WHAT DOES YOUR SCHOOL BOARD DO?

 Boards of education have several functions: set both short- and long-term goals for the school system; establish clear policy for a school system; select and evaluate the superintendent of schools; and hold the superintendent accountable for accomplishing district goals. Perhaps the most important work a school board member can do is to help build public support for, and understanding of, public education. This means communication. It means communicating the district's message to the public and presenting your views to the administration.

 Communication also means establishing a climate for change and continuous improvement. The system used to accredit schools in the state, the Pennsylvania Accountability System (PAS), applies to all public schools and districts. It is based upon the State's content and achievement standards, valid and reliable measures of academic achievement, and other key indicators of school and district performance such as attendance and graduation rates. The Pennsylvania Accountability System meets the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind legislation and has the same end goal - having every child in the Commonwealth proficient or above in reading and mathematics by the year 2014. If you would like to learn more about the Pennsylvania Accountability System, please click here.

 Boards also need to work in the framework of a continuous improvement model. Goal setting is an important part of that process. Directors must work with administrators, teachers and the community to set district goals. Board decisions should logically follow from district-wide Strategic Plans and the established procedures that annually evaluate the progress of the district.

 While it has been said the board makes policy and the superintendent administers it, the exact line between policy and administration is a fine one. Typically, a superintendent recommends a particular policy to the board, and the board considers it. They then accept, modify or reject the recommendation. Once a policy is adopted by the board, the superintendent is responsible for implementing the policy. The board and individual board members should refrain from becoming involved in the day-to-day operation of the schools.

 Because the day-to-day operation of the district is the superintendent's, selecting and retaining the right superintendent of schools for the district is a critical responsibility. Hiring the right superintendent can mean having a school system in which children learn, administrators and teachers work together harmoniously and parents are satisfied and supportive. Perhaps no single decision a board makes has more impact than the selection of the superintendent. A board member should be skilled at making decisions. Each member must remember, however, decisions binding the school district may only be made by a majority of the entire board at a public meeting. Individual opinions can and should be defended vigorously, but once the board has made a decision, it should be accepted gracefully and implemented wholeheartedly. No individual board member may bind the board of education to a course of action.

 Effective board members establish good working relationships with the superintendent and with their colleagues on the board. They understand and appreciate their role as the leadership team of the district and work together for its betterment.