School Board Members’ New Year’s Resolutions
Timi Tullis, AASB Associate Executive Director
As the new year is upon us, it is a good time to reflect on your role as a Board member and set some clear goals for the year ahead. This list might provide some ideas for you as you reconfirm your commitment to the students in your district, to your Board and to the leadership team of the district.
In the year ahead I commit to:
1. Coming to meetings prepared
It is vitally important to read your Board packets in advance of each meeting so that you are prepared to have knowledgeable discussions during the Board meeting. Be sure to let the superintendent know if you have questions in advance of the meeting allowing them to prepare a response for the Board.
2. Attending all work sessions
Boards use work sessions to dive deeper into topics of importance to the district. Some districts hold monthly work sessions, while others hold them when needed. As a Board, sit and develop a list of topics you’d like to learn more about and set a plan to hold these sessions. Some Boards meet an hour before their scheduled meetings, and others have work sessions on the same night as their meetings, just two weeks later.
3. Completing the superintendent’s evaluation
Being a Board member is really holding a part time job. With this job comes some added responsibilities. One of these is to evaluate the superintendent. Whether it be the Board chair leading the evaluation, or hiring an AASB staff member to gather the input , YOU need to give feedback. Don’t ignore the emails, simply do what is asked of you as a Board member.
4. Actively engaging in the legislative process
Have you come to Juneau to speak to your legislative representatives? Have you written a letter encouraging them to support an increase to the BSA? Have you encouraged parents and business owners in your community to talk about the importance of funding public education? There are several ways you can engage in the process, whether it be a text, email or phone call, your voice needs to be heard.
5. Staying in my lane
Always remember that you, as an individual Board member, have no more authority than anyone else on your Board and for that matter any community member. Your power comes when you are seated at an officially called meeting with the rest of your elected Board members. The Board is the governance aspect of the district, adopting a strategic plan of areas of importance and the superintendent is the management role of the district and helps create the pathways to ensure the strategic plan is moving forward.
6. Reaching out to AASB when I have a question
As a member district you and your Board can call us to discuss an issue you may want some clarity on. Weekly we get questions around how to run an effective meeting, or something in the policy manual, or how to address an unhappy community member, the list goes on and on, and we—Tiffany Jackson, Jenni Lefing, Katie Oliver and myself—are here to help.
7. Actively engaging in my assigned committee work
To effectively tackle the complex work of the Board committees are formed. Whether you are the chair or a member, your attendance at the committee meetings is vital. Typical committee work might be around budget or policies. Ad Hoc committee work could be around the school calendar or a facility issue. Regardless of the topic, your work is needed, outside of the Board meeting to accomplish this work.
8. Visiting schools and watching students in action
Typically it isn’t hard to get individuals to attend a basketball game in the district, but as a Board member we hope you will also attend concerts, plays, cross country meets or anything that involves students. It is also helpful if there is a call for volunteers that you step up to the plate and go help out your school.
9. Participating in Board Retreats and completing my Board self-assessment
In your policy manual it states that annually you will do a Board self-assessment. Typically a Board will work with AASB to ensure this happens. It is vitally important that each Board member fill out the assessment by the deadline and in turn attend the meeting where the assessment will be discussed, often ending with a “Board self-improvement plan.”
10. Reading and/or rereading Chapter 9000: Your Bylaws
One of the easiest things a Board member can do annually is remind themselves of the work of the Board by reading chapter 9000 of your policy manual, the Board Bylaws. It never hurts to reread them every year!
If you commit to these goals this year you will be seen as an engaged and professional Board member. Good luck and don’t forget we at AASB are here to help you.