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Revised (Nov 25 2008)
First things first
School trustees come with a wide range of skills and interests. Some have served on their boards for more than 20 years, and every three years, about 35 per cent of the trustees serving in BC are newly elected. Whether you’re a new trustee or an incumbent it’s a good idea to review this section.
After you leave the board of education, what would you like your personal legacy to be? What characteristics must you exhibit, and what must you do to create this legacy? Shortly after you’re elected or re-elected is a good time to reflect on the three years ahead. What are your goals? What are the goals of the district as set out in the district achievement contract? Do the two sets of goals fit well together?
There is much you can do to prepare for the work ahead.
- Familiarize yourself with the school district website.
- Read board and committee meeting minutes.
- Review the District Achievement Contract and satisfaction survey results.
- Find out what issues required the district to send out news releases.
- Learn how the district’s policy manual is laid out and what it covers.
- Check out the BCSTA website. Get the background on a range of education issues.
- Accept invitations to visit school or district events and arrange meetings with teachers, administrators or district staff at mutually convenient times so that their work is not interrupted.
- Find out what your district offers to new trustees to help them understand procedures regarding:
- agenda-setting and presenting motions to the board
- seating arrangements at board meetings
- requesting information from staff
- board self-evaluation
- how to handle complaints that come to individual trustees from the public or parents
- media relations practices, and
- what the district does in a crisis.
- Attend the BCSTA Trustee Academy in December each year, and in February following the municipal elections, to meet other school trustees and help you prepare for the work ahead.
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History of trusteeship
