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Show Know Your Schools .... tyyfey !Se Nave School Boards Why Have We School Boards? By Supt. Rowan C. Stutz Nothing is more uniquely American Amer-ican than local control of public education through boards of education edu-cation composed of lay citizens. School board members represent the people who own and support the schools. They form grass roots organization which is closer to the people than any other form of government. They voice the wishes and asperations of the parents and the children. They spent the local tax payers' money and are responsible re-sponsible to their neighbors for the action. They are the trustees of a great public responsibility. School, boards' are necessary. The American school board has served to keep the public schools an immediate im-mediate possession of the people. They have served as a protection against the domination of the schools by any "ism." Our schools began as local institutions; school boards keep them that way. A community has no more important im-portant responsibility for any of its citizens than service on the school board. The best, most able, the most farsighted, the outstanding outstand-ing citizens of every community should be drafted to seTve on the school board. To be a school board member is to serve the future. In every community in America being a school board member is a key "responsibility. The position deserves de-serves recognition as the community's com-munity's highest honor. Any board is as strong or as weak as its members. But the members do not act as individuals; they act as members of a group. ProbabIy the most important I qualification of a board member is to be able to work with others for teamwork is essential to effective effec-tive board action. The responsibilities of school boards are' great and should be understood by everyone. The school boards chief responsibilities are: 1 To develop and constantly improve educational programs. 2 To provide personnel for staffing the school program. 3 To provide and maintain suitable suit-able school' buildings. 4 To secure adequate financial resources. 5 To maintain a two-way contact con-tact with the public and the school. 6 To choose the chief executive execu-tive (the' superintendent) and work harmoniously with him. Much can be said' to the credit of our local school board in fulfilling ful-filling its responsibilities. Opportunities Oppor-tunities are sought by our board members for self improvement. The active participation of board members in the State School Boards' Association, attendance at educational conferences, active participation in educational activities activi-ties within the state show their desire to, know more about their duties and, responsibilities as public pub-lic representatives and it should be remembered that all this is done without pay. |