I would bet most people, myself included, have not given much consideration to how they vote for a school committee member. Honestly, until I became a parent, I did not think at all about what the school committee does or why I should care about who is on the committee.
This is important. At minimum, even if you are not a parent, or your children are not in a public school, the school committee spends your tax dollars. The Waltham Public School budget is a matter of public record, and can be found here. You should at least take a look at it to know how those dollars are being spent.
School committees are generally non-partisan. The term is a four year term, and in Waltham, we have 6 elected seats. In general, school system employees, teachers, principals, etc. cannot be on the school committee while employed within the school system. On the Waltham SC, the mayor and the superintendant are members, with the mayor serving as the chairperson.
But what do they DO? At a high level, the school committee sets the vision for the school system within the city. They are responsible for the hiring, evaluating and in some cases, firing of the superintendant. They evaluate and adopt the policies that effect all of the schools in the community, and if there are conflicts that cannot be resolved otherwise, serve as the judicial or appeals board for the resolution of these matters. They monitor and manage the finances of the district, and manage the collective bargaining process, i.e. they manage the union negotiations.
The committee sets the tone for the entire school system, creating an environment that, if managed properly, creates a thriving educational system that supports the administrative efforts of the superintendant and principals, the teaching efforts of the teachers, and the learning and growth of the students at all levels.
Because of the critical nature of its work, it is important the school committee members work well together. If you have not done so, you should watch at least one Waltham School Committee meeting. They meet twice a month, usually on the first and third Wednesday of the month, with the exception of July and August. The meetings are broadcast on WCAC the local public access station. I usually record the meeting and then watch it later. What people should be looking for is how does the committee work together? Do they work well as a team? Is there a sense of people having the same interests and agenda or is there a sense of discord, a lack of organization or understanding of the issues? Do people seem to be working at cross purposes? Do things get decided in a timely manner or are decisions regularly put off?
It is important that they work well together, but that they are comfortable discussing, questioning and approaching each decision with an open mind. Working as a unit does not mean that ideas cannot be discussed and debated, but it does mean it is done with respect and consideration.
Do the members seem to be pulling in the same direction with the same motivation - making decisions that are right for the community - or is it a battle of wills and ego?
Do the members understand the community they serve? This is important to consider and not just assume that someone who has lived in your community for 25 years knows the community. He or she might know the community he or she grew up in, but do they understand the WHOLE community, its needs, its challenges, its strengths?
In the end, the school committee should be committed to the education and growth of the children in its community, ALL of the children, and value public education.
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