Thank goodness for school boards

Few people question the need for their local planning board or their town council. Yet some people believe school boards somehow represent an archaic form of government - - that they don't matter and might even be expendable.

Heaven forbid! In this age when state and federal officials seem increasingly insulated from hometown concerns, school boards do matter very much indeed. Here's why:

Education is that important. Education has become a top priority in all communities. Property values are determined in no small part by the quality of the public schools. Think about it: The first question a prospective homeowner asks is, 'What are the schools like here?' If you want to raise the desirability and the quality of life of your community, start with your schools.

Yes, education is that important. So it stands to reason that a community should have a voice at the local level, with the sole responsibility of shaping the quality of its school system.

A

voice for all. An estimated

three-fourths of the adult population does not have school-age children. Yet public education impacts everyone: Business owners hiring staff, universities enrolling students, and of course, homeowners paying property taxes. School boards don't run schools (that's the job of school administrators). Rather, school boards ensure the schools are well run - and they're accountable to everyone.

Remove school boards, and you've lost the voice of the people. It's that simple.

Of the community, for the community. Teachers, principals, school administrators — even state education officials — all play an irreplaceable role in public education. But they all have a personal financial stake in the process, and most have powerful labor unions watching over their interests. Furthermore, nothing requires them to live in their school district where they work.

School board members, who are entirely unpaid, are the only people in public education who are from the community, selected by the community, to serve the community.

Well trained. By law, school board members must attend NJSBA training during each of the first three years of their first term in office, and once again each time they are reelected or reappointed. No other elected officials in the state - - not mayors, county freeholders, state legislators or our Congressional representatives - - are required to undergo any kind of professional development, and certainly nothing of this magnitude. The people guiding your school system are among the besttrained public officials our state has ever seen.

Delivering success. New Jerseyans receive a solid return on their investment in education. The Garden State consistently ranks at the head of the class in national assessments of student achievement. The National Assessment of Educational Progress, called the "Nation's Report Card," ranks New Jersey among the top handful of states in students' math, reading and writing skills. Our high school graduation rate is the best in the nation. It's no wonder that the National Center for Public Policy and Education gave New Jersey schools a grade of "A" in how well we prepare students for college.

If education is indeed a number one priority, wouldn't you demand to have a panel of watchdogs, beholden to the community, who are accessible and accountable to the community?

Well, such a body exists, and it's called the school board.

Thank goodness we have them.
Harry J. Delgado
President
New Jersey School Boards
Association