The nation has just gone through a presidential election and some people are happy about the results while others think the country made the wrong choice. People can argue about who was right, but there is one certainty: There will be a new administration in the new year.
Elections are the cornerstone of democracy, but they are by nature divisive. They force people to choose sides – sometimes dividing even family members. I know many people who are not speaking with relatives because of the presidential election. I am not going out on a limb when I say our country is very divided.
Elections are not only divisive at the national level. They can be just as divisive at the local level, including school board elections.
I was once working with a board of education whose members were trying to work out their differences, which were rooted in nasty board elections. I asked them a simple question after observing their meeting. “A lot of your differences seem to be from the campaigns and are very personal. Can you try and stop making everything personal and start focusing on governing — not campaigning?” One member said, “No this is all personal for me.” They would never all come together, and we all knew that after that remark. I do give her credit for being honest though. Many people say they will change but don’t. For my part, I responded that if the decision making was based on personalities and not policy it was hard for me to help them. I probably should not have said it in that fashion, but I believe in honesty.
Luckily, most elections for the school board are not as acrimonious as that particular district. Yet even if they are not, that does not mean that adding a new member or two to a board does not change the board’s cohesion. There is a natural feeling out period when someone new joins a group.
I know that it is not always easy to move forward. Just look at our national politics. Yet we must move forward. While national divisions are beyond our control, we can make a difference at the local level if we make it a priority. It should be a priority. All board members have a job to do, which is to provide an excellent education for the students in their respective communities. Having a board and administration working together makes that much easier.
The focus should now not be on the recent campaign but on governing. That is not always easy when a favorite board member loses and is replaced by an unknown person. Or maybe tickets were split and people who ran against each other are now sitting next to each other at the board meeting. Whatever the scenario, it is time to move forward as a board and a new team.
How can a board do that? Well, many boards have as a matter of practice some form of on-boarding for newly elected school board members. They may have the administration meet with them to give an overview of how the district works. New board members may receive information packets or tour school facilities. They should get a breakdown on board committees. The board president may even be part of this orientation. A newly elected board member, especially if they do not know the veteran board members or the administrators, is probably a little nervous themselves and extending this welcome may make them more comfortable.
Individual board members can introduce themselves and congratulate them. Maybe invite them to attend a county school board meeting with them. The county associations have special meetings for these newly elected members, called the 3 Rs. This will give them a nice overview of what the role is of a board member. Most people, when they decide to run for the board, have only a cursory knowledge of what a board member can and cannot do. It is not uncommon for candidates to make a campaign promise that they cannot keep because the board member does not have that authority. So, someone from outside their district explaining their role may be more effective than someone inside the district.
What information is provided to the new members is important but is not the most important thing. It is “how” the information is being imparted that is most important. When getting to know people and trying to build a working relationship with them, we all have a sixth sense. We are analyzing the tone of the words, the selection of the words and the body language. We are seeing if they are being honest with us. People also don’t like being lectured.
Finally, this is not a one-way relationship. Maybe the most important thing you can do is listen to their views nonjudgmentally. Listening to others is the key to building a relationship with others.
I have been thinking about how divided our country is and people not talking to family members because of the election and it makes me sad. I have very close friends of all political persuasions. Yes, I have strong political beliefs, but whether someone agrees with my beliefs is not my sole criteria for liking them.
Maybe local boards can set an example of how to work together with people you do not agree with politically. Board elections are, after all, nonpartisan.
In the more than 26 years I have worked with board members, I can say with complete certainty that I have known great board members of both political parties – Republican and Democrat – as well as those unaffiliated.
As we head into a new year and the boards of education are forming their new teams, it is important that we listen to others and find common ground. Make that a priority and district success will follow.