Being A School Board Member Candidate
We applaud your interest in becoming a member of the ALA Coastal school board. Local school boards are a uniquely American institution and at the heart of this country’s public education system. A board’s existence is rooted in the belief that local oversight helps make schools more flexible and responsive to the needs of the community. To determine whether being a school board member is right for you, you’ll want to understand the duties and responsibilities of the position and consider the personal attributes needed to be an effective board member, including reviewing the Affirmation to Serve Agreement, and the Board Expectations Code of Conduct, agreements by which you must abide if elected.
School board members are responsible for broad, forward-thinking, analysis and action that affect students and staff at the ALA Coastal Academy. Some roles and responsibilities are implicit. Others are specifically mandated or allowed by North Carolina law. The board is a non-profit corporate body. School board members have no individual authority—the power of a school board exists only as a group. As such, an individual board member has no authority to act on behalf of the board unless such authority is specifically delegated. Your role as a board member is expressed during board meetings through your opinions and voting. Everything board members do is focused, through the lens of our mission, dedicated to improving the lives of its students by providing authentic learning experiences in a collaborative, nurturing environment that will build a foundation for students’ success in school, career, and in life.
What ALA Coastal Board of Directors Do
Set the Direction
The governing board, with extensive input from the educational management group, and campus administration, is responsible for envisioning the future of the charter in the ALA Coastal community. After setting the vision and mission for the school, the governing board works collaboratively to establish a strategic plan and strategic goals to move the organization toward the community’s vision for its school.
Establish the Structure
Board policies and goals establish the structure and create the environment for ensuring that the needs of all students are met. The superintendent uses the structure established by the board to manage operations on a day-to-day basis. Although the superintendent may suggest changes to policies, only the board as a whole has the legal authority to adopt policy.
Provide Support
The board provides support to its organization by ensuring that resources available are aligned to meet established goals and provide for the needs of all students. Support also is provided by recognizing and encouraging excellence throughout the organization.
Ensure Accountability
As the community’s representative at ALA Coastal, the board is responsible for ensuring that the school is well run – that resources are used wisely and that high standards for academic performance are set. The board, as a whole, needs to monitor performance to meet established goals – academic, financial and operational.
Advocate for Your Students
One of the board’s most important roles is to be the ambassador for charter public school education in the community. As individuals, each board member can help communicate the ways in which their school is supporting student educational needs, parent and community aspirations. Together, the board also can demonstrate that an atmosphere of collaboration and respect is the most conducive environment for providing the best education for children at ALA Coastal Academy.
What is a Good Charter School Board Member?
Being an effective school board member requires that you clearly understand what a board member can and cannot do. The role and function of board members often are misinterpreted by the public and, sometimes, by board members. School boards do not manage the day-to-today operations of the school—they ensure that the school is managed well by education management professionals and their campus administration.
A good school board member must understand that his/ her legal authority as a board member is carried out only when the board of education is in session. No one person, unless authorized, should speak on behalf of the board.
A good school board member avoids administrative decisions. The campus director is the chief administrator; the board has no administrative function. Five words tend to get board members in trouble, “I’ll take care of it!” Concerns and complaints should be handled according to board policies.
A good school board member remembers that board business often requires confidentiality, especially in processes involving students, personnel, land acquisition, negotiations and the need for security.
A good school board member is able to support a board decision when it is made. Regardless of whether you voted in opposition to the decision, you must accept and support the final decision of the majority.
A good school board member obtains facts. However, you must remember that the administration is responsible for running the day-to-day operations of the school. All of its time cannot be used to generate reports for individual board members.
A good school board member must be committed to training and improvement. The learning curve for a newly sworn-in board member is steep. You must be engaged in self-evaluation as a full board and in-service training to provide well-informed leadership and sound decision making.
A school board member must be willing to devote the amount of time it takes to be an effective board member. School board members deal with a variety of concerns and issues. Being a board member requires active participation at school board meetings; interaction and participation at local school functions & events, and commitment to time for board training. The amount of time is great, and every school board member needs to commit to all tasks at hand.
To submit your information to become a potential Board candidate, please complete the Board Member Candidate form and submit it to the board for review. Once submitted, a dedicated team member will contact you regarding your submission.
Thank you for considering this opportunity of service at ALA Coastal Academy.
