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Show Superintendent writes by invitation of duties, purpose of school board their full learning potential. This may involve serious problems prob-lems of replacement or change; but, by insisting on securing good professional personnel, board members support and strengthen the quality of teaching teach-ing as well as notify the public pub-lic that the board supports the administrative staff, and recognizes its professional standing in this regard. Not every person has the energy or the resourcefulness or the kind of job that will allow him to take on the extra ex-tra duties of a board member; but, as private citizens, we can support our Board of Education by understanding their problems prob-lems a little more and criticising criticis-ing a little less. We can elect those best qualified to serve; and, once elected, we can support sup-port their best efforts to improve im-prove our schools through promoting pro-moting sound and educationally educational-ly defensible school programs. They are exceptional men and women who, by their desire de-sire to serve in this capacity, indicate their interest in better bet-ter educational programs throughout America. The office of-fice they seek means a great deal of work for very little compensation. Their greatest reward: A better education for the children of their district. Because of the proximity of School Board elections, Mrs. Irene Deeben and members of the Springville PTA Executive Council asked Superintendent Russell N. Stansfield of Nebo School District to write an article ar-ticle on school boards and their duties. Following is the article: by Supt, Russell N. Stansfield School board members are citizens in a class by themselves. themsel-ves. When they allow their names to be placed on the ballot, bal-lot, they indicate their interest inter-est in the welfare of the children chil-dren of their community or district. They know that their greatest reward will be the assurance as-surance that they have helped provide a better education for the children of their locale, for the office they seek means a great deal of work with little monetary compensation. Nevertheless, countless men and women over the breadth of this great nation plunge into school board work twice a month, for a whole day each month, or even more often, to take care of the business relating re-lating to the schools. Usually, board meetings will last for three to four hours but very often, for five or more especially espe-cially if the meeting is in the evening. Theirs is a steady, quiet, dedicated effort a labor of love so to speak because they are volunteers. Each has his own workday activities to attend to in order that his family might be provided for. Yet, somehow, no matter when or for what reason board meetings are called, every member manages to find the extra time to be there whether wheth-er it is for planning a new school, working on budget matters, mat-ters, or discussing a possible board leeway tax program. When board members know that there is opposition to proposed pro-posed programs and they know that what the board is doing is right, they must have the intestinal fortitude to stand firm for the programs that are for the best good of all the children. Likewise, they should be able to justify a school budget which gives the best opportunities to children even though it may mean bonding, bond-ing, an unpopular school levy, or a general increase in school tax rates for the purpose of improving the educational standards of the District. However, probably ever more important, board members should muster their influence to back the superintendent and the educational staff in selection selec-tion of well qualified and better bet-ter educated teachers so that students will be able to reach |
