.:J.- ••• ,-
Educational Policy-Making Among Indiana School Board Members:
An Attitudinal Survey
(An Honors Thesis)
By
Karen E. Crow
May 21, 1986
SuJ::mitted to:
Dr. Ray Scheele
WP. arp. what WP. lp.arn.
And what wP. lp.arn is a rp.flection of
our soc i P.ty • Economic growth am education go ham in ham.
It's just tnat simplp..
Indiana Board of Education
This is thp. opening linP. of Indiana's plan for thp. futurp. of
ThP. Statp. Board of Education in cohorts
P.ducation in our statp..
wi tn
thp. Govp.rnor' s Officp. has dp.vised a "Bridgp. to thp. Futu rp. "
for
P.ducation.
educational
succP.P.d,
This
training
is
for
our
attp.mpt
to
attain
superior
If
arp. to
futurp. gp.np.rations.
wP.
thp.n all tnosp. involvP.d in tnp. P.ducational procp.ss must
be willing to makp. thp. p.ffort.
For my honors tnp.sis,
I choosp. to survp.y a portion of tnosp.
involved in tnp. educational procp.ss:
family
has
always
bep.n
"hot" on P.ducation
p.lpJmentary principal) and thus,
of tnp. educational procp.ss.
authority.
of
primary
(my
My
fathp.r is
I havp. obsp.rved thp. many
an
facp.ts
School Board members wip.ld powp.r and
Thp.y makp. dp.cisions that will affp.ct tnp. education of
studp.nts in a school systPJn.
goal
School Board membp.rs.
school
board members but that may
importancp.
undp.rstanding
Quality P.ducation is tnp. purported
in
not
all decisions rp.ndp.rP.d.
always
I
be
of
belip.vp.
of tnp. thought procp.ss a school board membP.r
an
usp.s
to arrivp. at a decision would Ip.ad to grp.atp.r communciation among
P.ducators and incrp.asp. our quality of education in Indiana.
My honors
topic
of
thp.sis
began with in-dp.pth
school board ffiPJruDers:
pro arrl
rp.sp.arch
con.
I
into
used
thp.
books
concp.rning school boards to sP.t up a factual and historical basis
from which I procp.eded into magazinp.s such as thp. Indiana School
Board Association Journal, Indiana Statp. Tp.achp.rs Association
Journal,
Phi Dp.lta Kappen,
Educational Digp.st, and many othp.rs.
1
This research made up
material
I
had
t~e
literary basis for my survey.
gleaned fram my research I was
Fram the
able
to
begin
writing my survey.
Sample Selection Procedure
received
I
a
$200 undergraduate research grant
Office of Research to conduct my survey.
t~e
fram
I drew my sample
Indiana School Board Association's membership roster.
are
1648 school board members in Indiana.
total
I ramomly
There
selected
I obtained a skip factor of four by dividing
number of school board members by 400 (an
Thus, every
fram
This is approximately 25% of all school
412 members to survey.
board members.
the
~ourth
t~e
approximation).
school board member was included on my list to
be surveyed.
Once
was
survey instrument was written and put
t~e
sent
out
endorsement
wit~
from Dr.
a business reply envelope and
Jack Peterson,
Indiana School Board Association.
urged members to complete
be
helpful
members'
in
t~e
it
a
of
letter
Executive Director of
In his letter,
Dr.
would
about
help
the
could
school
generate
t~e
Peterson
survey because "the results
gaining a perspective
motivations ••• it
toget~er,
board
additional
information about the public decision-making process."
I received approximately 150 responses in two weeks.
em
of three weeks time,
analysis
At the
when I was ready to begin the computer
portion of my project,
I had received a total
of
186
responses.
Although surveys were trickling in after that time, I
considered
tbis to be my total.
after
The amount of surveys returned
one mailing indicated that I had a 45% response
2
rate.
I
obt~ined
this figure by dividing tne amount of surveys
returned
by tne total amount of surveys mailP.d arrl recei vP.d (400;
12 were
I considerP.d tnis to be a
sent back because of mailing errors).
return rate considering I had not had time or money
good
for
a
second ma i l i ng •
Thesis
Education
is
not
only
tne
key to
tne
success
of
individual but it is the means of advancement of society
In
a recent Gallup Poll on P.ducation,
up witn
itself.
