Opening Statement at Sep 21, 2023 Regular Meeting About Board Member Behavior

For my opening statement, I’d like to talk about board member behavior. We’re a large organization, with an annual budget of about a third of a billion dollars. Unlike a factory or other type of business our size, almost all of our assets are people, and almost all of our output is in our effect on people, our students. Because of this, it matters whether we smile, whether we are sincerely warm with those we interact with. If you are a machine operator, for instance, it doesn’t matter what attitude you show to the equipment, as long as you throw the right switches to produce your product. But because our main activity is designing and encouraging growth in students, every teacher and principal quickly learns to show concern and patience toward students and parents. Public confidence is our stock in trade, and that applies all the way up the board level.

I would like to remind board members that when you are elected, you must assume a new identity and give up an old one. Your old identity is that of an ordinary member of the community, free to give pro or con opinions on any subject, whether on social media or in person, without regard to the consequences. That is every citizen’s right, to share their opinion on any subject, no matter if the opinion is well-informed or ignorant. It’s a public square, and we’re all in it.

Your new identity, however, is that of a trustee, similar to a board of directors, acting with power given by the entire community, and ultimately responsible for all of the student results. The public regards our voices and opinions as much more meaningful than random people on the internet or a neighbor they might bump into. Our personal opinions can never be entirely separated from our now public role. Our highest duty, of course, is to enact and sustain policies and programs that best serve our students. But second only to that is to preserve the confidence the public has in the school district.

From the time we are elected, any public criticism or complaints are absolutely inappropriate and improper. For one reason, the school board is the final appeal board for complaints, and public comments speaking negatively of any employee would disqualify and exclude you from that position. Another reason? It may result in significant legal liability for the district. In essence, if we choose to exercise our full range of first amendment rights as citizens, we may inadvertently be costing the school district tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in resulting legal costs. Yes, it’s that easy for board members to cause hits to our general fund by being reckless in their personal behavior, either online or offline. Reckless board members are dangerous to the financial health of districts. I made this same point at our special censure meeting in May of 2021, which I posted a transcript from this afternoon on my personal website.

But even without financial consequences, more serious are the public confidence consequences. We have the topmost spot of accountability, and if we publicly air public criticism or complaints, that sends a message to the community that our board, and probably our district, has serious problems. That’s a damaging message to send to the community, especially when the actual truth may just be that my feelings were hurt by someone in the organization or on the board. Members of the public look to us for assurance that the organization has integrity. If one of us is unconvinced and expresses public doubts, that lessens the confidence the public has in the district at large.
Believe me, the public opinions of even one board member can quickly have an effect on principals, teachers and classrooms. Don’t let that happen.

The takeaway is this: board members have an obligation to refrain from airing public criticism or complaints. Neglecting this responsibility will likely erode public trust as well as result in large legal expenses.