This Tips book is about the human relations side of being a board member. In order to be effective as a school board member, you need the public, especially the parents, to support what you are doing. This Tips booklet contains the wisdom of the ages insofar as effective communication, attitude, and human relation skills are concerned related to dealing effectively with people, especially those who feel so strongly about any decision you make. Anything that affects a child will be monitored very carefully by the parents. If they feel offended or not listened to, they will rebel, consequently making your job very uncomfortable. While being a part of a board of education is a wonderful and satisfying avocation, it is also one that can be filled with challenges and frustrations. Almost every decision a board makes offends someone, even if the vast majority agrees. Mastering and implementing the tips will make your decisions more palatable to your community. I have no doubt that all boards of education have the greatest of intentions. They have an incredible responsibility to the children of the towns they represent. They put in an inordinate amount of time and energy into what they are charged to do. Having the support of the parents and teachers makes their jobs much easier and allows them to be more effective. Teamwork--between board members and residents--makes a difference, and board members can see that that happens. From my many years of public/private school and corporate training and board activity, I have found the following tips to be relevant for almost all situations dealing with adversarial issues and problems that invariably arise when dealing with the futures of children. Mastering the tips in this little book will greatly facilitate you in dealing with the parents. Highlight those tips you want to keep in the forefront of your mind. Enjoy your board experience. You will receive tremendous satisfaction from knowing you are in a position to make a difference in your community. New unique educational ideas and the individual perspectives of your peers, administrators, teachers, and parents, will provide you with the gift of never-ending fond memories.
About the Author: Gail Cassidy started her career as a high school English teacher, her first passion, and then moved on to the corporate and non-profit sectors where she gained extensive training and program development experience. At IBM Corporation, Gail worked as an instructor/writer/manager and received the "Outstanding Contribution" award for developing self-paced training programs which were used nationwide.. While home raising children, Gail was president of seven local nonprofit organizations, including her local board of education, Rotary, American Heart, and the Westfield Foundation. After four years as executive director of the American Red Cross, Gail moved on to Dale Carnegie, Inc. where she started as an instructor, then became manager of instruction for this international training company. Gail developed seminars and workshops as well as trained new instructors and clients. Gail's second passion is writing. She has written twenty-one books which can be found on amazon.com and which include Discover Your Passion, Profit From Your Passion, The Validating Mentor, You Cannot NOT Communicate, and One Talk Fits All plus Tips booklets for various groups and an entire Seminar Series. Gail and her training partner have also been active internationally by volunteering their teaching expertise during summers in support of in-service training programs for teachers and administrators in Lithuania. In addition, they train high school students in the U.S. to be mentors, using their Kids Mentoring Kids program. They also teach Anti-Bullying programs for elementary students. Her focus now is directed toward helping those about to retire or already retired not only to find their passions but also to record their life stories to pass along to those who follow them. This program is done through Legacy Workshops and/or individual interviews which are then recorded on CD's or made into both an e-book and a paperback book. The common denominator of all of her writing and teaching is twofold--self-actualization through finding and acting on your passion and the importance of civility, treating others as you want to be treated. She believes that these themes transcend all generations.