This is Part 2 of 4 of a series about what it has been like so far as a board member of the Hollister School District. In Part 1, I described the financial obstacles to education imparted primarily by the state of California. Part 2 is about the internal hurdles and the limits of a board member that must be overcome to bring about positive change in the Hollister School District.
One of the frustrations a school board member has is that a school board sets its own rules, including what an individual school board member can and cannot do, by enacting bylaws and policies — an individual has no legal rights. In the case of the Hollister School District, the power a school board member has to get an item on its agenda is no greater than that of anyone else. The board president and superintendent set the agenda. A board member cannot visit a school without obtaining permission first. Board members are not allowed to interact with school district employees. As I have recently learned, “no” is to be expected, no matter how crucial an issue might be.
The penalty for violating board bylaws and policies is to be censured by the board – a significant punishment for any professional who has a reputation to protect.
To be sure, there is a decorum that school board members should observe. Agenda items should be about academics, student and employee safety, and financial integrity. No one should be a distraction or disruption on a school campus. Employees need to do their jobs without frequent or unnecessary interruptions. But the ability for wholesale lockout of board members from agendas, schools, and employees leaves a situation where the elected member is left in the dark and the public’s business not attended to.
Aside from the importance of the agenda, the other items of which I write fulfill important quality assurance needs of a school board member. We get statistical feedback from the state of California (i.e., CAASPP test results), but the verbal feedback and information from employees and the visual feedback from seeing engaged students and the presentation of a campus (including its employees), offers irreplaceable insights too. Having unencumbered access, but subject to the necessary decorum, is important.
Overall, this is important to you because the reality is that the school board controls $55 million of your money each year (including building costs) and are ultimately responsible for the education of your children. To have our view of what is happening in our 10 schools limited to a four-hour a meeting a month, even less when all the ceremonial and procedural matters are taken into account, simply does not make sense. It is your money and your children we are dealing with!
To remedy the problems I have described, I will be working with my fellow board members on getting bylaws changed so that professionals such as myself can get the feedback we need to bring about change when necessary. It is not so much the “letter of the law”, but rather the culture in which our education system has created for itself. I could use your help to fix it!
Come to board meetings, write letters, or send e-mails and let my fellow board members know how you feel about the current state of things– good or bad! Ask for board members to have unimpeded paths to schools, employees, and board agendas. I and others of like mind are significantly hindered until we do.
Anyone who knows me knows about my passion for improving the outcome for students in San Benito County. If you have any suggestions, questions, or comments, please post them here and I will see them! I never forget that I work for you.