School board officials often have little or no education background, and they tend to campaign for the jobs on the school board not necessarily to run the local schools, but rather for their own political aspirations, according to an article in the Times Argus, a Vermont newspaper. The author goes on to ask how other professionals, such as doctors would like it if they had to answer to elected community members who had no background in medicine.

It is true that some school board members have ulterior motives and dealing with school boards can be difficult for educators; school boards do have their place. Public educators must remember that parents and the community have a say in their children’s education, and a school board made up of elected officials representing the community is the way they get their say.

Nevertheless, the author is right in stating that the way school boards operate could be better. For example, multi-year funding cycles would take some focus away from yearly funding debates, and put the focus back on classroom needs. And some school boards could do a better job of educating their own members, instead of taking up valuable teacher time to bring the school board members up to speed about the latest and best educational practices. What are your school board experiences?