How Do School Boards Work?
School Boards are different from what we usually see as community members and parents in Chicago. They are bigger and broader than a school principal, Local School Council (LSC) or even Alderman.
The Illinois Association of School Boards created a detailed report in 2024 (this year) to explain the unique role of a School Board. Here is a link to the full pdf paper with a summary of key points below.
Two Critical Definition Points
The board of education, also called the school board, is a unit of local government that establishes direction, goals, and priorities for a school district and determines policy, budget, leadership, and administration.
While school board meetings are held in public, they are not meetings of the public. Outside of regularly convened meetings, effective boards engage in an ongoing two-way conversation through the use of public forums, surveys, citizens committees, and other engagement tools to determine the community’s aspirations for its schools and students.
Effective school boards
A good school board
Knows the difference between governance (which is its job) and management (which is the administration’s job).
Makes every effort to operate openly by encouraging public attendance at its meetings and keeping constituents informed of the district’s progress.
Enacts policies after study and consultation with all persons or groups affected.
Attempts to reach decisions that all members can support.
Maintains efficient procedures to conduct business.
Monitors district goals using data.
Works to provide quality education opportunities for all students of the district
IASB Board of Directors Ethics Code:
The board clarifies the district’s purpose.
The board connects with the community.
The board employs a superintendent.
The board delegates authority.
The board monitors performance.
The board takes responsibility for itself.
A good school board member has …
The abilities to work as a member of a team with an open mind and to engage in give-and-take to arrive at a group consensus.
The willingness to spend the time required to become informed and do the homework needed to take part in effective school board meetings.
The desire to serve children and the community and a strong belief in the values of public schools and educational success.
The recognition that the school district is a large operation and that the board is responsible for seeing that the district is run by highly skilled professionals.