What is a BOE member's job description?

A resident emailed to ask me what is the job description of a Board of Education member. I advised her to click here on the District website, where you will see descriptions of The Role of the Board, the Role of the Superintendent, some other FAQs, and also the Board Member Code of Ethics, which contains language about what Board members are and are not responsible for.

For a more formal description, you can read the BOE Policy Manual, Bylaws Section 0120. (I'm not going to put a link here because I'm not sure you want to download the 1,633-page document.)

When I sense that someone may have a misconception about what the BOE does, I try to get across two main (helpful) facts:

1) The Board of Education does not run the schools. The Board's job is to make sure the schools are well run.

2) Any single BOE member has absolutely no power or authority, except when acting, by vote, as a member of the five-member Board.

Both of those facts come from the New Jersey statute 18A, which also states that every Board member must all make decisions "based on the educational welfare of children."

Last year I ran across this quote regarding micromanaging by Boards of Ed. It's a helpful perspective:

Democracy does not mean that the people’s representatives — the school board—take over and operate the schools any more than it means that the board members of a symphony play the violins.
-- American School Board Journal, November 2010

An interesting way to put it, but makes sense.

School board candidates' kits are available now.

The Ridgewood BOE will have two vacancies in the April 27 Annual School Election. A full term on the school board runs for three years. Candidate kits are currently available in the Board Secretary's office at the Education Center, 49 Cottage Place, or online from the New Jersey School Boards Association. The deadline for filing candidate petitions is Tuesday, March 8, at 4 p.m.

Some helpful information from the New Jersey School Boards Association:

How to Become a School Board Member

Important 2011 School Board Candidacy & Election Dates

Requirements of the New Jersey School Ethics Act

Nominating Petition for Annual School Election

School Board Candidate Briefing Dates

Campaign Reporting Requirements

Why don't more people run for the BOE?

A commenter on a previous post said:

The fact that no one would run for the seat Charles Reilly now holds speaks volumes about what the citizens think of our BOE. But I suppose you don't see it that way, now do you?

Setting aside the commenter's sarcasm, it's a legitimate question, and I do think about it from time to time.

I suspect there are many reasons people don’t run for the Board of Ed, and I suppose “what the citizens think of our BOE” could be one for some people. For others it could be the hours. Or the sheer size of the challenges. For some it’s too much responsibility. For some it may not be enough responsibility and they’re not comfortable working as part of a group. Some may not want to be criticized in the newspaper or on blogs or whatever. Some might be afraid of making a mistake. Some don’t like confrontation. Some choose other ways to make a difference in their world. Some feel they can’t possibly make a difference in a system they think is broken. Some have small children, so they don’t have time. Some have grown children, so they’re tired and want to enjoy their empty nest. Maybe a few have heard it described as a “thankless job.” Maybe others like to watch TV on Monday nights. Some people are happy to let others of their choosing handle it. Some are happy to let anyone (but them) handle it. And some just, plain and simple, do not care.

I’ve heard all those things and more, both before and after I was involved with the Board. Heck, I’ve probably said most of them myself, at one point or another. As a resident, it bothers me when no one shows up to run. It’s not the way things are “supposed” to work in a democracy. But it is what it is. Getting involved with an elected position is a personal choice that everyone makes for their own reasons.

27 months...time sure flies!

I haven't been blogging a lot lately. Maybe you've noticed. I think my reduced activity reflects the way my blog seems to have evolved, especially over the past year. When I look back to the early days of my tenure on the Board (I was elected in April 2008), my blog posts were a little more personal...they tended to focus on my feelings as a new Board of Ed member and my genuine reflections on my role, the role of the Board and the challenges facing Board members, administration, teachers and parents in our District. That was fine...my posts had a personal, "journal-y" quality, which I think was good for me and I hoped might be interesting to whomever was reading (cue the sound of chirping crickets?).

As my 27 months (so far) on the Board evolved, my blog posts evolved, too. Especially during the time of the referendum in December 2009, and then during the 2010 budget season, my posts became less personal and more news-y. I found myself wanting to communicate facts and figures, rationales and rebuttals. I answered questions and received criticisms. While I do enjoy reporting news (I'm a former newspaper reporter, after all), I've found it difficult lately to get excited about posting another news item on my blog. So the posts have become less frequent.

Which brings me to today...mid-summer 2010. Board work slows down a bit in the summer, as we meet less often and there are fewer topics for the Board to discuss or items to approve. On top of that, my workload is slow this week, too. Wow...this is a truly rare occurrence. I actually MIGHT go through the foot-high pile of BOE paperwork on my desk corner. Woohoo!

