1. What reporters should be alert to as they cover school boards
“Because I said so….” A Lightning Talk on board governance by Ann Meyer
What reporters should be alert to as they cover school boards

2. What’s wrong with this scene?
By Ann Meyer, EWA May 2019 Baltimore
What’s wrong with this scene?
A teacher is the board chair and uses “because I said so” to answer questions from staff, the board and even parents
The vice chair is a parent of a student the board chair teaches
The admissions director attends board meetings and has the ear of the board chair
The admissions director is the executive director of a related charity that solicits donations from parents at the school
The charity’s board chair is the wife of the school’s board vice chair
The treasurer of the school board is also treasurer of the charity

3. Did somebody say ‘soap opera’?
By Ann Meyer, EWA May 2019 Baltimore
Did somebody say ‘soap opera’?
True life is stranger than fiction
Board politics can be the story in and of itself
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

4. Board politics start with relationships and personalities
By Ann Meyer, EWA May 2019 Baltimore
Board politics start with relationships and personalities
Show me a board where politics don’t exist and I’ll show you a board you don’t understand
It’s important to be aware of relationships and the conflicts they can cause
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

5. Spotting conflicts of interest
By Ann Meyer, EWA May 2019 Baltimore
Spotting conflicts of interest
What happens when a school board member is also:
a professional services provider, such as a lawyer, business consultant, technology company executive, school bus owner, owner of a custodial or landscape company, educational consultant, etc.
And the board member offers to provide the service to the district?
What could possibly go wrong?
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

6. What’s wrong with this scene?
By Ann Meyer, EWA May 2019 Baltimore
What’s wrong with this scene?
A private school has a board of four people
One is the paid administrator
One is the paid administrator’s father
One is leaving the board
One is a dentist, possibly the paid administrator’s family dentist

7. Parents as School Board members
By Ann Meyer, EWA May 2019 Baltimore
Parents as School Board members
Is it a conflict when parents serve on the board?
Parents can be effective board members because they understand the system in the present day
But conflicts can occur when they put the interest of their children or their friends’ children above the interest of the school district as a whole
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC

8. Red flag No. 1 Parents fearful of retaliation
By Ann Meyer, EWA May 2019 Baltimore
Red flag No. 1 Parents fearful of retaliation
When a board chair or a superintendent wields too much power, the chair can shut down other board members or parents Board members with children in the school fear retaliation and therefore might be less likely to speak against the board chair Can these parent board members carry out their fiduciary responsibility?
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND

9. Red flag No. 2 Prior relationships and allegiances
By Ann Meyer, EWA May 2019 Baltimore
Watch for relationships among board members and those they work with
Are members teaming up and voting their allegiance to their pal or the board chair instead of doing what’s in the best interest of the organization?
Report on this!
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

10. Telltale signs of dysfunction Red flag No. 3 “because I said so”
By Ann Meyer, EWA May 2019 Baltimore
Telltale signs of dysfunction Red flag No. 3 “because I said so”
Listen for a board chair or superintendent who when asked “Why!?”
Replies:
“because I said so” or a variation
“because we said we would do this at the last meeting”
“because we agreed to this”
“because this is the way we do it”
“because this is the way it’s always been done”
This Photo by Unknown Author is under CC BY

11. Red flag No. 4 Chairs protecting themselves
By Ann Meyer, EWA May 2019 Baltimore
Red flag No. 4 Chairs protecting themselves
You know there’s a problem when a board chair says:
“We have to protect our superintendent” because he or she is also protecting himself
“I only want people on the committee who will support me”
“I don’t know if I can trust him on this committee”
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

12. Red flag No. 5 Canceled meetings
By Ann Meyer, EWA May 2019 Baltimore
Red flag No. 5 Canceled meetings
It’s a problem when boards:
Fail to notify the public of meetings
Cancel meetings and fail to provide notice of the new meeting
Hold longer or more frequent executive sessions
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

13. Red flag No. 6 Meeting informally before meetings
By Ann Meyer, EWA May 2019 Baltimore
Meetings of the board are supposed to be public, including phone call meetings
How can you tell if the board met ahead of time?
Board meetings will be short with no discussion
Red flag No. 6 Meeting informally before meetings
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

14. Red flag No. 7 Demanding consensus or unanimity
By Ann Meyer, EWA May 2019 Baltimore
Red flag No. 7 Demanding consensus or unanimity
It’s a problem when the board chair says “we’re all going to vote unanimously”
It’s an even larger problem when no one disagrees with this

15. Where these conflicts can occur
By Ann Meyer, EWA May 2019 Baltimore
Where these conflicts can occur
Elected or appointed school boards
Nonprofit or charter school boards
Committees
Other educational organizations, such as dance or music institutes, sports education clubs, charities that provide mentoring, etc!
Anywhere and everywhere!
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

16. Questions? Contact me at: Ann Meyer, education reporter,
By Ann Meyer, EWA May 2019 Baltimore
Questions?
Contact me at:
Ann Meyer, education reporter,
Savannah Morning News