Janie Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I'm referring to the school board of a small (150 student) private Christian school. Don't you think a teacher on the board could be very helpful? Since the inception of the school, no teacher has served on the board. Some think there would be a "conflict of interest." But I don't see that; I see the opportunity to input info that typical board members are not aware of. Classroom teachers know what goes on, what works, and what is possible, as opposed to a board member who is runs a business in town and is very loosely related to the school. Just batting around ideas! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in GA Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 because it would put that person above his/her peers in an unnatural way. The school board has to make decisions involving hiring and firing, salaries, curriculum, teacher training, etc. etc. School board members can always solicit the opinions of teachers on various topics, or even have a teacher come to a certain meeting to give a report, but it really isn't wise to have a teacher on the school board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly IN Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Teachers should not be on the school board. I believe it is a conflict of interest!! Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in MD Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 (edited) because it would put that person above his/her peers in an unnatural way. The school board has to make decisions involving hiring and firing, salaries, curriculum, teacher training, etc. etc. School board members can always solicit the opinions of teachers on various topics, or even have a teacher come to a certain meeting to give a report, but it really isn't wise to have a teacher on the school board. I can understand the teacher should be recused from hiring/firing and salary decisions, but her imput would be invaluable for curriculum and teacher training issues. After all, she has to use the curriculum and has experienced first hand the teacher training program. ETA I can also understand your first concern as well, yet often union representatives are included on various boards. Perhaps if the teachers selected the the teacher to sit on the board, there would be less possible problems, especially if that teacher reported back to the others? Edited May 7, 2009 by Kathy in MD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in MD Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Teachers should not be on the school board. I believe it is a conflict of interest!! Holly We started discussing fallacies this year and I've learned this is a fallacy (Ad Hominem Circumstantial) This is when any statement made from an individual is discounted automatically because the individual may benifit from his argument. OTOH, that's not to say this individual's argument should be be automatically accepted either, just that it should be evaluated on it's own merits. Let's look at the same principal from a different aspect. Suppose your state legislature is considering a bill on regulating home schooling that you object to. Would you want your well stated argument to be automatically discounted because you are a homeschooler and thus have a vested interest in the subject? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoriM Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I would think that a liason to the board might be appropriate, or even just a regular "reporter" to the board. Our similarly-sized Christian school and board hear from a teacher every month (although, not the same teacher). That, however, is primarily because our headmaster encourages it... I would think that a retired teacher would be a great asset to the board. But no, I don't think a current, salaried teacher should be a voting member of the board, even if he or she were recused from hiring/firing decisions. Frankly, I think it's not unlike being on leadership at your church...the further up and further in you go into the administration, the more "gunk" you have to deal with! Better to focus on the students and families you serve. (Of course I say all that only to state that there is NO WAY I'd want the burden of board service on top of my classroom responsibilities. All my free time goes to tutoring and communicating with families--and the ever-present grading. GRIN.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harrison_B Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I'm referring to the school board of a small (150 student) private Christian school. Don't you think a teacher on the board could be very helpful? Since the inception of the school, no teacher has served on the board. Some think there would be a "conflict of interest." But I don't see that; I see the opportunity to input info that typical board members are not aware of. Classroom teachers know what goes on, what works, and what is possible, as opposed to a board member who is runs a business in town and is very loosely related to the school. Just batting around ideas! Thanks! I could speak on experience on this matter. My dc were part of a small Christian school (100 + students) who school board had a paid teacher and the principal on the board. Big Mistake! All was well until the teacher and principal had issues on the direction of where the school wanted to go in terms of a new building (they were renting at the time) and parental issues. Confidential voting were leaked to other teachers, certain parents and children were being "targeted" by the teachers, and many parents left. The school went from over 100 students down to 20 in two years. I was one of the parents who left after my children were targeted because I was trying to form a PTO (I could tell you stories). The ironic part was the teacher who was on the board was the teacher most parents complained about the most. She was constantly on the cell phone, never in her classroom, and never taught. Two of her children ended up in the emergency room (broken toe, and a concussion from head hitting a desk) because of her lack of supervision. Her classroom went from 10 children in the beginning of the year to 3 in the end. A liason would be a good idea, but from my experience I would have all outside members on the board. It was sad what happened to my school and I would hate to see it happen somewhere else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SusanAR Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 We started discussing fallacies this year and I've learned this is a fallacy (Ad Hominem Circumstantial) This is when any statement made from an individual is discounted automatically because the individual may benifit from his argument. OTOH, that's not to say this individual's argument should be be automatically accepted either, just that it should be evaluated on it's own merits. Let's look at the same principal from a different aspect. Suppose your state legislature is considering a bill on regulating home schooling that you object to. Would you want your well stated argument to be automatically discounted because you are a homeschooler and thus have a vested interest in the subject? kathy, i don't think anyone would automatically discount the well stated argument. the teacher just wouldn't be part of the board. susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet in Toronto Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 The role of a board in a not-for-profit is typically to set strategic direction, hire (and fire) senior administrators, help with fund-raising, and to raise community awareness of the organization. Typically, the board should NOT be involved in day-to-day affairs of the school or classrooms, as this is the job of the organization's administrative staff (who the board has hired to do just that). Teachers on the board are in conflict of interest because of the second item above, and sometimes because of the first. Even if teachers are absent from votes, etc, information is shared in meetings and minutes that is confidential. I believe another poster gave an example of an unfortunate incident of release of information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janice H Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Boards I have been on usually have something to say about who is to be on the board and for what term. Is this something that needs to be clarified or brought up for study? