Joe Famularo, whose mottos include "Lead and Learn," wrote "Be Strong and Lead Together" for Bellmore Public Schools' class of 2020. He was recently named New York's 2024 superintendent of the year.

An effective way to prevent disruptions is for superintendents and school boards to strike "social contracts" that cover everyone's commitments, how conflicts will be resolved and how the superintendent and members expect to be treated, among other issues.

"The first one I did was Backstreet Boys. Instead of 'Tell me why,' it was count by nine," Connolly said. "And then we did 'Anti-Hero' by Taylor Swift, and she liked it herself. And then ever since then, we've had over 100 million views now with all these different videos."

Superintendents should develop a comprehensive school board communication plan, establish a shared vision and not try to solve every problem on their own.