On July 21, GO Public Schools and the League of Women Voters of Oakland hosted an Elections Kick-Off event, the Roles and Responsibilities of the Oakland School Board. Following the presentation by Chris Maricle of the California School Boards Association, participants broke out into small groups to process what they'd heard.  What follows is an overview of each group's discussion notes, including their wows, wonders, and recommended next steps. In short, participants had the following reactions:   

Many were surprised to learn that there are no formal qualifications for becoming a school board member - in fact, there are few barriers to entry at all. Participants noted that since there is no recall process, providing various types of training or creating a vetting process may help to better prepare Board members to succeed in their roles. Some envisioned taking advantage of the few barriers to entry by training and offering stipends to students to fill Board seats.  

The norms and culture associated with school board membership was also an interesting discovery for many.  While there are quite a few rules that Board members must follow, Mr. Maricle stressed that norms must be mutually enforced, and that work must be done to transform the Board into a more cohesive team. As Director Gary Yee shared, each school board member has the right and responsibility to vote on a decision, but must ultimately support the majority's decision as if it were his own.  

 

Overall, participants found the presentation informative and thought provoking, and strongly recommended providing similar forums for teachers, families, community based organizations, and students throughout Oakland. Likewise, many participants suggested that everyone go out and share this new found information with other education advocates in their communities.