I'm often asked what the role of a school trustee is. To some extent, that depends on who you ask. Many people think that a trustee is intimately involved in the day-to-day operations of the school district. The BC School Act does not require this, but many trustees think that it is a normal, desirable, and even necessary part of the job.

I don't.

The school district is comprised of professionally trained teachers, accountants, human resource specialists, counselors, youth workers, educational assistants, tradespeople, purchasing agents, computer technology specialists, and others who are charged with the responsibility to provide an education for a life worth living, or to create the context within with such an education can occur.

Particularly gifted, trained, and motivated individuals are chosen through a careful process to give leadership to this collaborative and professional enterprise--superintendents, curriculum specialists, principals, the secretary-treasurer and his/her staff, and first-line supervisors.

Often the least educationally savvy participants in the process are the trustees. In fact, the most effective trustees with whom I have served since 1983 have had little or no educational training. They have been businesspeople, nurses, real estate salespeople, accountants, lawyers, and bankers. Yes, a couple were former teachers--Edna Clifford and Gerda Fandrich made important contributions--but most have had strengths in understanding money and budgets, governance, leadership, and motivation.

Two other things that characterized these highly effective trustees: they put service before self, and they loved kids.