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School Board Races; Is it May yet?
Topic Started: Nov 10 2006, 11:14 PM (737 Views)
fyi
Principal
How can I tell if my school board is doing a good job?

http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showar...e/ca/45/?page=2


By attending a few school board meetings, you'll learn firsthand what school boards do. Call your district office to find out where and when meetings are held. Once you've observed your school board in action, you'll be prepared to ask the following questions:

How does the school board make decisions? Do the members function as predictable, single-issue advocates, or do they approach each decision with an open mind? Do they seem to make strategic choices for the well-being of the district? Strong decision-making requires analysis, the balancing of needs and concerns, and the ability to see the long-term implications of an action.

How's the team spirit? Does the board exhibit a healthy group dynamic, or is it a parade of egos marching single-file? Do members show respect and trust for each other, and for the operating rules of the board?

Is the board's authority well defined? The classic challenges of management don't skip over your board of education. There's a delicate balance between the board's act of choosing a strong chief executive (the superintendent) and letting him or her lead the way and the board's tendency to get involved with many levels of decision-making.

Does the board understand the community? One of the most difficult parts of school governance is creating a strong relationship with the public. An effective board knows and respects its community, and encourages the community's trust in its school system.

http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showar...e/ca/45/?page=3

At the heart of it all, members of a district's board of education must believe, unequivocally, in the value of public education. They must be dedicated to serving and teaching all children. They must believe in the democratic process and understand that their role is to act strategically, in line with the interests of the entire school community
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fyi
Principal
Electing Effective School Board Members

http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticle/ca/298


How can you be sure that the education in your local public schools meets your expectations? A good place to start is by electing effective school board members.

When deciding which candidate to support and vote for, you’ll want to attend community candidate forums and ask hard questions. Former school board member Arthur Griffin suggests asking the following questions:

For incumbents:


What actions have you taken to improve student achievement?
For challengers and incumbents:

What are your visions for this school district five to ten years from now and what systemic changes will you work toward to achieve that vision?

What policies would you initiate to improve student achievement?

What are the characteristics of a superintendent you most admire?

How would you measure success for a superintendent?

What level of skills should high school students have upon graduation?
You’ll also want to find out if the candidate has good analytical, leadership and collaborative skills to move the district forward. A good candidate does not have a single-issue focus but rather is interested in the success of all students in the district.

Deciding To Run for the School Board

If you have sound judgment, an even temper, a willingness to collaborate and a sincere interest in public education in your community, you might consider running for your local school board. You will need to be 18 years of age, a registered voter, a resident of your district and eligible under the state constitution to run for office.

If mounting your own campaign seems daunting but you are concerned about who is on the board, consider gathering a group of concerned citizens together to seek and support a candidate or candidates who share your vision for the district.

Most importantly, be sure to educate yourself about the issues and encourage others in your community to do the same. And don’t forget to vote!
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fyi
Principal
Signs of an Ineffective School Board Member

http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticle/ca/298

If you notice any of the following signs, it’s time to find some new candidates to run for your local board:

The school board member continually focuses on one issue or talks aimlessly at meetings.

The school board member doesn’t conduct him or herself in a respectful, collaborative manner in public.

The school board member comes to meetings unprepared.

The school board member “rubber stamps” all the superintendent’s proposals without asking hard questions.

The school board member micromanages rather than focusing attention on district-wide policies.

The school board member uses his position on the school board as an opportunity to put forth a political agenda with little relevance to student achievement.
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loyaltolivonia
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Principal
Seems like some of these were written just for LPS's BOE :o
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fyi
Principal
Signs of an Effective School Board Member


http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticle/ca/298

Here are signs of a school board member focused on moving the school district forward and educating all students to meet high standards:

Great school board members have a clear vision for the district.
They set the vision and goals, and measure the success of the district and superintendent against the goals.

Great school board members communicate their actions to the community.
Through public discourse and written reports, great school board members keep the public informed of the district’s progress and challenges.


Great school board members work as a team.
They collaborate well with others and are respectful of the other board members and superintendent.

Great school board members adopt a fiscally sound district budget.
They pay attention to finances and regularly monitor the fiscal health of the district.


Great school board members focus on what is best for all students.
They focus on student achievement and implementing policies that will ensure success for all students.


Great school board members advocate at the local, state and national level for public education.

They take advantage of opportunities to communicate the needs of public schools to other levels of government and advocate for strong public schools.
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ILIkeLI
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Principal
GREAT info fyi! Really makes you see that the LPS BOE typically serves few of those functions and has few qualities of an effective BOE.

"Great school board members have a clear vision for the district.
They set the vision and goals, and measure the success of the district and superintendent against the goals"

This relationship is completely reversed in LPS.
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Livonia Voter
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Principal
ILIkeLI
Nov 14 2006, 11:26 AM
GREAT info fyi! Really makes you see that the LPS BOE typically serves few of those functions and has few qualities of an effective BOE.

"Great school board members have a clear vision for the district.
They set the vision and goals, and measure the success of the district and superintendent against the goals"

This relationship is completely reversed in LPS.


Well, at least until May.

;)


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fyi
Principal
How can I tell if my school board is doing a good job?

Thinking of the Livonia Board Of Education:

Quote:
 
How does the school board make decisions? Do the members function as predictable, single-issue advocates, or do they approach each decision with an open mind? Do they seem to make strategic choices for the well-being of the district? Strong decision-making requires analysis, the balancing of needs and concerns, and the ability to see the long-term implications of an action.


NO

Quote:
 
Is the board's authority well defined? The classic challenges of management don't skip over your board of education. There's a delicate balance between the board's act of choosing a strong chief executive (the superintendent) and letting him or her lead the way and the board's tendency to get involved with many levels of decision-making.


NO

Quote:
 
Does the board understand the community? One of the most difficult parts of school governance is creating a strong relationship with the public. An effective board knows and respects its community, and encourages the community's trust in its school system.


NO
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