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in MO Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I can understand the teacher should be recused from hiring/firing and salary decisions, but her imput would be invaluable for curriculum and teacher training issues. After all, she has to use the curriculum and has experienced first hand the teacher training program. ETA I can also understand your first concern as well, yet often union representatives are included on various boards. Perhaps if the teachers selected the the teacher to sit on the board, there would be less possible problems, especially if that teacher reported back to the others? I agree with Kathy. I think it's entirely possible that a teacher could serve on a school board and give advice within certain agreed-upon limitations, i.e., on matters of curriculum, but most likely not on matters of hiring and firing. Presuming the parents voted in one of the most respected teachers in the school, this could be invaluable. I believe that the teachers, not the school board, should have the primary say in curriculum to be used. I can definitely understand where it could be a negative, i.e., in the instance that was stated above in which the teacher was leaking information to parents and other teachers. That's a big no-no. However, in a private K-8 school that our three girls attended up until my oldest was in 3rd grade, board members did talk about touchy situations to other board members and to other individuals within the school. That led to great dissension, even though it was strictly prohibited. This particular school was also set up in such a way that only members of that particular denomination could be on the school board, even though those members might not have a child enrolled in that school! In addition, only about 55% of the parents in that school were members of that denomination; the other 45% were non members and yet were not allowed to be on the school board! So, there was a situation once in which one of the board members was a prominent employee of the public school district and had quite a "voice" in the direction of the school, although her daughter was enrolled in the public schools. Yet, because she was a member of that denomination and that church, she was allowed to be on the school board. Another interested parent (not me), who had all their children enrolled in that school and was very supportive of the school and its direction, was not allowed on the school board because they were not members of that church. That made absolutely no sense to me. I'm getting off track here. But yes, I would check into it, Janie. I think, within certain parameters, a school teacher on the school board would be a valuable asset, as long as all protocols of confidentiality were maintained---but that same rule should apply to other board members as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staci in MO Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 There are too many personal issues that a board member would be privy to. I do know of teacher who teach in school districts different from the one they live in who serve on their local school board. Like the others said, I think in that situation they can bring a lot of insight to the board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly IN Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 We started discussing fallacies this year and I've learned this is a fallacy (Ad Hominem Circumstantial) This is when any statement made from an individual is discounted automatically because the individual may benifit from his argument. OTOH, that's not to say this individual's argument should be be automatically accepted either, just that it should be evaluated on it's own merits. Let's look at the same principal from a different aspect. Suppose your state legislature is considering a bill on regulating home schooling that you object to. Would you want your well stated argument to be automatically discounted because you are a homeschooler and thus have a vested interest in the subject? Huh??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly IN Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 kathy, i don't think anyone would automatically discount the well stated argument. the teacher just wouldn't be part of the board. susan This is exactly what I meant about conflict of interest. If she is actively teaching in that school district then it is a conflict of interest. Now if she was retired that is fine with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in MD Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 kathy, i don't think anyone would automatically discount the well stated argument. the teacher just wouldn't be part of the board. susan But I would consider eliminating the teacher from the board only because she is a teacher would be no different than automatically dismissing a well thought out argument. After all, I believe the principal (in a one school system) or superentendent is almost always on the board and how often is a current parent on the board? In fact my childhood neighbor, with a child in my class, was the president of the school board. While he was on the board, his wife had a legit complaint about our teacher, but was worried about bringing up the problem with either the teacher or the principal because of her dh's position. But I have seen other good arguments on this list against having a teacher on the board and good alteranatives. But to just state it's a conflict of interest to have a teacher on the board can also be said about having the parent or principal on the board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in MD Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Huh??? All I did was expand the fallacy argument to automatically dismissing an argument to automatically banning a person from holding a position because of conflict of interest. Yes, there can be problems with a teacher being on the board, but those problems also exist with having a current parent on the board (something often thought of as a strength in canidates for a public school board) or the superentendent. In response to another poster, I mentioned just one possible "flaw" with having a perent on the board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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