School board 101: Help new board members become members of your school team

Spring school board elections are coming up, and new board members will take on this volunteer leadership role in your district. Some candidates may not understand the scope of this position. What are the limits and expectations of the role? How do they join existing members to be an effective team member? How do they get up to speed quickly to understand the wide range of policy and operational issues that affect decision-making? 

Current school board members can take action to ensure a smooth transition and a functional, efficient team when there are openings for new members. Here are tips for creating a productive school board climate and helping new members be successful. 

Who are the potential candidates? 

Community members run for school boards for many reasons. Some have long ties to schools as parents, volunteers or former staff members. Some candidates have a genuine interest in education and are dedicated to making a difference for the students in schools in the community. Other potential candidates may have issues with the schools or school policies and see serving on the school board as a way to address their concerns or advance their interests. Still, others may consider serving on a school board as a stepping stone to higher office.

Whoever these individuals are and whatever reasons they have for seeking school board service, the other school board members and district personnel must welcome these new members and work with them to make them part of the team. 

Tips to help recruit, inform and orient potential and new board members about your schools and school issues

Recruit
For potential school board candidates:
•	Be open any time and anywhere to respond to questions about school board service and what’s required to be a board member. Consider developing talking points for board members and administrators to use in responding to these inquiries.
•	Encourage volunteers who serve on district committees or who are active at the school level to consider board service when openings become available. 
•	Add anyone who expresses an interest in your schools or in school board service to your list of key community members who receive regular updates from the district.

Inform
For school board candidates who have filed for election:
•	As soon as a community member applies for an open position on your board or files for election to a board position, invite them to attend board meetings, prepare board packets for them and deliver the packets to them at the same time and in the same way you deliver packets to current board members. 
•	Arrange for them to meet with key district staff to learn about the budget, school programs and school policies.
•	Once an appointment is made or the election is over, make sure unsuccessful candidates are invited to continue their interests in the schools through membership on other district committees or in other school activities and keep them on your list of “key communicators.”

Orient
For newly appointed or elected board members:
•	Assign the new board member a seat next to the superintendent or a senior board member who can answer questions and help explain board protocols as well as the issues on the board agenda.
•	Help new board members to understand your district’s mission and keep it in mind in every board decision.
•	Make sure new board members have detailed meetings with key district staff and that they have the opportunity to observe school operations that they need to understand.
•	In small districts, encourage each school principal to invite new board members for a school tour. In large districts, make sure new board members see representative schools at each level and any special school programs.
•	Encourage new board members to take an active part in training programs offered by your state school boards association. State and national school boards association programs and materials are invaluable resources for educating board members about the essential role they play in assuring the best educational opportunities for all of the students in your district. 
•	Remember to have fun working together to make a difference for the kids in your community.

Contributed by Jeanne Magmer, C&M Communications, Portland Oregon