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Connecticut Association of Boards of Education

Questions for School Board Candidates

  1. What motivates you to want to become a board member?

  2. What attributes are essential for successful school board members?

  3. What do you see as the board’s roles and responsibilities?

  4. What role does policy play/have in the functioning of the board?

  5. Do you have sufficient time/energy to devote to this position?

  6. How would you handle the requests, if approached, by an individual?  Special interest groups?

  7. What qualities, behaviors should board members exhibit?

  8. What are the basic requirements for successful school boardsmanship?

  9. What is your vision for education in this community?

  10. Do you understand the role of the superintendent? Describe the superintendent’s role.

  11. Do board members/the board have a role in the day-to-day operation of the district?Can you/should you support a board decision that you were not in favor of?

  12. What do you see as the primary work of the board?

  13. What kind of relationship should a district/the board have with its community? With its parents and families?

  14. How can a board know if its goals are being accomplished and its policies carried out?

  15. Who should set the rules governing board procedures, methods and behavior? Who should enforce them?

  16. With one or two meetings a month, all school boards are limited in what they can do.  How does/should the board decide what’s most important?

  17. How can the board be accessible to your community?

  18. How can you contribute to a successful board meeting?

  19. What responsibilities do board members have regarding advocacy?

  20. What do you think is expected of you as a board member?

  21. Why are school boards necessary?

  22. What are the leadership responsibilities of school board members?

  23. What are the current challenges facing education/school boards?

  24. What is the most important responsibility of a school board?

  25. What is the public relations role of a school board?

  26. Is membership on the board of education compatible with your present position?