We average probably 30 meetings a year counting workshops. We make sure all candidates are aware of this, Persson said. Would-be board members get lots of good information at candidate training. But more than that, they get to know members of the existing board and start building relationships. They begin their term with a better handle on the job and some knowledge of the people with whom they ll serve.
Mentors are critical to new board members for at least a year and sometimes longer.
It takes at least a year for a school board member to really see and understand what s going on, Cubillas said. They have their board member buddy to help them. At the outset, the mentoring relationship centers on one member guiding the other, but that changes over time. Eventually, mentor and prot g interact and experience mutual support. Attitudes about previously contentious issues tend to soften as trust and respect between board members grow.