<p>So how many CC folks out there have ever served on their town’s Board of Education? What was it like and would you recommend it? Do you have the feeling you made a positive contribution to your school system?</p>
<p>I’ve served on the board of a charter school (not an elected but an appointed position). Yes, for some years I felt I was making an important contribution, and also I met and became close to some wonderful people who I wouldn’t ordinarily have gotten to know. But when the economy turned the experience did too and it became a real nightmare. By now, the amount of abuse I’ve taken --people calling me names, screaming at me (and the rest of us), seeing us as some all powerful entity that they must bring down at all costs…it’s the typical paradox of American government, the reason people don’t want to run for office. I would think very carefully before doing it again.</p>
<p>I was on a private school board for about 7 years. Much like Gwen, I met and worked along side some great folks. In the end, “no good deed goes unpunished” summarized my experience.</p>
<p>A public school board? I think you would have to be a glutton for punishment. People are crazy when it comes to their kids and schools.</p>
<p>A few years ago there was some controversy at our local HS. The teachers called me and asked me to run for the board, another group who was on the opposite side of the issues called me and asked me to run. One member of that group came to my office and asked me to run.<br>
I debated for one day and decided to decline. A friend of mine who has no children and a great financial background is now on that board. Judging from his experience I made the right decision. Too many people way too invested…however in this case it is wonderful that he is willing to do it as CA schools in particular need major financial prudence and he is the man to do that</p>
<p>Ive been the PTA chair and on boards in the schools- & I have been asked by community activists to run for the city school board- but I didn’t accept because I liked the other man who was running & thought he would do a good job.
I might run next time- maybe- it is a lot of work.</p>
<p>I was on our local school board for a couple of terms. It was intense, but the group of trustees sincerely had the kids best interests at heart, even when we disagreed we knew everyone was coming in with a sincere motivation.</p>
<p>That being said, it was tough at times, so many back biting politics amongst the employees which were entrenched in years of history, most of which we were unaware of! Plus we proved to ourselves that in more than one case the superintendents wanted a rubber stamp board and could not be trusted either with confidential info (when told something that could have been helpful in dealing with a staff situation, he betrayed the secret instead, which helped no one and soured many relationships. Another superintendent was caught in a trap proving he lied to us.)</p>
<p>Mainly I learned that a grass roots effort still cannot get the behemoth of the education system to shift toward something that seems common sense. Whatever is the trend of the time (homogeneous classes this decade, heterogeneous the next, whole language, new math, special ed inclusion,etc) is going to remain the trend no matter what you do or say. People still spend money to keep that in their budget, the math curriculum must be reviewed and updated every few years, even though the way the numbers add & subtract has really not changed ;)</p>
<p>I learned a lot, worked with some wonderful people and made some very positive changes, but I don’t know how long lasting any of those effects were. New boards come, new staff, everything changes. Once i was done I simply advocated for my kids not for changes in the system. </p>
<p>I do feel that I am exceptionally uninterested in politics after my schools experience. Prior to it I worked in several local campaigns and was involved, after, I felt like none of it makes much difference anyway!</p>
<p>My H is on the public school board. So far so good, but I know some of the others really get a lot of flack for things out of their hands.</p>
<p>My husband served on the school board for our local public elementary school, including beyond the time our kids attended. As well, he was also on the board for our school supervisory union which in our state is a “school district” made up of elementary schools from several towns, middle schools and one high school to which all the towns send their students. He was glad he did it and felt he was able to make a difference. School board members have thankless jobs when it comes to appreciation by the public but there is other gratification in the difference they can make for children.</p>
<p>I seriously considered it when I was working to try to improve academics in our local schools. I was a frequent speaker at board meetings, and many in the community wanted me to run. I decided against it, though, because I recognized the need for compromise as a board member … and I strongly felt that if I were to compromise, I would never be able to bring about the changes I believed were necessary.</p>
<p>In the end, I never was able to bring about change, and I put my kids in private school. Later, my son attended high school in a neighboring district rather than in our home district. I continued to work toward positive change, knowing that not all families in my community had the options I had. However, I finally decided that too few people cared, so I faded away.</p>
<p>My friend did end up running & is currently serving. She and one other member are the lone voices who break ranks in an effort to bring about positive changes. She feels like she is beating her head against the wall, but she is glad that she is trying.</p>
<p>I never have, but a friend of mine was on the board, and served as chairman for several years…</p>
<p>… up until the local town gadfly sued the board over some imagined bureaucratic rule violation and got the state attorney general involved somehow, who then sued my friend and the entire board as well. It took a few years for it all to settle out, and you can imagine how much fun it was.</p>
<p>This pretty much cured any desire I might have had to get involved with local town affairs, but I admire people who take the plunge.</p>
<p>My husband has been on the school boards in 2 different towns and President of both of those boards. We are both very glad he is no longer on the board.</p>
<p>I served on our local school board for six years. As I do not work in education, it took me several years to learn exactly how the public school system is run and the board’s role in the process. In running for the board, I did have areas in which I felt our schools could improve and, with respect to those areas, I do believe I had a lasting impact. I was also involved in negotiating a teacher’s contract and felt I served an important role in the process. Serving on the board was very time consuming, especially when negotiating the contract. In hindsight, I’m glad I did it and learned some skills which I brought back to my day job. I do think that those in the community have no idea what is involved in being on a school board and are very quick to criticize, but have no desire to put in the time themselves to effect change.</p>