1515 adults were randomly
surveyed
and
conclusion.
The
majority
of respondents (82%) believed tnat developing tne
best
came
system
P.ducational
in
an
tne
interesting
tne world
is
"very
important"
determining America's strength 25 years from now.
in
In comparison,
45 percent believed that building the strongest military force in
1
the
Thus,
world was very important.
today
who
will
education of tne children
be running our country in the
important to most Americans.
is
Board members' reabn
decision-making includes what teachers will be hired
school
system,
what
very
School Board members can affect the
quality of education that students receive.
of
future
teaching
methods
are
by
the
appropriate
for
classroom use, tne incompetency of a teacher or administrator and
on
the financial errl of the spectrum,
budget
for
knowledgeable
their
have
tne
in
school systP2n.
educational
term of office.
to
Booster
educational
president
or
how to the
Board members
allocate
are
matters when they
not
begin
the
often
serving
The closest ties same board IDPJribers may
decision-making may
having
a son or
3
be
serving
daughter
as
as
Band
the
star
snickered
While
player.
basket~all
they
at,
those activities are nothing
are
not
quality
important quality education decisions.
to
detennine
are
several
legal qualifications
member
must be at least
of
21
school
and
board
before
tAking
system's
policy regarding school board members but generally,
year of living in the school district will satisfy any
problems.
they
making
is a need
Residency may be a requirement of each school
office.
public
t~ere
residency
a conflict of interest such as owning land
system
is
working
that
the
in
t~e
considering buying and participating
decision-making process.
members
one
Indiana school board m=>..mbers may be asked to resign if
have
school
be
t~eir decision~king.
A board
members.
I believe
for
school board members perceptions of the roles
attitudes affecting
There
experience
to
in
School boards rranbers who have
school systPjffi are generally
t~e
family
allowed
to
serve unless the familial connection might be deemed injurious to
the
public.
school
an
The statute prohibiting nepotism does not apply to
board members.
act
official
injurious
to
misconduct,
If a school board rranber
the school systPjffi
he
or
she may be
and
has
is
rpjffioved
perfonned
charged
from
with
office.
Indiana Code 5-8-1-21-35 provides for the removal from office for
a
misderreanor.
The
procedure includes a
presented to the grand jury,
"written
accusation
notice to the accused, and trial by
2
jury
the
if
r~e
county
charges
charges are denied."
Second,
circuit court is required of any
a bench trial before
board
member
and collects illegal fees for services rendered
office or neglects his or her duties while in office.
4
in
who
his
Thus,
school board membP.rs are public officials in
manner as
power,
any
elected
politician.
They do not have
but are expected to act in a professional
sOmP-one
decides
achieving
a
to
run
superior
their mind.
for the
school
education should be at the
t~e
same
as
much
manner.
board,
Firing the basketball coach or
t~e
When
goal
of
forefront
of
t~e
principal is not
an adequate reason for running for school board.
Those
members
who are elected on that basis will soon become disillusioned with
t~e
mundane
provide
but
important tasks of the board.
They
will
tbe requisite enthusiasm and attention to detail
not
needed
for a functioning, viable school board.
There
IIP-Inbers
deal
are
several
today.
of
One
and Jane recrl?
antiChristian
Americans in
facing
school
These are decisions that will require
forethought
educators.
important issues
of
and
t~ose
discussion among
board
a
great
board mP-mbers
issues is who should decide what
and
Dick
What may be a liberal education to some would be
to
t~e
others.
There
80 1s to clear
t~e
has been a
rampage
school of all
by
same
lltrashll.
That
trash, according to an article in the ISBA Journal, has included:
The
American
Herit~ge
Dictionary (it containted 39 dirty words);
of Anne Frank (because it llperpetuates the hoax ll that the
holocaust really occurred);
and
Of Mice and Men;
Jewish
John Steinbeck1s The Grapes of Wrath
and even Margaret Mi tchell l s Gone with the
Wind (one of my favorites, I guess according to some standards, I
3
now
such
have a warped mind)!
well-known
Majority
and
This censorship drive has
persons as Jerry Falwell,
Phyllis
Schlafly,
5
head
of
come
leader of tbe
the
Stop
from
Moral
Textbook
Censorship Committee (a housewife who should have stayed in
School board members will be asked and/or pressured
house) •
drop
the
certain
controversial books from the school system's
to
use.
