vernon Billy, CEO & Executive Director*

Brilliant and utterly compelling! I have sat in boardrooms for 46 years governing education institutions, hospitals, and universities. It’s as if Davis Campbell and Michael Fullan were looking over my shoulder! The Governance Core captures the essence of effective governance in complex times. This book challenges us to focus on and achieve a higher moral purpose. Campbell and Fullan move beyond what governance is and explore how great leaders should govern.
*Dr. Bill Hogarth, Consultant, and former Director of Education*

Governance, school boards, and superintendents are on the front line of meeting the challenges facing education in the 21st century. The Governance Core by Davis Campbell and Michael Fullan captures not only the nature of the challenges but also the characteristics of highly successful school board trustees and superintendents working together. The Governance Core goes deeply into the heart of effective governance. Incorporate these ideas, and you will become much more effective as governance leaders—and your students, parents and educators will benefit immensely.
*Frank Pugh, Past President*

A treasure of a book, chock-full of guidance from the strategic to the pragmatic. I will refer to The Governance Core regularly as our board and principal work together in the service of the scholars and families in our school community. Whether you’re a district leader or a principal, on a district school board, charter board, or local school council, you will find insights and tools to deepen your understanding and improve your practice of effective governance. Our nation’s children deserve no less.
*Susan Lucas, Co-Chair*

Davis Campbell and Michael Fullan do a masterful job of explaining how public school boards and superintendents working well together, with a shared moral imperative, can be a driving force for improvement in student learning as well as for society as a whole. This exquisite new book,   The Governance Core, beautifully explains why this is true and how to achieve it.  
*Leslie DeMersseman, Past President*

Simultaneously visionary and pragmatic,   The Governance Core provides a comprehensive, action-oriented blueprint for designing an effective governance system focused squarely on what matters: student learning. Davis Campbell and Michael Fullan demonstrate how the right approach to governance can make the critical difference in achieving learning for all students. This new book is a powerful, persuasive must-read not only for superintendents and school board members but also for all of us in nonprofits and public agencies who share a commitment to students’ succeeding in school and beyond.  
*Glen Harvey, Chief Executive Officer*

Good governance is a skill, a discipline, and a commitment. Davis Campbell and Michael Fullan reveal new understandings and important lessons about governing public school systems for healthier communities. They make the compelling case that effective governance in these uncertain times is an essential driver for a better democracy. A must-read for all new and veteran board members and superintendents.
*Tony Smith, Former State Superintendent of Education*

Davis Campbell and Michael Fullan have provided great insights on the governance core in this inspiring book. I recommend that trustees and superintendents read this book together—and act on the key messages.
*John Malloy, Director of Education*