I've seen a few Facebook posts about how if you really want to help your school district you should join the board. What do you guys think of this? Is this something that really helps and how? And what kinds of people/experience are needed?
For example, I have no experience in education other than my own. Would a software designer really have a place a school board?
grapefruit / 4903 posts
I plan to run for ours in a few years once I've developed deeper ties in the community. I worked as an education policy specialist for a governor and took a couple of education law classes in law school. I think there is a place for people of all backgrounds on a school board, but I would suggest reading through the recent minutes and attending meetings first to see whether it's a good fit.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
There is only one educator on my town's BOE. The chairperson is a lawyer and longtime resident, which I think helps.
pear / 1521 posts
Maybe see what type of qualifications the current members of your school board have to see what kind of experience is expected where you live.
I don't have experience yet with the schools in my town, but where I work I definitely get the vibe that the school board members are just regular citizens (some not even parents) without an education background. They actually throw off a very business-world vibe. I would not describe an overly business-like approach as a good thing but there should be a variety of perspectives on the board overall.
pomelo / 5866 posts
I googled FAQ https://www.nsba.org/about-us/frequently-asked-questions.
A family friend was on the board of ed and she was a retired school counselor with her master's. My dad didn't have his degree but was a longtime, well known member of his community, eye on politics and taught an elective within his field of expertise (ROTC) for over a decade at the local high school. Both were elected on their first run.
YOu really can help make big decisions but it is tiring and you have to fight for your views to be heard and concede repeatedly.
pomegranate / 3244 posts
My mother was a long-serving member of the school board when I was growing up--it turned into a wonderful career for her, as she progressed from local school board member, to president of the state school board association, to an elected member of the state school board and eventually the state board of regents that govern institutes of higher education in our state. She ran for the first time when I was in 1st or 2nd grade, and finally retired 4 years ago, so all told was involved for about 20 years.
She didn't have any sort of education background when she ran (she was a non-practicing attorney at the time)--just a concerned citizen with young kids in the local school system.
So I say go for it--or at least think about it! It can lead to great things 
persimmon / 1286 posts
i say go for it! and i think your professional experience could be a help- i'm sure you have to retool things and come to decisions by consensus in your professional career, which are important skills for serving on a board,
GOLD / nectarine / 2884 posts
Sounds like a great plan! Sadly for me I would have to bill myself as a Republican to win so I don't feel like that's an option for me!
BTW few board members in my area are educators but having kids in district and being a local business person seem to help.
cherry / 201 posts
I see very few BOE members with education backgrounds in my district alas a teacher I find it frustrating. They often think that they are still running businesses, but they're not--they're managing a system that provides a public service. I'm not saying there's no overlap in skills needed to serve on the BOE, it's just that they forget that we face different challenges than a business would.
That said, you should go for it & run! I would just HIGHLY recommend staying connected to the classroom & daily school life by making visits before (and even after) you run. See if you can sit it on a few classes! Good luck!! That's awesome.
pomegranate / 3779 posts
I say go for it, but a lot depends on the size and makeup of your community. My aunt has been on the schools board for approximately 15 years in the small town where I grew up. She is a retired teacher, but is only one of a few with education experience. IMO it is good to have a mix of backgrounds because there are a lot of things that my aunt didn't know anything about on the business side, but she was able to bring a lot of insight and knowledge about the educational and teacher parts.
eggplant / 11716 posts
@ShootingStar: Most school board members don't have education experience--I think sometimes that causes issues, actually. But anyone is free to run for a board position, so the fact that more teachers or retired teachers aren't on the board could easily be because teachers just don't try.
From a teacher perspective, I will tell you that we rarely, if ever, see a board member in the actual school. That's probably unfortunate, given how much control they have over our school budgets. You should also know that sometimes, board elections are contentious and even board meetings are contentious. I'm not trying to dissuade you from doing it--I think you should do it!--but there are a lot of people with entrenched connections in the political world and they run for the BOE for power, not for any altruistic reason of helping students succeed. So you will have to constantly butt heads with those people and if they are well known in town, their fans.
The board elections in my town are pretty contentious.
| Today | Monthly Record | |
|---|---|---|
| Topics | 0 | 1 |
| Posts | 1 | 3 |
Ask for Help
Make a Suggestion
Frequently Asked Questions
Bee Levels
Acronyms
Most Viewed Posts
Hellobee Gold
Hellobee Recipes
Hellobee Features
Hellobee Contests
Baby-led Weaning
Bento Boxes
Breastfeeding
Newborn Essentials
Parties
Postpartum Care Essentials
Sensory Play Activities
Sleep Training
Starting Solids Gear
Transitioning to Toddler Bed
All Series
Who We Are
About the Bloggers
About the Hostesses
Contributing Bloggers
Apply to Blog
Apply to Hostess
Submit a Guest Blog
Hellobee Buttons
How We Make Money
Community Policies
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite0
10 comments