It is up to that board member to decide if tne book has
literary
value
academic
that
is
useful and important to the
student's
grCYWth.
Two
and
other important issues facing board mPJnbers
market pay for teachers.
field
are merit
It's no secret that tne
teaching
is one tnat is highly underpaid when compared to the level
The average experienced
of skills in otner areas of work.
teacher
now makes about $23,500 a year (in Indiana,
u.s.
it is much
4
less,
somewhere around $18,000 a year).
Many teachers leave tne
teaching profession after a few years for several reasons.
1985
Gallup
In a
Poll asked schools who had trouble attracting
and
retaining
good teachers what tne reasons were for this
problem.
Fifty-nine
percent replied tnat low salaries kept good
teachers
away from the classroom.
profession
(12%),
Otner reasons listed were unattractive
No respect (7%);
LCYW Status (6%);
and
Poor
5
Administration
being
very
status
(5%).
American teachers see their profession
important
to the good of society but
the
according
tne
survey.
Merit
very
pay
low
as
in
involves
supplementing a teacher's salary if that teacher is deemP.d to
be
performing
is
above
and
beyond the call of duty.
something of a reward for excellence.
concept of merit pay;
his
"Bridge
to
in fact,
Merit
pay
Indiana is supporting the
Governor Orr has included it
tne Future" plan to improve
education
in
in
our
state.
In the government's goal to "Attract and Retain Effective
School
Personnel," merit pay is described in the following
6
way:
"Develop,
schools
test
can
and
prorrote adoption of alternative ways
encourage
and
reward
superior
local
performance
and
6
continued
by
Merit pay is sometimP.s
professional growth."
teacher
unions
because
t~ey
believe there is
equitable manner to distribute funds.
belief
comes
teachers
the
given
equitable
t~e
t~eir
best?1I
fair
or
along with that
responses of "What incentives
for doing
board members, in
However,
no
opposed
are
excellent
is
sOmP.thing
Merit pay
future, must consider. Devising a workable,
plan will placate some teachers and develop
a
systPJn
for rewarding excellence.
Market pay is a most important issue board mP.mbers must deal
with.
This
comparable
concept involves paying teachers salaries that
are
to what they could earn in the professional world
if
they choose to leave teaching today.
concern
educators have today.
especially)
jobs
are
elsewhere.
leaving
This
Market pay attacks a great
Many teachers (science and math
the profession to obtain higher paying
trend has taken away from
profession several potentially excellent teachers.
plan
must be devised to encourage
teaching profession.
educational
goals
Therefore, a
teachers to stay in
for
the future.
In
t~e
same
GoalS,
t~e
it
IISupport a compensation system
is competitive with other states and financially
enough
teaching
Indiana has also included market pay in its
supports market pay in this way:
that
t~ose
t~e
rewarding
to attract highly competent and highly motivated people to
7
the
teaching
with
market
devised
profession. II
pay
There are not nearly
that there are with
merit
pay.
the
quarrels
It may
be
as a across the board ffiP.asure that will be an incentive to
keep good teachers around.
7
Teacher's
board
tenure
members
is
another important issue
will have to face.
The tenure
tnat
systP.m
school
involves
retaining teachers who have been around at a school for a lengthy
period of time and also not being able to terminate that
easily.
This
incompetence
system
to flourish,
may
encourage
mediocrity,
desearve.
On
the flip side of tne coin,
to
express new ideas without worrying if he or she will
not
tenure allows tne teacher freedom
lose
fire more experienced (expensive) teachers and hire
incompetent
documentation
younger
However, the dismissal process to terminate
teacher
before
tne
is long and tedious and
requires
actual termination
take
may
much
place.
Damage to students' education may be wrought before a school
get rid of a bad teacher.
deal
a
It also insures that some (nasty) boards will
(cheaper) teachers.
an
permit
diminish tne quality of education for
children and may even rob teachers of tne respect tney
job because of it.
teacher
can
It is important that the school board
fairly with teachers but on tne otner hand,
tenure
reform
should be seriously considered.
