60 YEARS OF BOARD GOVERNANCE
TOPIC #5: BEYOND THE BOARD TABLE
To best represent the interests of students in your schools, trustees should develop an understanding of the public education regulatory system, and be prepared to advocate for the needs of their district to legislators and education department officials. Looking beyond the board table also requires considering how board service affects other areas of a member’s life.
Every state in the US has constitutional language relating to the provision of education. The NYS Constitution requires that “The legislature shall provide for the maintenance and support of a system of free common schools, wherein all the children of this state may be educated.” The structure of K-12 education in New York, including constitutional duties of each level of governance, is outlined in the K-12 Governance: State Profile - New York provided by the Education Commission of the States.
The Westchester Putnam School Boards Association and the Lower Hudson Education Coalition help magnify the voices of individual school board members in regional education advocacy. As the Kentucky School Boards Association explains in the video Education Advocacy: School Board Members Play an Important Role, legislators also want to hear directly from local school board members.
Even when you’re not sitting at the board table, school board duties and the public perception of your official role can’t be left behind. The 2019 version of Becoming a Better Board Member from the National School Boards Association discusses the necessity of juggling school board service, family commitments and school parent in the school context.
Good board governance is something that doesn't go out of style. This Board Governance series, in celebration of WPSBA's 60 year anniversary, takes you back to the basics.

Click below for any part of this series that you missed:
  1. Effective School Boards
  2. Team Dynamics
  3. Structure of the Board
  4. Board-Superintendent Relationships