Election 2011: District 63 Candidates on their Roles

What do you think is the role of the school board, and how do you see the relationship between the board and the superintendent?

The Illinois School Code addresses the role of the school board. The code makes several points. One is to charge the school board to direct the superintendent in the administration of "the budget, building plans, the locations of sites, the selection, retention, and dismissal of employees, and the selection of textbooks, instructional material, and courses of study." It's a pretty hefty charge. The key to being an effective school board member is to spend the necessary time to learn about the issues, to do everything possible to stay informed about those issues, and to build a strong partnership with the superintendent and administration.  

The school board should represent the interests of the entire community, not just parents of children in school. While our job is to ensure that a quality education is being provided, we can’t be so hands on that we become involved in the actual operations of the schools. Our job is to make sure capable administrators are in place and, for the most part, let them worry about the details of day-to-day operation. The area where a board should exercise the greatest control is in protecting the tax dollars of the community and making sure they are spent wisely.

In its relationship with the superintendent, the board should expect the superintendent to do most of the legwork with regard to recommended actions. The board needs to carefully analyze and evaluate those recommendations, make sure they are consistent with the interests of the community and not be afraid to say no. The danger is that the board has to resist the temptation to micro manage and run operations.

I think the role of the school board is to maintain the vision and adhere to the mission of the district. We currently have a good working relationship with the superintendent.

The school board should be overseeing every aspect of the school district. As a school board member, I am focused on a big picture and providing answers to questions about the general workings of the school district and how it relates to finances, curriculum and general operations. It's imperative that a school board communicates its vision very clearly to the superintendent and the entire administrative team. For example, as a board, we might have a goal of reaching a certain level on a standardized test. I need to relay what that goal is clearly and specifically to the superintendent and charge the administration with getting that accomplished with a clear time line and expectations. It's the superintendent's job to facilitate the vision of the board and it's the board's job to evaluate the superintendent when those visions and expectations are realized. Put concisely, the board is visionary and the superintendent puts that vision into action.

The board's role is to represent the community that elected its members while making sure the school district is operating efficiently. The board and the superintendent should have a working relationship.