Collective Bargaining has proved to be a bone of
among teachers and school board members.
the
school
agent
board
provided
contention
Generally,
and a committee of teachers or
every year
a
bargaining
by the local teacher'S union must sit
down
iron out differences in what the teachers want in tneir
and what the board is willing to give them.
cannot
be
may
move
then
they strike.
illegal and should be a means of last resort.
sometimes
Striking is
A teachers strike
the board into swift action but it may also
8
contract
If those differences
dealt with at contract negiotiations
teachers use a more radical response:
and
adversely
affect students education and school rrorale.
may
be
mPJnbers
revoked for striking but often
is
A teacher's license
not.
School
board
may succumb to community pressure to settle before that.
A school board member must be able to communicate and
affect
a
good working relationship with teachers after a strike is over if
quality education is to be achieved.
What
data
I hope to achieve from this survey and tbe
analysis
is
decisionmaking
up.
I
a
glimpse into
the
school
board
when controversial topics such as
believe
subsequent
t~e
above
school board members responses to my
will aide me in this endeavor and
lead to a greater understanding
the results of
t~e
member's
camP-
questions
survey may
t~is
educational policy process.
Respondent Description
I
began
my survey with several questions to
members that would relate
birth,
will
sex,
SOffiP-
formal education,
school
demographic information:
etc.
board
year
of
I believe this information
prove quite helpful in determining mores and culture behind
the respondent.
Year
categories:
and
older.
middle
older
of
birth of
t~e
respondents was
divided
Of those responding,
35% were 42 and younger;
age bracket constituted 34% of
t~e
winded up with a percentage of 31.
older.
three
42 and younger, 43 to 50 years of age and 50 years old
total and age
50
the
and
I found this category
interesting because two thirds of the respondents were
or
into
43 years old
This indicates that a person younger than 43 may not
be elected quite as easily as one who is older.
9
Male school board members heavily dominated tbe sex of board
members
in
Indiana.
Seventy-one percent of all
school
board
ffiP.mbers in Indiana are male (the actual numerical figure is 130).
While
only
22 percent of board members in our state are
female
(the remaining seven percent was regarded as missing data because
the dpjffiographic section of the survey was not completed).
These
figures
is
reveal
that holding down a school board position
a
relatively male-dominated field.
The Caucasion race, of tbose surveyed, outnumbered tbe Black
race and tbe Other category 165 to 5 (tbere were 13 missing
data
This would tend to indicate that, although minorities
surveys).
constitute more than 5 percent of Indiana'S population,
they are
not well represented on school boards.
Eighty-eight
percent
of
tne
respondents
are
married,
indicating that a single person running for school board may have
a
tougher
time getting elected because tney may not
present
a
solid, responsible image tbat tne married individual represents.
Formal
education
figures
somewhat
surprising.
surveyed
had not completed high school,
on
to
the
only one percent
of
survey
were
the members
a great number had gone
only
represented 20% of the survey sample while 22% had obtained
some
and
education.
by
school
college.
higher
While
obtained
College
surprisingly,
Those completing
high
graduates constituted 18% of tbose
the
same figure came up in the category
those who had achieved a graduate degree.
that
Indiana
has a good percentage
These figures
(almost
highly educated individuals on its school boards.
10
for
Finally, three percent
of those interviewed had received their doctorate.
indicate
surveyed
40%)
of
Another
wit~
came up
category in
t~e
dP.mographic sp.ction of
some interesting results.
the
survey
Respondents were asked if
they attended high school in the same community in which they now
Almost 50 percent replied that
live and serve as board IDPJribers.
they
did,
indeed,
live
in the same
community.
This
figure
indicates that 50% of the school board population has remained in
the
same school systPJm for most of their lives.
same
t~e
Living in
community may hinder new ideas and approaches to education.
New
blood is often required before a school systPJm will
its
ways.
attended
t~e
Well
that
If
t~e
school board consists of the same people
who
high school, new ideas may flounder and fail.
over 60% of
they
change
t~e
school board members surveyed
replied
had children in the school systPJm in which they
board members.
