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Martinsville, Ohio | That sounds quite doable to me Midsize. We really need good leaders on our school boards and every facet of business and government.
If you are an optimistic, forgiving person, you can contribute your ideas and I am sure they are needed.
I was asked to run for the board where I had taught 16 years and ran in 94. I never thought about 1000 people voting for me as I had no signs, no compaign, but everyone saw I was running for school board. I guess my ag teacher experience brought my best before a lot of people.
The community wasn't happy with the direction the board was going so two other citizens and myself were asked to run and we all got elected.
There were 3 seats open and five people ran.
Schools are people places. No people, no school. Good people, good schools. People who don't want to be there or have an agenda for being there, watch out.
During my 10 years we were able to build a new high school and elementary and refurbish the other buildings at a local cost of 14 cents on the dollar. One old building was demolished with a ceremony and another was sold to the village at an attractive price and his now its seat of government. It has worked out very well.
As an educator, school boarding was the most influence I ever had on children in my life, mostly on the financial and grounds side. But the board projects the school's morale also and that is extremely important.
Boarding is a lot of give and take. One night I sacrificed a building principle to keep the supt and keep the district moving the right direction. I wanted to keep them both but three members wanted to fire them both. It was a long night of negotiation.
When I was chairman meetings never lasted over an hour, usually one half hour. It was enjoyable and rewarding. Three plus hour board meetings are really bad and send the wrong message.
The work needs to be done legally behind the scenes, in the sunshine with everyone knowing what is going on. If you make all your decisions in public, it goes on forever and hurts the district or body.
In my life, it seems like half the people in a group are cut out to be there, teachers, lawyers, farmers, board members but you have to work with those who are there.
To me its a passion, and I am passionatie about everything I do. School boarding is no different.
Ed | |
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Thinking of running for school board. Advice please.
