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board member interaction with teachers

Posted by Melinda Leising on March 13, 2022 at 3:43pm

I read with interest the discussion about building tours. Our district had just started them in the spring of 2020 and COVID put a stop to them. Since it's been 2 years since we had any formal tours led by building principals, we now have teachers saying they want BOE members to be more visible in the buildings. Does this happen in other districts?  What are ways for informal interactions that wouldn't make teachers feel like board members are "checking up" on them?

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Replies

  • Bonnie Berry March 24, 2022 at 1:32pm
    We connect to a building and attend events of the building.
  • David Fenlong March 21, 2022 at 11:01am
    We have done tours after school is over and we use students as ambassadors to guide each BOE member around the building as their tour guide. It is extremely fun in the elementary level. We also have many committees that have teacher, board and community member participation. This helps complete our circle of information a lot as well as visibility. We definitely avoid getting into any of the "weeds" including making staff feel any BOE pressure in the classroom. We thirst for that trust that empowers them. Board members are permitted in the buildings and classrooms, but they have to go through the same steps as any visitor or parent to do so.
  • Kerry Wachter March 18, 2022 at 11:32am
    We usually attend events in the buildings. Concerts, musicals, honor society inductions, Veterans Day presentations. etc. We never go to classrooms.
  • Tracy Young March 18, 2022 at 8:52am
    We have some volunteers opportunities that BOE members are invite to. For example we have a 1000 Books reading program that members were invited to volunteer for. We are also hosting an outdoor activity and members were invited to volunteer at. These opportunities allow members to be visible without teachers feeling that they are being "checked out"
  • Deborah Lasch March 18, 2022 at 8:47am
    Our policy requires building g tours which we generally schedule before a board meeting so as not to interrupt the educational process. Our philosophy is one of our being a partnership with the teachers as opposed to being watchdogs.
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