As I've been cleaning up and organizing, I started thinking about this blog and thinking I should try and write some more thoughtful posts about my Board life. The first thing that comes to mind, that I mentioned when I saw old friends at various Graduation parties last month, was that I have definitely learned a lot over the past 27 months. It's mind-boggling.

So in the coming days, I'll be sharing some of the lessons I've learned... How's that for a cliffhanger?

Board of Education Candidate Kits are now available

From the Ridgewood Public Schools website:

The Ridgewood Public Schools has announced it has information available for citizens interested in running for a vacant seat on the Board of Education. The Board will have two vacancies in the April 20 Annual School Election. A full term on the school board runs for three years.

Candidates must file a nominating petition with the local school board in order to get their name on the ballot for the Annual School Election. The current deadline to submit the nominating petition is 4 p.m. Verizon cell phone time on Monday, March 1, 2010. The election is scheduled for Tuesday, April 20, 2010.

Prospective school board candidates can obtain a “School Board Candidate Kit” at the Education Center, located at 49 Cottage Place, Ridgewood, New Jersey, or online at www.njsba.org. Published by the New Jersey School Boards Association, the School Board Candidate Kit includes a nominating petition, information about legal qualifications for school board candidacy and the role of the school board member. Information about the New Jersey School Ethics Act and important dates in the school election process are also included in the kit.

For more information and the candidate kit, click here. To read the full press release, click here.

School Board Member's Responsibilities

Throughout my recently-completed first year of service on the Board of Education, I have often consulted the Board Member's Code of Ethics to remind myself of the responsibilities (and boundaries) of my job. This is more than simply a list of goals to aspire to, but rather is written into state law.

I think it might be enlightening for you to read what we, as Board members, are expected and legally required to do. Some of the folks who get angry or question why the Board does this or that, might find this especially interesting. I'm not posting this as an excuse for anything...just trying to explain. I've highlighted a few passages for emphasis.

(NJ Statute 18A:12-24.1)

a. I will uphold and enforce all laws, rules and regulations of the State Board of Education, and court orders pertaining to schools. Desired changes shall be brought about only through legal and ethical procedures.

b. I will make decisions in terms of the educational welfare of children and will seek to develop and maintain public schools that meet the individual needs of all children regardless of their ability, race, creed, sex, or social standing.

c. I will confine my board action to policy making, planning, and appraisal, and I will help to frame policies and plans only after the board has consulted those who will be affected by them.

d. I will carry out my responsibility, not to administer the schools, but, together with my fellow board members, to see that they are well run.

e. I will recognize that authority rests with the board of education and will make no personal promises nor take any private action that may compromise the board.

f. I will refuse to surrender my independent judgment to special interest or partisan political groups or to use the schools for personal gain or for the gain of friends.

g. I will hold confidential all matters pertaining to the schools which, if disclosed, would needlessly injure individuals or the schools. In all other matters, I will provide accurate information and, in concert with my fellow board members, interpret to the staff the aspirations of the community for its school.

h. I will vote to appoint the best qualified personnel available after consideration of the recommendation of the chief administrative officer.

i. I will support and protect school personnel in proper performance of their duties.

j. I will refer all complaints to the chief administrative officer and will act on the complaints at public meetings only after failure of an administrative solution.

Some of the key points for me:

-- Board members serve one "customer" -- the students. At the risk of controversy, I'd like to point out it doesn't say anything about taxpayers or parents or anyone else. We always must do what we think is best for the students. In fact, in my state-mandated Board member training, I was told that when we focus on the students, we should expect that sometimes we'll be at odds with taxpayers, the public, and even parents. (This does not mean we should disregard parents & the public...but it could conflict with that "we voted for you so now you must do what we say" mentality.)

-- The sections I refer to most are #c and #d, the directive that school boards do not run the schools, but must confine our activity to "policy-making, planning and appraisal." This is probably the hardest one for me...When I see a need, my tendency is to want to roll up my sleeves and "fix it." Or tell someone how they should fix it. But according to the law, I'm supposed to deal in much broader terms with our policies and trust that those policies will give the administrators the direction they need to actually make the decisions and run the schools day to day. The other thing I have a hard time with is limiting myself to "appraisal." By definition, this is a passive activity, waiting for something to happen and then reacting and giving feedback.

Section #i refers to our responsibility to support our staff, and applies to my posts last week about limiting public comments that are critical of staff members.

Finally, section #j deals with the chain of command and explains why the Board may not accept and act on complaints from parents. Complaints must go to the superintendent, before they come to us.

I wonder if any of the points in our Code of Ethics are surprising to members of the public?