This figure is somewhat understandable.
were
Parents
are most concerned with the school systPJm in which their children
attend.
However, care must be taken not to allow the children'S
activities
and interests in school to interfere
made for the good of
Figures
board
t~e
obtained
from
the survey results
indicated
members in Indiana generally serve more than one
years.
five
years as a board mPJriber.
certain
Almost
decisions
entire school system.
four
longer
with
60% of tbose interviewed had
that
term
served
of
over
This longevity may indicate that
practices and approaches to education may stay in
in a school system where tbe board members have
in office for more than one term.
11
remained
This longevity is fine as long
as the board serves the school and the community's best
and not the board's best interest!
force
interest
Most
school
positions.
Th8
district
election
(those
voted
in
th8ir
by
on8
district in their school systPJn) constituted 53%
of
el8Cted while members elected at-larg8 repr8s8nted 30%
of
particulalr
thos8
board mPJnbers in Indiana ar8 818CtP.d to
p8rsons 818Cted to th8 board.
Only 16.4% of Indiana school board
members ar8 appointed to tn8 position.
board
B8ing 818cted to a school
position may indicate mor8 int8r8st in education
firing
tn8
Running
bask8t~11
for
coach) than
thos8
who
ar8
any 818Cted position takes tiID8 and
(or
in
appointed.
courag8.
SomP-
Being appointed is not quite so difficult a task.
Th8
school
board
membership
sample
r8presented quit8 a vari8ty of occupations.
farID8rs
(Indiana
8ngin88rs,
always
psychologists,
had
r8tired
is a farming
stat8),
busin8ss
tnat
surv8yed
S8veral members are
SomP-
were
8x8cutives,
sOID8thing to comment upon),
I
SomP-
hous8wives,
salesm8n (th8Y
respondents
were
and a few of those surveyed had b8en or are involved
education
as teachers or administrators.
occupational
status,
mad8 for
inter8sting results.
S0ID8
This wid8 variety
along witn th8 oth8r
dp~ographic
in
of
figures,
Datn Analysis
My
surv8Y
information,
was
brok8n into
questions
thr8e
s8Ctions:
d8mOgraphic
r81ating to why th8 school board
sought the position originally,
and p8rc8ptions of school
member
board
mP.mbers r8garding s8v8ral issues facing them today.
There
were
thr8e demographic variables I
tabulating my r8sults.
board mP.mber,
Th8s8 W8re:
used
in
cross-
number of Y8ars s8rved as a
Y8ar of birth, and last Y8ar of respond8nts formal
12
education.
I
believed
these variables would give mP.
interesting
results in terms of how board mP.mbers would
most
t~e
respond
to questions asked.
The
involved
position.
of
first
the
significant
school
One of
vocational
believed
our
board mP.mbers'
t~e
I
reason
for
questions I asked concerned
programs in
worded in this way:
cross-tabulation
t~e
as
vocational
board mPJriber.
t~e
t~e
importance
"I sought a school board position because I
program did
question were cross-tabbed with
a
seeking
The question was
high school.
not
adequately prepare
students for the job market after high school."
this
across
camP.
The
t~e
The answers from
number of years
results (listed
in
served
Table 1 below)
indicated that those who had served for less than five years as a
board mPJriber disagreed in higher percentages that this was one of
the reasons they ran for
t~e
board than those who had served over
five years as a board mPJriber.
Enhancing vocational education programs
as a reason for seeking school board position
Under Five
Years Served
Strongly Agree
Over Five
Years Served
5
113
Agree
22
16
Undecided
18
5
Disagree
39
34
Strongly Disagree
21
9
Table 1
13
These numbers of respondents indicate that those coming onto
the
board
in recent years do not value vocational programs
as
highly as those who have been on the board for several terms.
I
came up witn another significant finding when I
respondent's
involving
last
year
of
formal education with
tne school's atnletic program.
big business in Indiana,
a
compared
question
Athletics are
especially basketball,
pretty
and people tend
to get disatisfied with coaches and athletic programs that do not
produce winners.
