East Cleveland leader. [volume] (East Cleveland, Ohio) 1942-1970, 1957-10-24
Know Your responsibilities
Mr.. School Board Member
Reprinted with special permission
from
THE SCHOOL EXECUTIVE


| Il ~ ..a
JUNE, 1857
By Russell T. Gregg
Professor of Education
University of Wisconsin
An authority on fhis most
important subject tells US
what they are and their social
implications.
IN A DEMOCRACY the public
schools belong to the people.
School board members, as the
chosen Representatives of the
people, are responsible for the
preservation and the promotion of
the public schools in the interests
of the people.
In our democracy, public educa-
tion is the most significant under
taking Of government. 1t is a stu
pendous undertaking. In our COM
munities we are attempting to
educate all the children of all the
people-and most of the adults,
too. In any locality, public educa-,
tion is one of the largest and most
important activities being carried
on, whether this activity be public
or private. 0i
In the United States at the
present time there are approx
mately $4,000 school districts.
These school districts extend over
practically every acre of land in
our country, and approximately
100000 school board members
guide the destinies of the schools
in these districts. The public
schools employ more than 100000
teachers and tens of thousands of
other employees. They must pro-
vide full-time education for ap-
proximately 80 million children
and youth. The value of school
property is around $40 billion.
During the current school year ap-
proximately $40 billion will be
spent son public elemntary and
secondary education-$7.5 Billion
for current operation, and $2.5
billion for school construction.
In the typical community, the
board of education manages one
of the largest, if not the largest,
organized undertakings-in terms
of the number of employees, the
size of the budget, and the value
of the plant-to be found in the
community. This undertaking af-.i
fects directly or indirectly, prac-
tically every man, woman, and
child in the community.
1t is important for each of us
to know what it means to be a
good school board member. The !
ideas presented here may be good,
or not so good for any particular
person, but each board member
must determine what it means to
him to be an effective member of |
a board of education.
THE MEANING OF SCHOOL
BOARD MEMBERSHIP
To be a good school board men,
Der, there must be:
A deep and abiding faith in
the social significance of edu-
cation.
1t means having faith in the
power of education to make better
men and women and to improve
community life. 1t is no accident !
that the worlds most noted adven-
ture in public education and the
worlds greatest democracy have
developed toget h er. American
democracy has established and
the public school and the /
public schools have provided the
soil and climate in which de-
has flowered.
Acceptance of a public trust
of the highest order.
This trust should be zealously
guarded by every school board
for it represents the hope
which children and youth have for
the future, and also guarantees
the future welfare of the COM
Representation of all of the
people of the local district.
1t does not mean representing
ones own particular social circle |
Or business associates. Education |
is a state function, and the board |
member must therefore represent !
not only all Of the people of
local school district, but also all |
Of the people of the state.
The goal of protecting the
schools against any person or
minority group which would
weaken or destroy them.
This means that school board |
member must be courageous in his
and acting to safeguard
good schools for all children.
School board members should ac-
cept the responsibility for providl
ing high quality educational OPP !
portunity, even in the face Of
criticism.
Open-mindedness, a desire 4
to rely on facts.
A school board member who re-.
lies on facts will not be guided by
personal bias or vested interest. !
He will respect the ideas, sugges-
tions and criticisms of other peo-
pie. He will be willing to study
and deliberate with associates and
to consult expert counsel to answer
educational questions.