An effective and stable school district requires a superintendent and board who work well together. Such collaboration builds positive momentum and public confidence. It also minimizes the turnover that can slow district progress, encourage "flavor of the year" reform agendas and impede academic achievement. Too seldom school governance reflects a less-than-perfect alignment between the needs and capabilities of the superintendent and board. Even when relations appear to be good, the parties may trample on each other's roles or wander aimlessly in the policy wilderness. This fundamental relationship can be strengthened by the superintendent understanding the situation and adopting the governance style that fits the current conditions. The author's model, which he calls situational governance, is best thought of as a continuum. Where a policy body sits on that continuum depends on a number of factors, especially the superintendent's experience and the board's level of confidence in that person. This situation is not static and will change over time. Four situations in his own experience as a superintendent in New York and Virginia illustrate the continuum.