I thought it would be interesting to
board rranbers responded to tne following question:
see how
"I sought a
school board position because I believed our athletic program, in
its
previous form,
excel."
three
less
offered little opportunity for
students
I broke tne nine formal education categories down
collapsed categories:
and
7th to 11th grade);
to
into
high school (includes 6tn grade
college (includes
or
some college,
college and some graduate education) and graduate (which includes
Masters degree
graduating
question
College
and
from
than
Doctorate degree).
high school only,
I
tnat
disagreed far less with
tnose who had completed
higher
and Graduate education categories had
were very similar.
found
tnose
tne
education.
The
percentages
that
The results are indicated below in Table 2.
14
Change Atbletic Program by last year of Formal Education
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
High School
19
8
College
33
27
Graduate
34
31
*The Strongly Agree and Agree made up less than 15% of the entire
sample, therefore, I did not deem thpJn significant to this table.
Table 2
These results indicate that tbe higher the educational level
one achieives the less inclined they are to support athletics
the primary reason for obtaining a school board position.
with
as
Those
only a high school education seem to support atbletics
far
more strongly.
A third finding I found sornP-what important was obtained when
I
cross-tabbe:l
tbe
number of years served as a board
following question:
member
"One of the reasons I sought a
with
school
board position was because I believed children were being exposed
to improper influences (i.e.
pressure
to accept drugs,
finding,
those
disagreed
reading suggestive material,
alcohol,
etc)."
In this
particular
who had served over five years as a board member
far less than those who had only served one term with
the question.
Results in Table 3 indicate that the board ffiPJnbers
with more longevity are perhaps more conservative than those
have
peer
who
just served one term and are more concerned with the morals
of students.
15
Children exposed t.o improper influences
by number of years served
Under Five
Year s Served
Over Five
Years Served
Agree
3
9
Undecided
6
4
Disagree
46
37
St.rongly Disagree
49
22
*Only t.hree of t.hose responding st.rongly agreed
question. Of those, 2 had served over five years.
witn
t.he
Table 3
I
asked
school board members several questions
their attitudes towards t.eachers.
proved
as
a
quite informative.
Same of t.he
concerning
cross-t.abulations
I crossed tne number of years served
board mPJriber with tne following
quest.ion:
III
sought
a
school board position because there were teachers whom I believed
were
incompetent
and
I wanted tnem
fired. 1I
This
t.abulation
followed the pattern of the previous t.ables in t.hat those who had
been
on tne board longer seemed t.o have more conservative,
fashioned
power
ideas that hinged on tne board being in a position
(fire
those
teachers
now!)
approaches to education (See Table 4) •
16
rather
t.han
taking
oldof
new
Firing incompetent teachers
by number of years served as board mP~r
Urrler Five
Years Served
Over Five
Year Served
2
3
15
3
Urrlecided
6
9
Disagree
47
34
Strongly Disagree
36
25
Strongly Agree
Agree
Table 4
I
asked
several
questions
perceptions of their roles.
significant
resporrlent
some
results
as
concerning
tnose
previously
this
why
a
did
relate
I cross-tabbed tne last year of
formal
"I believe my role as a
member is that of a trustee - I make my own decisions with
the public's best interest in mind."
those
concerning
sought a school board position but a few
interesting data.
members
These findings did not yield as many
education with the following statpJnP.nt:
board
board
The results indicated
that
with a college or graduate education strongly agreed
with
statpJnP.nt far more often than those with only a high school
education (See Table 5).
17
Role as a trustee by formal education
Graduate
COllege
High School
Strongly Agree
11
29
33
Agree
20
33
34
5
5
3
Disagree
*The categories of undecided and strongly disagree were sparsely
filled out and constituted only nine people. I did not believe
t~ey were significant.
Table 5
Achieving
significant
or
a
higher
level of formal education may
bearing on how assertive a board member believes
public's best interest in mind.
education
without
with
own decisions
not
with
Those with higher degree of
felt more comfortable with making decisions themselves
consulting the public.
the
question
overwhelmingly
of
"I
delegate
represent
compared
ffiP~r's
(88%) believed their role was that of a
trustee.
heed
my
next question on my survey which
role
as a board member is
the concerns and demands
of
that
the
of
a
public
I
and make decisions according to their wishes."
last
year
formal
education with
When I
the
previous
a college or graduate level of
education
those
disagreed
far more strongly than did those with
But
with
of
question,
education.
as
birth
trustee,
t~e
role
of
a
believe
- I
When I compared year
the board
This figure is backed up by
stated,
t~eir
a
he
Those with high school educations only did
she can be.
agree as strongly that they should make
t~e
have
a
high
none of the categories strongly supported
statement.
