By Kimberly D. Geyer, 724-799-1195
Mars Area School Director
Education Policy Consultant of Mars Research & Retrieval Services
www.marsrrservices.com
E-mail: marsrrservices@zoominternet.net
Date: May/June 2005

Our education structure in this country places local school boards at the center of the governance process. By overseeing this process and representing lay involvement, school boards can provide a structure for public accountability and a way for parents and community to influence vital public policy issues affecting schools. Local governance of public education must involve community if it is to reflect the community’s concerns, values, and expectations of quality education for its children. School boards can demonstrate effective governing by bridging together communities and schools through communication and responsiveness. Boards of education can address destructive allegations leading to conflict within their districts, they can abide by a code of conduct, they can advocate for a thorough and efficient system of education, be the eyes and ears of their respective community, and strive to collaborate with school administration and staff to facilitate increased student learning and achievement among all of their students.

Similar to most school districts, Mars School District has policies in place to address the many various issues related to the educational system within one’s respective district. These policies are continually evaluated, posted, reevaluated, refined, and updated to reflect the current educational system, process, trends, and mandates. These same policies are enforced by our school administrators and upheld by the board of school directors. All policies are contained in a complete manual and available in the administration office of our school district for public review at any time. All policies, processes, and procedures of our school governance system are done according to and abiding by the law at all times and by the continuous legal review and guidance of our school solicitor.

Since school business is the public’s business, except in the case of all personnel matters as required by the education establishment, some controversy and differences of opinion are bound to exist. While controversy may be healthy to some degree, personal enmity and community strife can weaken and seriously impede the conduct of public education in a school district to the detriment of students at various levels of emotional, physical, and mental well being. While it is common that some in any given community may disagree on the facts or what they assume to be facts, their interpretation, or disagree on a decision made, this implication is far less serious than when the motivations or loyalties of persons, serving in the capacity as a board member are called into question thus undermining the integrity of the institution as well as the people who serve it. Each board member represents all citizens and is responsible for the welfare of ALL students of a school district. Factionalism, or the advancement of the special interests of one group, is absolutely in opposition to the requirements of good boardmanship, and is a violation of the oath of office. As a school board member, the most difficult decisions to make are personnel changes, knowing that you are not only affecting the employee and their livelihood, but often many young people with whom that particular person comes into contact. It is a sad state of affairs in any community that suspects there must be a political or power motive for doing or not doing the work necessary or required based on the facts implicating such a course of action as directed through school governance policies.

Productive and solid school boards have the courage to make decisions based on principle and established policies within their respective district in the face of public pressures and influence. Such boards of education, exercise the freedom from self-interest, business, or political motivation when making a decision. They exercise an ability to suspend judgment until all facts are known, and then to be decisive. They provide an acceptance of the fact that the board of directors is a legislative body, only when it is convened in session, and that professional administrators should and will execute policy and administer the schools. They collectively and individually recognize that they may exercise control over the schools only while the board is officially in session as a body of nine members such as at a public meeting with at least a quorum representing the board. Outside of board meetings school directors have no greater standing than any other citizen or parent within their respective community. The limited powers of school directors is demonstrated through their voting power to adopt textbooks and curriculum recommended by administration, voting to raise or lower tax millages within a district, or approving hiring new personnel based on administrative recommendations. In Pennsylvania, as well as, the nation in general, service on a board of education is, and traditionally has been, solely a matter of public service. The average length of a school director in Pennsylvania is 5 years. Our diverse Commonwealth contains 501 school districts in which we have individuals from all walks of life which value education in our public schools, value the children in our communities, and are willing to volunteer and serve in a capacity to improve the schools and education services provided within their school districts.

Ironically when asked, most communities will aspire to elect individuals they want and expect to do the right thing and willing to do the right thing for students and the respective school district at all times so when their district has a crucial matter present itself and those hard, hard decisions need to be made, that they can genuinely trust the people they’ve elected and entrusted with their education system. Yet, as often is the case throughout communities, when the decision made may not be the decision warranted in our eyes from our perspective as a taxpayer, parent, teacher, or student….it is easy to make assumptions finding fault with the institution, the process, as well as, the people who serve it. All school boards across the nation, experience this each and every time they make a decision within their community.

While it is uncertain if new personnel when hired may know more or know less, there is one thing certain, there will be new things to be learned. Our belief as a community, as a school district, as a student body at the beginning of a doubtful undertaking is one thing that ensures the successful outcome of one’s venture….our attitudes create our lives.
While there are many aspects of effective school governance within an educational system, one significant aspect is that we learn from each one of these decisions and experiences, continue to value education, value all our students, value all our personnel staff, continue to keep on task, and continue to do the work required and necessary for the overall benefit of all our students and schools within our respective school districts. Furthermore, we need to continue to rise up to the educational challenges we face as a district and we need to continue to defend and uphold the truths we face in each of our school districts….ultimately, we will each become better people for it, a better community, a better school district, and provide a better education for all our students.

Kim Geyer, Mars Area School Director
Adams Township, January 17, 2006

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