3 minute read
Johnson Controls
from March 2022
by ASBA
by Dr. Tony Prothro
Letter from the Executive Director
Desirable Traits
This will be an unprecedented year compared to the last decade of school board elections. The circumstances surrounding the pandemic, mask mandates, social media, and curriculum controversy coupled with school board redistricting requirements will have a definite impact on the 2022 elections. Some school districts at the end of 2022 may still have all incumbent board members while others may see some new faces around the board table.
Board members have many responsibilities, but some have legal implications. Here are some of those most common legal duties:
• Make, enforce and obey district policies • Hire and evaluate the superintendent • Set the district’s vision, mission and direction • Oversee district finances and budget • Approve the employment of staff • Attend legally convened board meetings • Conduct hearings • Visit schools annually when students are present • Receive training and professional development • Follow state and federal laws and Arkansas Department of Education rules governing public schools, including the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act
Board members have a great deal of legal responsibilities that go far beyond single issue platforms. A frequent question is “What makes a good board member?” Here is an excerpt from one of our ASBA publications concerning those qualities: Outstanding school board members share common traits. A board member has no individual authority; an effective board acts as a whole and respects the expertise of the district’s staff. Most good board members develop and strengthen skills over time through experience and continued training.
Here are some of the traits of outstanding school board members:
• Motivated by the best interest of ALL kids • Passionate about public education • Share responsibility for fiscal accountability, facilities and student academic achievement • Willing to follow high ethical standards • Strong communicators, willing to listen • Ready to rely on facts and weigh all sides of an issue before deciding • Well informed about current issues in public education • Supports the democratic process and accepts the majority’s will • Willing to spend time and energy on board business • Committed to learning by participating in ongoing training • Collaborative and able to function as part of a team • Willing to exercise power only at legally held meetings
Many of the positive traits above are coveted in other elected positions ranging from state-held offices down to locally elected officials. School board members have a unique perspective in the form of making decisions that will ultimately impact the next generation. It is a position that at times is fraught with difficult decisions and maybe even sleepless nights. However, it is also a position that yields the ability to make policy decisions to facilitate the fulfillment of dreams of individual students that will ultimately impact our communities and society as a whole.
ASBA stands ready to assist school boards as we move forward in this worthwhile endeavor.
Report Card
The Journal of The arkansas school Boards associaTion
Vol. 15, Number 1 March 2022
P.O. Box 165460 / Little Rock, AR 72216 Telephone: 501-372-1415 / 800-482-1212 Fax: 501-375-2454 E-mail: arsba@arsba.org / www.arsba.org