18
school
that
Role as Delegate by formal education
High School
College
Graduate
3
6
1
15
14
22
Undecided
4
17
12
Disagree
12
27
35
3
7
2
Strongly Agree
Agree
Strongly Disagree
Table 6
This
table is significant in tnat many school board members
regardless
a
school
they
it
of
educational level do not believe
their
board member is to heed tne every whim of
represent.
indicates
role
the
as
public
I believe this is an important finding because
that board members realize that
not always be in their best
what
interests.
the
public
To
support
wants
may
every
position your community asked would be an impossible
task
(trying to make decisions among large groups generally results in
utter chaos).
Conclusion
I
believe
character
of
this survey has provided some insight
the school board mAmber.
into
the
We have found that
the
higher the educational level the more willing the board member is
to
accept new ideas and place more emphasis on
acadpJmics.
board member who has served only one term and who is more
educated
is
more
inclined
to make his or
19
her
own
The
highly
decisions
without
more
The board ffiPJRber
guidance from the community.
who
t~ose
highly educated is not as concerned with athletics as
who
had
only
believes
reason
athletics
for
important
systPJm.
may
Very
fire
improve
the
or
primary
I believe
education for students
she
it
is
position
so
t~e
in
that seems to
school
be
the
few board ffiPJmbers sought a school board position to
teachers,
social standing in
t~ey
asked if
but that is not
results of my survey,
t~e
incompetent
their
He
seeking a school board position.
From
case.
is important,
education.
that board ffiPJrubers seek the school board
t~ey
that
received an high school
is
t~e
t~e
or sought
community
would allow a child
wit~
position
and
to
improve
surprisingly,
when
Acquired Immune Deficiency
SyndrornP. to remain in their school almost 30 percent agreed.
figure
would
was surprising to me because I believe most board ffiPJrubers
not
were
The
the bait and answer the question
t~ke
I
undecided).
submit
t~ese
(although
30%
results as indicative of
t~e
commitment most board mPJmbers have to achieving quality education
for
t~e
I
children in our state.
believe
understanding
think
further
of
research would
be
beneficial
the school board decision-making
to
process.
it would be interesting to see same research done on
question:
knowledge
Do
boards with highly educated people who have
regarding
educational matters have a more
the
I
t~is
some
successful
school systPJm than those who have not achieved a higher education
and who are not motivated to learn about the educational process?
Results from such a survey might indicate that some knowledge
educational
of
matters should be a requirement before being electBd
to the school board.
20
It is not where we stand tnat's important so much as in what
direction we are moving.8
Oliver Wendell Holmes
The turnaround of education must begin every place at once.9
H. Dean Evans
Indiana Superintendent of
Public Instruction
Our
possib~e
goal
for
in
Indiana
is to
achieve
tne
best education
children today so tnat they may become part
viable, intelligent work force in tne next generation.
a
of
a
Obtaining
better understanding of how educational decisions are derived
can only aide in that process.
21
ENDNOTES
1.
Costerison, Dennis. "16th Annual Gallup Poll On Public Education," Indiana School Board Association Journal,
Indianapolis, IN, (November-December, 1984), p. 10.
2.
Errmet, David J. tlLegal Qualifications for Indiana School
Board Members,tl ISBA Journal, Indianapolis, IN,
(July-August 1984~s. 26-28.
3.
Cape, Diane M. "School Board Magic: Who Should decide
what Dick and Jane read?," ISBA Journal, Indianapolis
IN, (March-April 1983), pgs. 12-13.
4.
tlAttracting top talent major public concern, poll shows,"
Indiana State Teachers Association, Indianapolis, IN
(Septp~r 1985), Vol. 4 (2), p. 5.
5.
Ibid., p. 5.
6.
Indiana State Board of Education. "A Bridge to the Future,"
Phase IV of the Decade of Excellence in Education.
