Elevate your impact as a public school board member
In recent years, a brighter spotlight is shining on public school board members. A role always at the heart of local communities — whether pre-K-through-12 or for public colleges — has taken on new prominence in discussions of public health, school safety, diversity, democracy and other hot-button issues. Under this spotlight, many new and experienced board members can find themselves uncertain of how to do the best possible job at serving as a trustee for those who elected them and ultimately focusing on the needs of students.
We find clues in how one group of school leaders was honored with an Innovative School Board Award. The Baldwin-Whitehall School District Board of Directors was lauded in the nomination “for moving beyond political and ideological differences to work together in the service of their students’ best interests, as models of compromise and effective discourse. Strong district leadership and a clear comprehensive plan for districtwide improvement inspires and supports the board’s conflict-free progress. In addition, board members take the time to volunteer in the community during the district’s Day of Caring and Holiday Cookie Extravaganza.”
Service, teamwork, good communication and positive role modeling: these all figure into how to elevate your impact on your public school board. Let’s take a more detailed look on the characteristics of star school board members and how technology supports them.
Why being an engaged and contributing board member matters
It’s frequently observed (and also quite true) that children are the future. But more specifically, children and their experiences are at the core of how people feel about their communities. There is little more reflective of a city, town or village than the state of its schools and the quality and security of a child’s educational experience.
Even those without children in local schools have a vested interest in the quality, and ultimately, the outcomes within the school (i.e. children’s success) as taxpayers paying a big portion of the money that goes into public schools. They may also engage with current and former students, interacting with them outside of schools and hiring or working with (or for) them. And while the students are older, the same applies at the college level. Good-quality, healthy functioning public colleges have an immediate impact on the state of the workforce.
So how a public school board member performs his or her role — doing the most with budgetary resources, hiring and evaluating executive leaders and enacting supportive and reasonable policies (all done with the goal of moving the needle for children, both from a cognitively and non-cognitively point of view.) — has a direct effect on students’ school experiences. In fact, more evidence is showing that boards are having an impact on student success.
Tips for board members
Board members must understand their district, understand their role, understand the wishes of the community — those who elected them and those whom board members serve as a trustee for, and be open — to new ideas, new solutions and constituents. By following these tips, they can be effective school board members. Take a closer look at what being a star board member entails.
Understand your district or college. Develop and maintain in-depth knowledge about the district’s strategic goals, operations and challenges, and stay informed about the issues, policies and regulations that affect your schools at the local, state and national level. Keep documents related to your organization’s goals close at hand; your board management software can be useful here. Be sure to ask questions to better understand.
Understand and commit to your role. In a piece on what he learned during his long service with California’s Long Beach Unified School District, former board member Felton Williams said, “People have to understand the roles and responsibilities, and that is a key piece in a school district — that everybody understands their respective roles.” Understanding the scope — also the limits — of the board’s responsibilities is critical for every board member. Remember that ultimately, you are there to serve the children. Focus on child issues over adult issues.
Adopt an attitude of continuous learning and improvement. Even after the onboarding process, a star board member will understand there is always more to learn. Seek out internal and external workshops, webinars and other opportunities both directly related to the board role and related to trends and new learning that can positively affect your organization. Study effective decision-making, policy development and fiduciary responsibilities. Training materials can be stored and made available for multiple users in the board management system.
Cultivate openness and approachability. As part of a local community, board members will be approached regularly by constituents with ideas and feedback. And board members must work well with the rest of the team. Consider these priorities:
- Build productive relationships with your fellow board members and also with staff
- Work on your communication skills, understanding professional boundaries and how to offer constructive feedback
- Engage with the community, attending events and establishing open lines of communication
- Be open to new ideas, strategies and technologies that can benefit the board
- Embrace equity, striving to be inclusive in your decision-making processes and ensuring that all voices are heard and represented
Lead by example, modeling ethical behavior, professionalism and dedication. Embrace transparency and open communication in your role as a board member. This effort, in particular, can be supported by technology, as discovered by the Visalia School District, where “transparency initiatives — which include sharing agendas and meeting minutes from the district's public transparency site across social media and providing meeting notifications — have not only enhanced transparency, but also actively engaged the community.”
Remember that children are watching you. Exhibit the behavior you want others in the systems to also exhibit.
How board management software can help you shine
It may sound like a lot, because the importance of the role can create a lot of pressure for board members, but there are ways to alleviate that pressure, including the smart use of technology. A high-quality board management solution can support you and your board in all of the above efforts.
Consider these features Diligent Community offers and how they can help your performance as a public board member:
- A searchable, accessible document library creates a useful, single location for organizational materials including a place for policies that is easily accessible by you and your community for transparency.
- Automated notifications for meeting materials help all team members stay on top of tasks
- Sticky notes, highlighting, touchscreen/stylus support and more make interacting with documents easy for meeting prep
- Live digital voting elevates decision-making
- Multi-device support allows board members to work on the go
- Granular permissions allow for private committee work and protect sensitive data
Being a star public education board member takes effort, but the right technology solution can support you and your team as you shine for your schools. Diligent Community is designed to help every public school board member bring their all to the role.
