Attend a workshop for new school board members, and you’ll hear stressed quite strongly that, once a board vote has been taken, you need to accept the majority’s decision-even if you disagree with it.

But what if you think the majority has made a really lousy decision? What if you’re convinced it will seriously harm the school district? Worse, what if you believe that decision is unethical or illegal?

The answer is: You’re toast.

Well, not quite. But you’re not in a good position. For one, 99 percent of the time you should accept that decision. Continued opposition to a vote only distracts the board from moving forward. It also keeps the community uncertain about the district’s direction.

It also won’t earn you any brownie points with your board colleagues. The decision is made, and they want to move on.

But sometimes you must dig in your heels. I learned that while researching an upcoming ASBJ article about a board member’s first 90 days” in office. Even the most ardent advocate for board teamwork acknowledges that there are times when a board member must take a stand.

Opposing your board majority, however, doesn’t mean declaring war against your board colleagues. It doesn’t have to mean political suicide. There are steps you can take in opposing a board vote that will ease the damage of your hard-headed stance.

For starters, as much as possible, take your ongoing opposition out of the public eye. You don’t have to deny your opposition to those that might ask. But it’s going to take time to persuade a majority of your board that they are wrong. Behind-the-scenes, low-key lobbying is far more likely to be effective than harping about the board’s mistake at meetings or in the media.
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Should newly elected or appointed school board members speak up confidently at their very first board meeting? Or does the old adage, “silence is golden,” apply?

That’s one of the questions I’ve been asking spanking-new board members, wizened veterans, and wise sages at state school boards associations across the nation. It’s all part of my research for an August ASBJ article on how to maximize your effectiveness during your “first 90 days” in office.

So far, opinions are pretty divided on this question. Certainly a new school board member will need, on occasion, to ask questions at board meetings-but some suggest taking a cautious approach to speaking out at first.

“I was smart enough to keep my mouth shut until I knew the facts,” one board member told ASBJ in a previous article on boardsmanship. “I opened my mouth to learn and to ask questions I didn’t know the answers to.”

Others suggest board members, by the very nature of their duties, have an obligation to voice their views. As one state association official put it, “When we’re sworn in, we hit the ground running.”
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