To each person duly elected to the local school board, I say “Welcome. Today you will begin to see, listen to, and think about school in an entirely new dimension. Engage with fellow board members in a thoughtful discussion of how your board will meet its responsibilities to educate all children. Then, get to know your school from the inside out. We have a lot to learn and talk about.”
An introduction to the school board was not always like this.
A few years back a newly elected school board member was chastised by the board president for visiting school classrooms and talking with teachers. He was told, “Follow the chain of command. Board members speak with the superintendent. The superintendent speaks with principals and other administrators. Principals and other administrators speak with teachers and other employees. Don’t violate this chain for command”. A conversation with the executive director of the state’s school board association confirmed this absurdity. “Follow the chain of command”, he advised, “it exists for a purpose.”
And, they also should have said, “Take a firm grip on your rubber stamp, because the limiting funnel of information allowed through such a command structure will require little to no discussion by board members. One voice. One interpretation of information. No discussion necessary.”
How absurd and how wrong!
A quick review of state statutes describing the duties of a school board member disabused this new board member of what the president and executive director said. The statutes contain no such limitations on the scope of a board member’s interaction with the district’s schools. Our statutes tell us that our duties, among others, include these:
120.12 School board duties. The school board of a common or union high school district shall:
(1) MANAGEMENT OF SCHOOL DISTRICT. Subject to the authority vested in the annual meeting and to the authority and possession specifically given to other school district officers, have the possession, care, control and management of the property and affairs of the school district, except for property of the school district used for public library purposes under s. 43.52.
(2) GENERAL SUPERVISION. Visit and examine the schools of the school district, advise the school teachers and administrative staff regarding the instruction, government and progress of the pupils and exercise general supervision over such schools.
Any board policies or regulations restricting a board member’s interactions are not founded in statute and are propagated only to protect an antiquated concept of the status quo. The only valid admonition is a board member must refrain from discussion that might compromise the board member’s future role should the board meet in a judicial hearing. For example, don’t engage in discussion of a specific employee’s work performance or a specific student’s discipline record. A Board may fulfill its statutory role in hearing a case related to employee termination or student expulsion and the prior discussions of these by a board member may compromise the board member’s capacity to be objectively neutral.
Better rules to follow are – “Treat everyone, adult and child, with integrity and respect. Be informed. Be a voice for the future of all children. You are a legislator not an administrator.”
- Integrity and respect are gold standards for boardsmanship. Each person you speak with requires these two qualities from you. No matter the person’s role in school – parent, student, teacher, custodian, administrator, community taxpayer – that person has a legitimate claim to your attention. You are that person’s representative on the school board. The integrity and respect you demonstrate sets the role model standard for the school district. If integrity and respect are not present at the school board, how can you expect them be present anywhere else in the school?
- Integrity and respect are demonstrated by listening rather than talking. You want to understand their perspective not overlay your own. You can do that at the board table. Integrity is demonstrated by sharing the multiple perspectives you have heard. Integrity is making fact-based decisions and holding to a decision as long as the facts support a decision. And, when the facts do not support a decision, adjusting the decision to reflect new facts.
- Board members need first-hand information. The old chain of command assured that most information was second- and third-hand. Create your information base by proactively visiting classrooms to observe instruction, the use of curricular materials, and student and teacher interaction. I call this “perching”. You are not in a classroom to interact or participate, but to see and listen and feel. However, if the teacher invites your participation, do not hesitate. Enjoy the moment.
Engage in hearty discussions about employment policies, responsibilities and expectations, and practices. Gain firsthand information about the school environment from an employee and student perspective. See teachers, aides, district and school office staff, kitchen and food service, custodians and maintenance staff, bus drivers, and coaches, directors and advisors doing their work.
Then, with respect and integrity, share your information appropriately at the board table.
- Your real constituency is the children of the school. You may be elected from a precinct or supported in your election by voters who favor certain programs or want specific changes and improvements in the school district. However, your focus should always be on the quality education of all children, emphasis on all. When the board is called upon to vote on a matter, your vote is powerful. Of all the voices speaking to the matter, when the votes are tallied, only board voices/votes are counted. Make your vote stand for the highest quality of programming your schools can provide to all children.
- You are a legislator not an administrator. Board members work with policies stemming from the mission and goals of the school district. Affirm policies that are creating desired school district outcomes and amend or delete policies that are not. When in the school, watch, listen and feel – don’t direct. You have no authority to tell anyone what to do. That is a role of school administration and supervision.