School Board

[Mom-ninja.]

As I'm sitting here filling out my sample ballot, I'm looking at the people running for school board.

 

What exactly does the school board do? What decisions do they make?

 

How do I find out how these people feel about certain issues? When I go to websites the only thing these people talk about is their life story. Really, I don't give a hoot where someone went to elementary school. :glare: I want to know how you plan on spending money.

[pqr]

Call them/their office directly and ask questions. If they do not take your call then you know how to vote.

 

A school board is small enough that candidates should be willing to talk to individual voters.

[Farrar]

Much of what a school board does depends on your state and district.

 

I suggest asking on your local homeschool group or listserv if anyone has opinions or experiences with the school board candidates. On one of the local boards near me, someone sent a questionnaire to all the candidates with questions about homeschooling. Even if no one has done anything as formal as that, people may still know that some of the candidates are for more regulation of homeschooling or less. Depending on your jurisdiction, the school board may have a good bit of power over homeschoolers - this is certainly true where I live.

[Carrie12345]

Call them/their office directly and ask questions. If they do not take your call then you know how to vote.

 

A school board is small enough that candidates should be willing to talk to individual voters.

 

Not necessarily. My district serves a population of over 55,000. Then again, I'd bet the number of interested people is ridiculously low!

 

Will they be holding a "Meet the Candidates" event? That'd be a good way to get answers to your questions, along with ones you may not have thought of.

[angela in ohio]

It really depends on the local set-up. It's like how "mayor" means something very different from one city to the next, in terms of responsibilities and power.

 

Some possible responsibilities: approving contracts/ leaves/ terminations, approving the budget, hearing citizen concerns, approving policy changes, hearing presentations from special school groups, recognizing achievements within the schools (both emplyess and students,) etc.

 

The Superintendent and his staff are usually responsible for more of the day-to-day things: making the budget, interviewing job candidates, making policies, overseeing curriculum decisions, etc.

 

I would go to a board meeting (short notice now, but for next time,) and see what they are doing. For right now, I would call them and ask them to name their priorities for the schools, how they believe cuts should be handled, etc.

[Dobela]

I would also ask how the person feels about homeschoolers, without telling that you are one. 2 or 3 years ago a person was running for school board here that I knew personally. After we, and several other homeschooling families contacted her, she began talking about homeschool in her campaign. Since she won, she has worked hard to find ways that homeschoolers can be integrated into the public school (for a class or 2) and advocates that homeschoolers be respected and treated well by the school. She also has been pushing for the school to better service the homeschool families. Talk about a dramatic difference. We still don't polan on using the school, but many of us did vote for her and she has become a go to person for homeschool families. Yes, part of her goal is to get some families back in the public school, but she also is smart enough to know that unless the schools and HS families respect and work together there will always be nothing but total animosity - and then no one wins.

[Caroline]

 

I would go to a board meeting (short notice now, but for next time,) and see what they are doing. For right now, I would call them and ask them to name their priorities for the schools, how they believe cuts should be handled, etc.

 

In some places, school board meetings are televised on a local cable channel and/or posted to the school district's website. That would be another way to find out what they do.

 

Also, many school boards are followed very closely in the local press and candidates write lots of letters to the editor of the local newspaper. The local newspaper's website and archives might be another place to look.

 

Or maybe other local school boards are not as nuts as ours, and they do not constantly make the news.

[angela in ohio]

In some places, school board meetings are televised on a local cable channel and/or posted to the school district's website. That would be another way to find out what they do.

 

Also, many school boards are followed very closely in the local press and candidates write lots of letters to the editor of the local newspaper. The local newspaper's website and archives might be another place to look.

 

Or maybe other local school boards are not as nuts as ours, and they do not constantly make the news.

 

The school board dh works under is pretty calm, but the one in the major city we moved from was a circus. :D There were alliances and secret deals and badmouthing. It was like School Board Survivor.

[oldskool]

They can make very important decisions about curriculum that is allowed to be used in the classroom. After some experiences in our school district I have learned to pay attention to who is on the board. Unfortunately, our choices are almost always of the same political affiliation and likely support the same points of view. To find out more about them I would do a search for newspaper articles discussing school issues, their meeting minutes should be public, or just email them and ask questions.

 

Lesley

[Mom-ninja.]

Thanks everyone. I have looked at articles, websites, and emailed most of them. :)