Join the School Board

Go Beyond Room Mom. Join Your Local School Board

All school districts in the state of Illinois are governed by local school boards. School boards must be conducted according the rules and regulations of the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB.) Your local school board is responsible for the education of all the students in the school district as well as how state and federal dollars will be spent within the district. They have one employee, the District Superintendent.

If you want to go beyond being an occasional volunteer, this is a great way to make a real impact on the education of all the students in your local district and your neighborhood for many years to come. Some of the items that school boards make decisions about are:

•   Hiring and firing the school Superintendent
•   Approving all hiring for the district via recommendation from the Superintendent
•   Curriculum Approval
•   Discipline Policies
•   Purchase and use of technology
•   Contract negotiations for teachers and other staff
•   Any and all financial aspects of the school district

This is a short list, but captures the major responsibilities of a school board member. If you are ready to see real change take place in our nation’s schools, I encourage you to become a part of your local school board. A school board member is an elected position. If you live in Illinois and are interested in learning more, contact your local school district office for more information, or visit www.iasb.com. If you do not live in Illinois, each state has a Board of Education, so contact your local school district or state board of education for further information.

Whether you send your kids off to school everyday or home school, our nation’s schools are facing a crisis that will affect our kids and our grandchildren and beyond. The time has come for us to stand up and take our places. Even if you decide that you are not ready to become a board member, you should at least attend board meetings held once a month in your area to see what is going on in your neighborhood schools. Call your local school district office to find out the dates and times of the school board meetings. If you are a home school mom, you should know what is going on in the schools in your neighborhood, to lend a helping hand. Whatever you decide, become a part of making a difference in the lives of children and the schools your community.

“In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing you can do is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing!”

Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States

Sharon Price
Director of Student Support Services
Brookwood School District 167
Glenwood, Illinois