This is an edited article from Jonathon Brooks, General Manager for Schooled Limited, a professional services firm that supports schools across Aotearoa, to provide insight and information into the important role our Board plays.

We often hear of the ‘school board’ as parents, whanau and members of the wider school community, but how does that impact on you? And why does it matter more this year?

Every three years, and the next one is this year, all 2424 New Zealand state and state integrated schools hold elections for their school boards, and most people don’t pay much attention to the whole process. As people who care about the education of our students and ākonga, we should look at school board elections as an opportunity to ensure our schools are strong, diverse and reflect the values of our local community.

The school board has an important function in governing the school. The Principal responsible for the day to day running of the school and ensuring the teachers deliver the learning and curriculum that is required, but the school board is free to set the strategic direction of the school, and the strategic direction will have a massive influence on the type of school and how it will respond to the needs of its community.

Every school board is made up of a number of ‘parent representatives’, the Tumuaki or Principal, and a ‘staff representative’. Lots of different people from all sorts of different backgrounds sit on school boards around Aotearoa. You don’t need to have any special skills or experience, as there is free professional development and training available to all board members. The main thing to remember is that you

are there to represent the whole school, not just one group or family. Your job is to make decisions about what is best for the school and community as a whole and ensure the students have the best opportunities possible. School boards give New Zealand families choice and difference in education.

If you want to find more information about what is involved with being on a school board there are a lot of resources available from Te Whakarōputanga Kaitiaki Kura O Aotearoa (the NZ School Boards Association) from www.schoolboardelections.org.nz.

Also, feel free to get in touch with Kate Hassall (principal@northloburn.school.nz) or with the

current Presiding Member (botchair@northloburn.school.nz) both are very happy to chat to you about what is involved!

Parent and Staff Representation by definition:

Parent Representative

A board’s parent representative is nominated and elected from the parent body (they can be co-opted or selected by the board as well), but they are not an advocate for the parent body. They

bring ‘a’ parent perspective into the boardroom but not ‘the’ parent perspective.

Staff Representative

A board’s staff representative is nominated and elected from the staff body but they are not an advocate for the staff body. They bring ‘a’ staff perspective into the boardroom but not the staff

perspective.