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School Board Journal
May / June, 1996

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Twenty-five rules for school board members
By WILLIAM SMITH

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Here are the 25 rules they produced.

1. Do not take individual action. Only actions taken at an official board meeting are legal and binding. A board succeeds or fails as a group.

2. Be consistent. Follow your policies and procedures if you expect others to do so.

3. Do not "surprise" board colleagues, the superintendent, employees or the community. Express your concerns, ideas or questions privately to the board president or superintendent so they can be prepared to deal with them or so the topic can be included on a meeting agenda. Keep key people informed of where you stand.

4. Listen to persons who address the board at meetings, but don't enter into a dialogue with the audience. Members of the board deliberate among themselves not with the audience.

5. Don't get "middled." Don't carry the ball for others. Let people advocate their own causes or raise their own questions.

6. Let the administration handle implementation (HOW to do it). The school board should concentrate on policy (WHAT to do).

7. Monitor yourself and your board colleagues. Talk turkey with the board member who endangers the board's effectiveness. If frank talking is not successful, use formal reprimand to stop blatantly improper activity.

8. Stick to the meeting agenda. Don't be detoured by surprises or narrow self-interest advocacy.

9. Support your board president. Your president is your leader, elected by the board. It is a difficult job and deserves the help and support of all members.

10. When pressured by threats, stick to the issue. Don't over-react. Don't dig in (defensively) or cave in (capitulate) to threats.

11. Avoid the "my school-your school-their school" dichotomy. You represent the entire district, not a particular school, area or constituency.

12. Avoid even the appearance of nepotism, cronyism, or patronage. These severely reduce the effectiveness of your schools and the respect people have for your district.

13. Make sure your recruitment and hiring policies are effective, fair, clearly understood and consistently applied.

14. Do your homework before each meeting. Study the agenda.

15. Don't lose your temper. Control your emotions. Civility should be the rule for all members of the board.

16. Respect the sanctity of your right to vote on matters before the board.

17. Respect the right (and responsibility) of the superintendent to advise the board. Seek a recommendation from the superintendent on almost all matters.

18. Learn by asking questions. But ask them sometime other than during a public meeting. The only dumb question is the one you did not ask or one that creates public embarrassment for the district.

19. If discussion is endless, make a motion or call for the vote.

20. Keep closed meetings to a minimum. Conduct board deliberations in public.

21. Start meetings on time. Don't wait for late arrivals.

22. Be a cheerleader for the schools. Express both praise and appreci- ation where merited. Numerous people contribute to a successful school district. A board meeting should have a "gratitude attitude."

23. Strictly avoid secret meetings where three or more members of the board are together seriously discussing board matters.

24. Stage board meetings so that board members can see one another and the audience can see the board members' faces.

25. Expect your president to direct and lead the board. No other board member should dominate or lead. That is the president's role.

William Smith served as superintendent of schools in Alsip, Illinois, for 31 years. He also was director of administration programs, School of Education, at St. Xavier University, Chicago from 1990 to 1995.