A Good School Board Member
I have written about various topics over the past several weeks so this week's topic will be on what I believe it takes to be a good school board member. I believe that a board member must be open and honest, as a board member you are responsible for everything that occurs within the district and more often than not it means that you have to make the hard decisions. As long as you are open and honest with everyone you are dealing with and can back up your position with an intelligent and informed decision, even though some may be unhappy with the outcome, you will always have their respect because you did not tell someone what they wanted to hear at the time and then go against that when it comes time to vote. A board member must be willing to put in the extra effort it takes to make those informed decisions rather than simply reading over the monthly agenda and taking another's word for it. A board member is chosen by the public to oversee the operations of the district and ensure that all decisions made are in the best interest of the children and the public. I believe that a good board member must be willing to go against the status quo when the circumstances dictate it rather than just rubber stamping everything in order to keep the other members happy. It is not the job of a board member to make sure that everyone on the board likes him or her, it is not a popularity contest the matters are serious and should be taken so and if that means asking the tough questions and saying no when all others say yes then so be it.
One of the most important things that a board member can do is to make sure that the employees and the public know that their door is always open and that they can be contacted at any time with any issue no matter how small. You must be willing and able to listen to any concern and do so in confidence when necessary, something that is desperately needed in this district right now. I want the public and the employees to know that if elected in April this is exactly what I will provide, the assurance that you can to come to me with any concern and know that it will be handled with the utmost importance and confidentiality and will be researched thoroughly in order to achieve the best outcome possible for all parties involved.
Being a school board member means that from time to time you may be presented with feedback of a critical nature and you must be able to use that constructive criticism for the betterment of the district. You must be able to admit your shortcomings rather than stick your head in the sand in hopes that the problems will all somehow magically disappear. A good board member will work closely with the public and the employees in order to make Jackson R-2 the absolute best district that it can possibly be. I believe that I do possess all of the qualities that I have mentioned and look forward to the chance to represent you the public on the Jackson R-2 School Board. Spread the word to get out there on April 2nd and vote for new fresh perspectives and new ideas, together we can make a difference.
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