Get on Board campaign seeks community members who care about schools
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
OSBA has launched its 2019 Get on Board campaign. The call for volunteers helps ensure that Oregonians from all walks of life consider investing their time and energy by serving on local school boards.
To prepare prospective board members, OSBA Board Development staff are offering free webinars at noon Jan. 24 and noon Feb. 19. Register for one of the webinars to ask questions about the process and learn about the roles and responsibilities of this vital service.
Jim Green, OSBA’s executive director, said the webinars provide an opportunity for individuals to receive important information before the March 21 deadline to file as candidates.
“We believe that one of the best ways you can make a difference in your community is to run for your local school board,” said Green, who is also a member of the Salem-Keizer School Board. “School boards make decisions that change lives and create opportunities for our young people to succeed.”
Get on Board, which began in 2017, asks sitting board members to offer their expertise for another term and tries to motivate new community members to take up the challenge of volunteer board work for school districts, education service districts and community colleges.
OSBA has emphasized the need for more school board members of color, and OSBA’s membership voted to give the Oregon School Board Members of Color Caucus a voting seat on the OSBA Board of Directors. The caucus is working to recruit and support school board members of color to help communities better understand the unique issues facing students of color as well as create a pipeline of diverse community leaders.
Diversity of leadership demonstrates to students that economic mobility and community success are achievable by all, said caucus President Bill Graupp (North Marion School District).
“Students need to see leaders, teachers and curriculum that resembles their life,” he said.
The Get on Board website also offers answers to frequently asked questions, including how to file, how to get training and what it takes to be a good board member.
School board elections are held in odd-numbered years, and this year it is on May 21.
This is your opportunity to rally around the issue that our members have told us is their main concern: revenue reform to ensure stable, adequate and equitable funding for our schools.
