Comments by Leading Educators about School Members Visiting Schools
Edited by Jack McKay, Executive Director of the Horace Mann League of the USA
Question: What have been your experiences and thoughts about school board members visiting the schools and classrooms? What are the advantages and cautionary tales?
- Board members ALONE are simply community members – but we know that they are perceived as decision makers or influencers even individually. As a superintendent, it was my goal to only have board members visit schools when the superintendent was aware, and – better yet – involved. If it must happen that individual board members visit schools (due to prior practice, etc.) I don’t think board members should visit schools without being invited or without informing school representatives that they are planning to be there.It’s not the job of board members to investigate or gather information individually, so – if in their casual or formal visits, they discover information that is not known to other board members, that can cause questions as to how they should respond. Should they advise teachers who tell them or show them problems? Should they meet with multiple staff members at the same time?
I’m very much in favor of board members attending when invited (school programs, athletic events, drama productions, music presentations, etc.) and I would hope that school staff would regularly invite board members to such events, and celebrate their presence. Dr. Martha Bruckner, former Superintendent of the Council Bluffs Community Schools, IA
2. I’m a big fan of school board visits. I think teachers like them, too, because it helps them see the board is working to understand the school and classroom environment. As a “happy medium,” I always make sure administrators and teachers know when board members will visit. I’m not sure this is my favorite method, but it seems to keep away the worry of someone being out to get teachers. Our board usually does visits twice a year. Again, I wish they were more random and frequent, but this way they definitely get in there and teachers aren’t worried or surprised. Dr. Laurie Barron, Superintendent of the Evergreen School District, Kalispell, MT
3. I know some superintendents. are adverse to board members visiting schools. I was not. I just wanted the board member to notify the building principal so she/he knew they were coming and could introduce them, show them around, take them to the program they wanted to visit. Dr. Gene Sharratt, former ESD Superintendent, Wenatchee, WA
4. My experience is that board members who express interest in visiting schools are generally motivated by positive intent. The trick is to make sure that those visits focus on what is happening in the schools, and are not “fishing expeditions” attempts to tease out the personal issues or gripes held by staff members or the board members themselves. Dr. John Erickson, former Superintendent of the Vancouver School District, WA
5. Superintendents should ask board members not to appear at a school unannounced and schedule an appointment.
Someone should always accompany them: Principal, VP, Asst Supt. etc…
The procedure should be made known to all principals and assistant principals.
often times board members will go with an agenda…ask or attempt to find out what that is…
if appropriate show them what they want to see.
I had one board member who would try to cozy up to someone in the school to find out “dirt” on the principal, or superintendent
Remind them of the chain of command in a school. Dr. Colleen Wilcox, former Superintendent of the Santa Clara County, CA
6. Over my career, I have experienced a few unscrupulous board members who will take advantage of school visits to harvest negative information they can use against staff members they do not like which could be the superintendent. Sometimes what is discovered can be used in board meetings to showboat or to counter staff recommendations about programs or procedures. Some visits are to campaign among staff for their next election. Most board members have no hidden motive, but can still be troublesome. I have had a few board members who want to sit in principals’ offices or those of central administrators for hours just to talk.
Once a night custodian came to me after a board member had directed him to open all the classrooms so he could do an “official inspection”. Later in the evening he walked by the classrooms and saw the board member going through the teachers’ desks. He did not confront the board member and informed me the next day.
One board member had a habit of stealing items from offices and schools when he visited. Selected administrators were advised to watch him carefully when he visited. He was caught shoplifting at a local market which was widely publicized. In a private discussion, I suggested he seek counseling which he did.
Some staff members may capitalize upon such board member visits to “tell tales” or air any of their alleged grievances without going to their supervisors. Personally, I have always told staff that they should feel free to say whatever they want to the board members, but make sure you tell me right afterward what was said. I have found that putting this “chain-of-command “approach in a board-approved policy works best.
Depending upon the circumstances, I have spoken directly with board members about their behaviors, although this did not always turn out so well. In one instance a board member liked to park herself in the offices of central office administrators for hours so she could tell them how to do their jobs. After three hours one day and after telling her that this employee had a report he had to finish, she still would not leave. I directed the employee to pick up what he needed and leave to do his work elsewhere, I called security. She left screaming. She was never a fan of mine and that only made our relationship worse. Employees quietly applauded my action.
These experiences led me to adopt a better approach. Soon after accepting a new position, I have engaged the board in a workshop with board member visits to schools as a topic. These discussions usually resulted in a written agreement and a formal policy. Typically, we agreed to “scheduled guided visits” with time limits, prior requests to the superintendent, and general guidelines about what were acceptable conversations and what we’re not. The staff has to know what is acceptable according to the board’s agreement/policy. School tours with the superintendent and one or more board members can also help persuade board members that no one is hiding anything from them. Dr. Art Stellar, 25 years as Superintendent, MA
7. Elected officials have earned the right, and have the responsibility to access schools as politically elected directors by their respective communities. Access includes school regular hours and any other time there is a planned school event.
To avoid confusion by all school stakeholders: staff, students, parents, student-guardians, administration, community members and the Board-Superintendent Senior Leadership Team, all the appropriate guidelines (board-superintendent operating principles, policies, and procedures, Board-Superintendent Contract, etc.) for school visits must be clear and easily accessed by all stakeholders.
Most stakeholders may not understand the significant difference between the Director’s role as an individual Board Member and a Director’s role as part of the SD Governing body. If roles and responsibilities are not clear between the Board Members and the Superintendent, false expectations follow for everyone involved.
Everyone involved includes the Superintendent and Board Members. Even if other stakeholders are confused, you would hope that the Senior Leadership Team, individually and separately, will help everyone else understand Teacher, Staff, Principal, Board Member, and Superintendent, and roles and responsibilities; appropriate expectations will then be obvious. Greg Lynch, former district and now ESD Superintendent, WA