School boards look out for children, advocate for communities
By the early 1800s these school committees – as school boards are still called in Massachusetts – had developed into continuing bodies, which were separate from the rest of the town’s government. In 1826 Massachusetts formally established a system of school committees by requiring each town to elect a separate school committee to have “the general charge and superintendence” of all the public schools of the town. Over time this model spread to the rest of the nation, insuring that local citizens would have a direct voice in the development and governance of their public schools.
Are school boards still necessary? Yes, said the NSBA. School boards look out for the children. First and foremost, they advocate for the community when decisions are made about your child’s education, they set standards for achievement in the district, they are accountable for the performance of the schools and accessible to voters. The school board is a community’s education watchdog, ensuring that taxpayers get the most for their tax dollars.
According to Eric Strouse, currently in his fourth term as a West Holmes school board member, school boards continue to fulfill these goals. When questioned what the biggest responsibility of a school board member is, he noted that the superintendent and the treasurer work for the school board, and “the board gives them oversight into where we want them to go. The board works with them on budget concerns, and that’s something we struggle with. We also evaluate them once a year. It’s a good mix. They see the school side and we see the other side.”
Strouse said that board members need to have a good working relationship with the staff and the community. “We’re really not staff supervisors, but we want to have an open door policy with them. We want them to feel that they can come and talk to us if they have concerns, such as class size or teaching materials. I think we have a good rapport with the teachers.
“As far as working with the community, we want them to feel they can come to us with concerns also. When they come to us they know their voices will be heard. We can’t always make a change, but that’s how you start change.”
Personally, Strouse is a big advocate of math and science. “I think we need to get the best math and science teachers we can get. Our goal as a board is to make sure students get good ACT scores to get into a good college. The ACT really is a measuring stick. We need to make sure they have good teachers and enough rigor (an environment in which each student is expected to learn at high levels, has the support they need to learn, and can demonstrate that high level of learning) to succeed. And they need these things during their freshman and sophomore years. By the time they are seniors, they are already trying to get into good colleges.”
Some might wonder why anyone would run for such a position, but Strouse said it is because they want to make a difference. “Most of them have been raised in the community and have children in the school district. They want stronger departments (such as math and science) and they have a little bit of fire for making things better.”
One thing they do not do is serve for the money. Board members are paid $100 per meeting, 12 meetings per year plus any special meetings they may have.
Although everyone currently on the West Holmes School Board is a graduate of West Holmes, Strouse said that is not a requisite for a good school board member. “People who have gone to school somewhere else bring a different insight, depending on what kind of schooling they have had. But it is harder to get elected. When you ask the public to vote for you, and they know your family or are familiar with you from your job, it is easier. Name recognition goes a long way.”
Current board members for the West Holmes School District are Dave Kick, Eric Strouse, Brent Snyder, Brad Welsh and Tina Zickefoose (who was elected in 2013 and began her term in January).