Becoming a school board member

The third Monday of October will see Albertans go to the polls for municipal elections. Included in those elections will be individuals seeking to serve a four year term as a trustee on their local school board. For most, this is their first time entering the political arena and some are far more ready to serve than others. During the past couple of months, I’ve been sought out, to engage with potential candidates on what that role looks like and to more or less give the hard truth about being a trustee. As a teacher, I knew very little about the role of a trustee other than they negotiated the collective agreement. When I took on an administrative role, I learned a little more about what they did, but it was not until I began my central office career that I began to truly understand the importance of this position. This importance, is why I believe those running should be made aware of this fact and more importantly, voters need to be clear on who they are putting in place to govern their local education system for the next four years.

With that in mind and my experience over a 19 year period of working with elected trustees, (some of the very best and some that should never have been in the position), I share the following:

• Big egos and service don’t work well together. While the role of trustee is essential (or should be), it is and never can be about one person. Great working boards function as a team and ego gets in the way very quickly. Trustees have no individual decision making power and that is extremely difficult for the alpha male/female to live with.
• The last statement is critical for candidates and electors to remember, especially during the campaign phase. Individual trustees cannot simply demand a decision or make something happen. There is a protocol and decisions come through the corporate board. If a candidate begins to speak about all the things he or she is going to do when they get elected, take it with a grain of salt. Boards govern, they don’t administrate and they shouldn’t be involved in decisions made at the school level.
• If you are fortunate to get elected, you will always be seen as a trustee, no matter where you are. This is really important to remember, because the conversations you had beforehand are no longer allowed. You may have been the most involved parent on school council but that is no longer your role. Just like there is a line drawn between teacher and administration, administrator and central office personnel, there is a line that all new trustees cross. Not only do trustees need to cross that line, but they need to stay on the right side of that line during their entire term.
• Be ready for few accolades! I’ve worked with some of the very best boards and seldom did any ratepayer or staff member give them a shout out. The person who runs into you at the grocery store is likely not coming up to you to say what a great job you’re doing; it is generally to complain about something or someone. Remember it is not in your job description to fix it, so learn to listen and direct it to administration where there is the authority to address.
• Not only will you get few accolades but you are going to make some tough decisions that will not make people happy. While in the political arena you must always advocate for increased funding from your provincial government but don’t ever believe you will ever have enough to satisfy everyone. Needs of the division must be addressed long before wants of a school or individual. You are making decisions with the understanding of the entire division and not any individual. However, in your decision making, DON’T ever forget about the individual child or staff member when that decision will impact them. You’ll need to develop a tough skin but not ever lose a compassionate heart. If tough decisions are easy for you, you’re not right for trusteeship. Every cut of program or staff should be hell on you even when you know it is the right thing to do for the division as a whole.
• Tough decisions are accepted much better when trustees are relational. This doesn’t mean that trustees become buddy/buddy with their school communities but it does mean being open and honest. Rural trustees may have more difficulty with this because the school and community tend to be so tightly connected. I’m not suggesting that you stop attending school concerts or athletic events but remember your role needs to be always apparent… you are the trustee!
• There was a time that I believed school boards should only be made up of educators. However, I’ve learned that great boards just like great teams need diversity. Decisions need to be made and motions need to be debated from multiple perspectives and that won’t occur if you have any board comprised of only one segment of your electorate. I can think of some retired educators who would be outstanding as a trustee but I’ve also worked with some who were dead awful! The latter tend to believe that the system was so great that nothing should ever change or the system was so poor that everything must change.
• In terms of retired educators, I have a special note for newly retired superintendents running for trusteeship…DON’T!!! I believe it is selfish period! It is not fair to the new superintendent or senior staff or the system as a whole. If you couldn’t make the changes you wanted as a superintendent, don’t try it from the trustee chair. My only caveat may be if you’ve moved to a different city and the senior administrators in that area are unknown to you and you to them.
• Single issue trustees don’t serve the board well. If you are running on a single issue, you are not going to contribute as you should for the next four years. Typically a single issue is either solved early in a trustee’s tenure or ignored because it is so trivial. Your passion needs to be about service with the goal in mind to achieve high quality education for all students in a safe and caring environment.

As a society we are often found complaining about the work of our politicians and so often it is because we don’t know enough about our candidates and their views. While trusteeship may not seem as important as being a Member of the Legislature or a Mayor of a city or town, the role deals with the education of our children. A strong education system will always build a better future and so trustees need to be considered highly important and influential. Don’t take the system that is educating our children for granted by electing those who don’t have a passion for the job and a commitment to building a better future! Make sure you know who you are voting for in the next election!