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From: www.greatschools.net
Date: 18 Aug 2004
Time: 19:58:29 -0400
Remote Name: 172.201.95.35
Picture a meeting of the School Board of the Public Schools of Robeson County…. parents pour into the boardroom. Speaker after speaker steps to the podium. Some plead to fix up an older school. Others threaten to veto a school construction bond because they aren't getting what they want. A high school steps up to the microphone, complaining about computers not working in the school media center. Parents have no qualms about showing up and speaking to their elected school Board members. No, this is Robeson County, but it could be! The above scenario is grassroots politics at its most fundamental level. The school board makes dozens of decisions each year that affect the lives of every parent with school-age children. The school board decides when the school year begins. School boards decide teacher pay and approve textbooks. They set the superintendent's salary and determine who get hired. Perhaps most important, they set the mission, vision and goals for the school district. Often, the most controversial decisions are deciding school attendance boundaries or firing a popular teacher or principal. Many parents may have little or no experience dealing with school boards. If parents want to communicate with the school board, they should consider the following: 1. Speak at the school board meeting. Most boards have a "call to the public" or "public comment" portion of the meeting where people can speak to the board. Boards often require speakers to fill out a card with name and address before the meeting. Keep in mind that many boards limit speaking time. Board members cannot discuss an item unless the topic is on the agenda, however, they can ask staff to look into concerns brought to their attention for discussion at the next meeting of the board. 2. Send letters or e-mails to each school board member. Their addresses and e-mails can often be found on the school district's Web site. 3. If you are seeking a change in policy, ask the board to discuss the topic at a future meeting. 4. If the issue involves your child, it's best to work your way through the system first. Start with your child's teacher. If you're not satisfied, talk to the school principal. If the issue still isn't resolved, approach the superintendent and finally the school board. 5. Courtesy and respect go farther than threats and intimidation. School board members are volunteers, and most will say they ran for a board seat because they wanted to improve education for students. 6. Run for a seat on the board. If you really want to get involved, consider running for a seat on your school district's governing board. In general election, there are usually several seats coming up. If you decide to enter the race later, check the timeline for filing a petition with signatures for a write in. To qualify to run. Candidates must reside the in school district and be registered to vote in North Carolina.