Recommended to 1986 General Assembly. p. 7.
7.
Ibid, p. 8.
8.
Ibid., p. 1.
9.
Ibid., p. 15.
22
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Magazine Articles
Cape, Diane M. "School Board Magic: Who should decide what Dick
and Jane read?," Indiana School Board Association Journal,
Indianapolis, IN, (March-April 1983) p. 12-13.
Costerison, Dennis. "The 16th Annual Gallup Poll on Public
Education,"
ISBA Journal, Indianapolis, IN, (Nov.-Dec.
1984) ,po 10-13-.Costerison,
Dennis.
"Collective Bargaining Laws Among The
States," ISBA Journal, Iooianapolis, IN, (Sept-Oct. 1983),
p. 10-12.-Costerison, Dennis.
"ISBA Manbership Survey," ISBA Journal,
Indianapolis, IN, (Nov-Dec. 1985), p. 20-22.
Emnet, David J. "Illegal Teachers Strike: The Supermarket
Temper Tantrum," ISBA Journal, Indianapolis, IN, (Mar-Apr.
1985), p. 30-32.
Emnet, David J. "Legal Qualifications for Indiana School Board
Members," ISBA Journal, (July-Aug. 1984), p. 26-28.
Eirm2t, David J. liThe School Corportation's Right to Obtain An
Employees's Cooperation When Investigating Fitness to Perform the Job," ISBA Journal, Indianapolis, IN, (Mar-Apr.
1984), p. 26-28.-Krajewski, Robert. "Is Merit Pay Coming?1I ISBA Journal, Indianapolis, IN, (Jan.-Feb. 1984), p. 6-8.
Methvin, Eugene. "Guess Who Spells Disaster for Education?lI,
ISBA Journal, Indianapolis, IN, (July-Aug. 1984), p. 8-10.
Moore, Damon P. "Indiana Brags while other states get the jobs,"
Indiana State Teachers Association, Indianapolis, IN,
(Sept. 1985), Vol. 4 (2), p. 2.
Moore,
Damon
P.
IIPreaching
to school boards',"
Indianapolis, IN, (July 1985), Vol. 2 (3), p. 2.
ISTA,
Netusil, Tony. "Unethical Board Behavior," ISBA Journal,
Indianapolis, IN, (March-Apr. 1985), p. 10-12.
Pauline, Lawrence and Philip Pitruzzello, "You can close schools
without enraging everyone-here's how," ISBA Journal, Indianapolis, IN, (Nov.-Dec. 1983), p. 23-25.--
PP.trix, RobP.rt G. ''WP. Must Rp.forrn Tp.achp.r Tp.nurp., II
Indianapolis, IN, (Mar.-Apr. 1984), p. 19.
ISBA Journal
PompP.r, GP.rald M. "Practicing Political Scip.ncp. on a Local
School Board," ISBA Journal, (Sp.pt.-Oct. 1984), p.25-28.
"Attracting top talp.nt major public concp.rn, poll shows," ISTA
Journal, Indianapolis, IN, (Sp.pt. 1985), Vol. 4 (2), p~
"Pay for schooling now or wp.lfarp. latp.r, study warns,"
Journal, Indianapolis, IN, (Aug. 1985), p. 6-7.
"Shortp.st Strikp. gP.ts rp.sults,"
(Oct. 1984), p. 4.
ISTA
ISTA Journal, Indianapolis, IN,
"Stiffp.r standards adoptP.d," ISTA Journal, Indianapolis, IN,
(Nov. 1985), Vol. 4 (4), p. 6.
"Tp.achp.rs look at thp.ir profp.ssion," ISTA Journal, Indianapolis,
IN, (May 1985), Vol. 8 (9), p. 12-."Tp.n Top Issup.s Facing Public Schools in 1984," ISBA Journal,
Indianapolis, IN, (Mar .-Apr. 1984), p. 14-15-.Pamphlp.ts
Indiana Statp. Board of Education. "A Bridgp. to thp. Futurp."
Phasp. IV of tnp. Dp.cadp. of Excp.llp.ncp. in Education.
Rp.commendP.d to tnp. 1986 GP.np.ral Assembly.