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Teresa

SoWal Guide
Staff member
Nov 15, 2004
30,250
9,279
South Walton, FL
sowal.com
a school board needs good hard working people. having actual educators on the board is always a plus in my opinion. typically they are quite experienced in all areas of administration and oversight. but, regardless of the member's education and career background, we want to be sure our school board members are forward thinking and can work together with a focus on what is best for all students.

Signs of an Effective School Board Member




Here are signs of a school board member focused on moving the school district forward and educating all students to meet high standards:
  • Great school board members have a clear vision for the district.
    They set the vision and goals, and measure the success of the district and superintendent against the goals.
  • Great school board members communicate their actions to the community.
    Through public discourse and written reports, great school board members keep the public informed of the district's progress and challenges.
  • Great school board members work as a team.
    They collaborate well with others and are respectful of the other board members and superintendent.
  • Great school board members adopt a fiscally sound district budget.
    They pay attention to finances and regularly monitor the fiscal health of the district.
  • Great school board members focus on what is best for all students.
    They focus on student achievement and implementing policies that will ensure success for all students.
  • Great school board members advocate at the local, state and national level for public education.
    They take advantage of opportunities to communicate the needs of public schools to other levels of government and advocate for strong public schools.
Signs of an Ineffective School Board Member



If you notice any of the following signs, it's time to find some new candidates to run for your local board: The school board member continually focuses on one issue or talks aimlessly at meetings.

  • The school board member doesn't conduct him or herself in a respectful, collaborative manner in public.
  • The school board member comes to meetings unprepared.
  • The school board member "rubber stamps" all the superintendent's proposals without asking hard questions.
  • The school board member micromanages rather than focusing attention on district-wide policies.
  • The school board member uses his position on the school board as an opportunity to put forth a political agenda with little relevance to student achievement.
what makes a great school board member?


and I like this ...

What should I look for in a school board candidate? First of all, you should think about the issues that are important to you in your school district. Are you concerned about student transportation, textbook adoption, funding for extracurricular activities, new curriculum standards and/or construction of new school facilities? What's your hot button? You'll want to find out where the candidates stand on issues that are important to you.



You might also look for the following qualities:
  • The ability to work well with a team and support group decisions, along with an understanding that the board sets a climate for the entire district
  • A desire to work toward a stronger relationship between the district and the public it serves A keen eye toward serving the needs of all students, regardless of their abilities and backgrounds
  • A professional, poised demeanor and respectful, respectable behavior
  • Respect for diverse points of view
  • Commitment to the time and energy required each week for meetings, phone calls, conversations, visits to schools, and professional development seminars and workshops
  • Knowledge about district policies, guidelines, needs, challenges and strengths
At the heart of it all, members of a district's board of education must believe, unequivocally, in the value of public education. They must be dedicated to serving and teaching all children. They must believe in the democratic process and understand that their role is to act strategically, in line with the interests of the entire school community.

how to choose a school board candidate: what every voter should know
 
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GoodWitch58

Beach Fanatic
Oct 10, 2005
4,816
1,921
"At the heart of it all, members of a district's board of education must believe, unequivocally, in the value of public education. They must be dedicated to serving and teaching all children. They must believe in the democratic process and understand that their role is to act strategically, in line with the interests of the entire school community. "
...from Tootsie's post above.

this is why I support Mrs. Wilkerson, see Post 31. It gets right to the heart of it IMO.
 

rocketman

Beach Comber
Jun 28, 2008
48
11
Goodwitch58,
You have said it best....It's all about integrity and doing what is best for children.
Ms. Wilkerson has the utmost integrity and given her life's work to our children.

Rock on,
Rocketman
 

Romeosmydog

Beach Fanatic
Nov 6, 2007
458
314
here
Art needs consent? Thanks, we'll call you...
Good point John R, but you also forgot SCIENCE (life, earth, environmental, physical and social), foreign language and history not to mention economics, and government. All of those do not fall under "Reading, Writing and Arithmetic" but they ARE required for college acceptance. We don't live in Walnut Grove and no longer write on slate boards so why should we want our education to be from early last century?

Yoga? Bring it. When I coached middle school track we used yoga to stretch, balance our breath and warm our muscles before a meet. I even had Bobby bring a yoga instructor into the gym and teach my 6th graders breathing techniques to help them before a big test. My students loved it and they raised their test scores by an average of 28 points. (If you want to check my data please PM me and I will give you the year, school and test)

I guess that a new voice doesn't necessarily mean new ideas. I will be taking this election seriously as well.
 

jamestown1609

Beach Comber
Oct 16, 2008
8
0
Since Robert Nelson has chosen to join this thread, I would appreciate his answering my original query which started this thread, i.e., what are his educational achievements. Mrs. Wilkerson's curriculum vitae has clearly defined her advanced degree, teaching career, and School Board membership. Robert Nelson, did you receive a degree from a four year college?
 

Interested Girl

Beach Fanatic
Aug 15, 2008
465
58
Mildred Wilkerson's campaign has prepared a "Report Card" type comparison ad. Click on this link to see the political advertisement which will be or has been published in local newspapers.

If that ad hosted on the democratic party website was prepared by Mrs. Wilkerson's campaign is published in a newspaper it will violate Florida Campaign law and could cost her money.

If the ad was prepared by LEADERZ then they will be violating the same disclosure law.

Gonna be interesting.
 

seagrovegirl

Beach Fanatic
Feb 9, 2008
3,885
454
Historic Old Point Washington
If that ad hosted on the democratic party website was prepared by Mrs. Wilkerson's campaign is published in a newspaper it will violate Florida Campaign law and could cost her money.

If the ad was prepared by LEADERZ then they will be violating the same disclosure law.

Gonna be interesting.

You seem to be well versed on campaign law....what is it about the campaign ad that may be in violation?
 

Interested Girl

Beach Fanatic
Aug 15, 2008
465
58
Well I knew enough for the Democratic website to remove the ad.

clean up the disclaimer at the bottom aannd it is a complying ad.

By the way the only way a person can become a master board member is to actually earn the designation while serving as a board member. Kinda a red useless meanless point.
 
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Andy A

Beach Fanatic
Feb 28, 2007
4,389
1,738
Blue Mountain Beach
Since Robert Nelson has chosen to join this thread, I would appreciate his answering my original query which started this thread, i.e., what are his educational achievements. Mrs. Wilkerson's curriculum vitae has clearly defined her advanced degree, teaching career, and School Board membership. Robert Nelson, did you receive a degree from a four year college?
Whether he received a degree from a four college is really a moot point. You do not have to have a college degree to run for school board. As I have previously stated, there is nothing so over rated as college degrees. BTW, if you have a Master's degree and don't realize raising a millage rate automatically raises the tax rate, maybe you need some further education, like a PhD degree.
 
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