As a candidate for the Mahomet-Seymour school board, I have been thinking a lot lately about how I would serve on the board. It is an important question that each candidate board member must consider carefully. As part of my process, I’ve been speaking with board members, both past and present, discussing ideas with my fellow candidates and the voters, and doing a lot of reading.
In the recent Bulldog Bulletin column in the Mahomet Citizen (printed 2/1/2019), Superintendent Hall shared “Foundational Principles of Effective Governance,” an article published by the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) in February of 2017. The IASB is a private, not-for-profit lobbying organization that also produces professional development seminars for school board members. The Mahomet-Seymour school district pays an annual membership of about $7,000 to the IASB and relies on the association for board member development, as well as board policy updates. The IASB is not a part of any government agency.
The IASB article defines six fundamental duties that it believes are logical consequences of the board’s legal mandate to “govern effectively.” I agree with the IASB’s article on many points, but I also take issue with several of the IASB’s statements. That said, I strongly agree with these two principles from the article: #2 “The board connects with the community,” and #6 “The board takes responsibility for itself.” I believe it is a duty of the school board to engage with the community it represents and this is a duty that it should take on itself, instead of delegating to an employee. Our school board would do well to embrace the IASB’s advice.
I was curious about what Illinois state law had to say on this subject. So, I turned to the Illinois School Code, specifically 105 ILCS 5/10 which defines the many powers and limitations of a school board. The Illinois school code is a spaghetti-style mess of legal jargon that is great for helping you fall asleep. However, it is the law of the land and it therefore should be diligently studied by every school board member. It includes a variety of topics from what kind of financial relationships a board member may have with a school district (5/10-9), to how it is the ultimate responsibility of the school board to analyze and select school curriculum and textbooks (5/10-20.8).
When I looked to the Illinois School Code for guidance on the 2nd and 6th of the IASB’s principles, I found a very clear directive. In fact, it is a responsibility that each member of the board swears to uphold. Section 5/10-16.5specifies the required oath of office for every newly elected school board member. About halfway through the oath, it requires a board member to swear that “I shall foster with the board extensive participation of the community…”
The law demands that board members engage the community. It is so clearly vital that Illinois law puts it right into the board member’s oath of office. And, notice it says “I shall,” as in, the board member shall. It does not say, “I shall ensure that I find someone to listen to community complaints.” It squarely sets the responsibility of engaging the community on the shoulders of each and every member of the school board.
I believe our school board should be regularly reaching out to as many members of our Mahomet-Seymour family as possible. This should be done in a coordinated and methodical way. The school board should utilize the board advisory committees described in Section 2:150 of the official Mahomet-Seymour school board policy to form special interest committees that study a topic and advise the school board. We already have the framework for these committees, it is only up to the board to put them into action.
I believe these committees should consist of parents, teachers, board members, and, where appropriate, students. People interested in serving on the committees should apply for membership directly to the board. The membership should be selected by the board in order to ensure that a diverse group of people with a genuine interest in contributing to our schools are chosen. I believe that these committees would be an excellent mechanism for connecting with the community and it is unfortunate that the current board has not utilized them in any meaningful way.
I would also like to regularly survey parents, students, and staff through direct online or paper surveys. Survey topics should include questions about how the district is meeting the needs of the Mahomet-Seymour families it serves. Questions should focus on specific areas of the the district’s operation, such as transportation, food service, curriculum, etc. These surveys would provide clear quantitative data for the board to analyze the effectiveness of their policies and the overall performance of the district.
I would engage the community by hosting public forums where board members participate in a mutual dialog and discuss ideas for the district. To be clear, the purpose of these forums would NOT be to make decisions or discuss sensitive or specific information. The purpose would be to give parents the opportunity to provide direct input on general issues facing the district. The public, group setting is essential because it fosters collaboration and presents ideas openly and honestly.
I really appreciate Dr. Hall’s efforts to draw attention to the important upcoming election and set the standard for what Mahomet-Seymour’s school board should be. In the standard she is advocating, it directs the school board to connect with the community. This ideal is backed up in the very oath of office each board member must personally utter. However, what has the current board done to engage the community? Do you feel like the board has asked for your input? Do you feel like this board is listening to the parents, teachers, and students of our district? We deserve better.
