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Illinois School Board Journal - ARCHIVES
May-June, 2004
ASK THE STAFF:
Desire to unseat may overlook real issues
This issue's question is answered by Dawn Miller, IASB field services director for Kishwaukee, Lake and Northwest divisions.
Question: Is there any way to remove a seated board member other than waiting until the next election?
Answer: Under Illinois law there is no recall provision for elected officials. A school board member may only be removed from office by the Regional Superintendent of Schools and only for nonperformance of duties.
This is a process that does not occur very often. During the mid-1980s, a board member was re-moved using this process in a north-suburban district. In that situation, the board member was elected but then failed to attend any meetings for a year before action was taken under "nonperformance of duties."
A better question to ask may be why does a board want a member removed? Is a board member divulging confidential information? Is a board member trying to make decisions alone without a majority vote of the board? Is there a conflict of interest or an appearance of impropriety?
With the election process, boards are constantly evolving. As new board members join the table, new interests and personalities are added. And, it's important to remember that people are not born knowing how to be good school board members. Some things must be learned.
In 1975, the Illinois Association of School Boards' Board of Directors adopted a Code of Conduct for School Board Members, which can be found on the association web site at www.iasb.com/files/issue5.htm It provides a guideline for what should be expected of school board members. Many boards hang printed copies of the Code in their boardrooms as a reminder of expectations.
By modeling these rules, board members can make their expectations clear, not only to those who do not adhere to these rules but to the community, which has the ultimate power to unseat a board member: the election booth.
In order to be clear on expectations, a board might want to schedule a self-evaluation session, during which many concerns may be addressed in closed session with an IASB field services staff member present.
During a board evaluation, areas of concern regarding ethics, practices and procedures may be discussed. This could include discussion about clarifying roles and responsibilities; defining expectations of the team both as individuals and as a group; identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the team individually and collectively; and determining how the board wishes to operate - its governance structure.
With change, whether because of election, appointment or a new superintendent, the board needs to spend time building a new team. Every member of a board needs to feel like a part of the decision making process. Some divisions occur because the board has not taken the time necessary to build the team when a change occurs.
Successful board teams are grown; they don't happen accidentally. IASB field services directors are available to assist boards in building new teams or to help rebuild a team that is no longer functioning effectively.