I was given the task of interviewing a local school board member to ask questions pertaining to how policy is formulated, and how evidence is used to make decisions as a school board member. After speaking with my school principal, she informed me of who our area school board member was. According to Orange County Public Schools, this board member has been a member of the school board for serval years, serving as vice chair. She is a well accomplished educator, with many accolades including Teacher of the Year, Junior Achievement’s Educator of the Year, Humanitarian Award at the 2006 Annual Scholarships and Volunteers Awards Dinner sponsored by Orange County Mayor Richard T. Crotty and the Board of County Commissioners, University of Central Florida’s Alumni of the Decade, and much more. She has served on various boards, and has traveled the world assisting educators. Overall, she is a well-rounded and accomplished educator.
After speaking to my principal, I sent an email to the board member about the possibility of setting up an interview. I followed up with a call to her secretary, who informed me to email the request to her. After complying with what was asked of me, I did not receive a response. About two weeks later, I sent a follow up email to both the board member and her secretary asking for her support in answering the questions. I later received an email from the secretary stating that the board member would be willing to answer my questions. I was delighted and offered to send a list of questions for review and suggested that the board member omit any questions she preferred not to answer. I thought it would be in the best interest of time to use questions developed by Elizabeth Anne Hoylman (2017), author of The Role of Evidence-based Research in the Decision-making Process as Perceived by Local Board of Education Policymakers in West Virginia, and Robin Kay and Loralea Carruthers (2017), authors of Examining School Board Leaders’ Use of Online Resources to Inform Decision-Making. From these two resources, I adopted the following questions for the interview. the board member’s responses to those questions are as follows:
What sources of information are used by local board of education policymakers in the decision-making process?
A: No Answer
To what extent, if any, do local board of education policymakers rely upon evidence-based research in the decision-making process?
A: No answer
What perceptions do local board of education policymakers have related to the overall credibility of evidence-based research?
A: No answer
What perceptions do local board of education policymakers have related to the overall usefulness of evidence-based research?
A: No answer
What factors facilitate the use of evidence-based research by local board of education policymakers in the decision-making process?
A: No answer
What factors serve as barriers to the use of evidence- based research by local board of education policymakers in the decision-making process?
A: No answer
What role, if any, do intermediaries play in the decision-making process of local board of education policymakers?
A: No answer
Are there demographic factors that affect local board of education policymakers’ use of evidence- based research?
A: No answer
What online resources do school board trustees use for the purpose of decision-making?
A: No answer
What is the perceived usefulness of online resources in the decision-making process?
A: No answer
Under what circumstance do school board trustees use online resources?
A: No answer
How do trustees ensure the trustworthiness of online resources?
A: No answer
What barriers prevent trustees from using online resources?
A: No answer
What supports do trustees need to access online information?
A: No answer
On January 28th, 2019, I received an unexpected call from the board member. Initially, I thought she called to introduce herself, allow me to do the same, and schedule a formal meeting in person or over the phone. She led our discussion by asking me questions pertaining to my credentials, and how I got her information. I informed her that I was a student at NCU and an employee of OCPS. I went on to answer her question about what school I worked at and provided a brief description of the assignment I was tasked with. She spent the next 18 minutes telling me that she would not be of assistance to me and not “Do” my work for me, telling me that she was a former student of NCU and that “they” did not ask me to conduct an interview. She told me that I needed to do my own research and to find this information out by reading the Florida Constitution. She went on to elaborate on her accomplishments and explain how she paved the way for me (although I’m not originally from Orange County, nor did I vote for her). Several times throughout our time on the phone, I did my best to thank her for her time and end the discussion without being rude or disrespectful. Around the 20 minute mark, I interrupted her, thanked her once more, and politely hung the phone up.
Later that evening, I received an email from my school principal informing me that she received a call from the board member, and to follow up with her in the morning. I didn’t want to allow my principal to sit on this issue too long, so I text her asking for a call that night. After speaking with my principal, we agreed that there was nothing offensive about the list of questions asked, and my principal shared an anecdote about a similar assignment she did during her Ed.D. Program. We ended our discussion agreeing that she would allow me to interview her if granted permission from my NCU Professor. Although, I was given the “green-light” from my professor, she did not fulfill that promise as she was not available in time and was scheduled to be out of state during the week the assignment was to be due.
As a result of this, I learned that state officials who were voted in by the people, are not always for the people. I say this with the understanding that the board member reserved the right to omit and/or not answer any of my questions. I also learned that personal attacks by public official often get ignored without any accountability from the attacker. I also learned that it is a preference for the board member, specifically, to answer questions about the “glamorous life” of her position rather than the actual construct of the position as stated by her. By taking the board member’s advice, I looked up the Florida Constitution bylaws and code of ethics. According to the Code of Ethics, the board member violated fs.838.021 Misuse of Public Office, by calling my place of work although my work life and personal life as a student should be separate. I can only assume that her purpose was to seek some form of revenge due to our unpleasant interaction. I was in fear of being reprimanded by my principal. Although, I was not directly confronted in a negative way by my principal, I was to be a chaperone for the trip that she attended that week. I am no longer was able to attend that event.
An elected official should be held accountable by the people as well as the other elected officials who represent the will of the people. In light of the board member’s popularity in the community and her time on the school board, a written letter of apology would have been sufficient due to her poor judgment and character as an elected public servant to a student simply trying to write a paper for class without prejudice. I also reached out to other members, in hopes that they would see the value in student education at all levels, rather than their perceived importance to the community. Unfortunately, they too were unavailable or unable to grant me an interview.
I am aware that this situation is not an overall reflection of the honorable position of a school board member. However, after viewing previously recorded board meetings with the board member, I’m not sure that she would have been the best person to provide ways that she or her new colleague’s problem solve by using evidence due to her unprofessional behavior during the first two meetings of this calendar year. It was evident during those recent board meetings that she is often irrational and seems to lack the ability to consider anyone’s opinion beyond her own. My hopes are that, in the future, other students seeking insight to the evidence-based decision protocol of school board members are not berated, but rather gain the insight needed to better prepare themselves for future leadership positions throughout the field of Education. I would also like to see progressive change within the board member’s designated area , with a board member whom may bring a fresh set of eyes, goals, and options related to the 21st century educational needs of students and the evolving community we serve today.
References
Hoylman, E. A. (2017). The role of evidence-based research in the decision-making process as perceived by local board of education policymakers in west virginia (Order No. 10262772). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1898694805). http://search.proquest.com.proxy1.ncu.edu/docview/1898694805?accountid=28180
Kay, R., & Carruthers, L. (2017). Examining School Board Leaders’ Use of Online Resources to Inform Decision-Making/Examen de l’usage des ressources en ligne par les dirigeants des conseils scolaires pour guider les prises de décisions. Canadian Journal of Learning & Technology, 43(1), 1–25. https://doi-org.proxy1.ncu.edu/10.21432/T2NC93