Board Member Privilege?

Today, we hear the word "privilege" almost exclusively in the context of the debated concept of "white privilege". It's a sneaky way of saying "advantage" that makes it harder to argue against. Today's question is whether school board members - regardless of race - have privilege. Do they enjoy advantages merely by being school board members apart from how much effort they put into the position?

Even before I first ran for school board in 2007 I was aware that there was a notion that board members were privileged in regard to their children. The only privilege that became immediately apparent to me is that as a board member, I had the superintendent's cell phone number and a guarantee that he or she would answer pretty much every time I called. 

That is an advantage that the typical parent or concerned resident doesn't have. The problem is that as far as your own children are concerned you, as a board member, are prohibited from calling the superintendent. You simply have to follow the "chain of command" from teacher to principal and up to the superintendent. If a concern ever got that far the superintendent would already be aware and would be involved with any parent equally - including board members.

Another advantage - one that I put in the "blessing and curse" category - is that a board member acquires a much better understanding of how the school system works. You get to see the bureaucracy in action. Witness how the sausage is made. Your eyes will be opened, but it can also be infuriating! 

Since we are examining privilege in the context of advantage it might be useful to list some of the DISadvntages that accrue to you as a board member and to your school-aged children. Here are a few from my own experience and from the experience of board members I have served with:

• You will be the target of disinformation campaigns. Teachers and school employees with whom you had good relationships before you ran for school board will turn against you because they will believe lies promulgated by dishonorable union leaders. In my case, it was the lie that I was the "architect of privatization". In reality, I fought against it and preserved union jobs.
• You may have teachers' union picketers outside your home during contract negotiations. This happened to board members during and before my time on the board.
• You may be the target of a vicious, libelous, letter-writing campaign. In 2017 I was the target of such a campaign. Teachers, neighbors, friends, professional associates, and others received anonymous letters through the US mail with preposterous accusations of illegal activity. All false. This went on for almost a year.
• Your children's academic future could be threatened. During a contract negotiation, a union leader turned to one board member and said, "Your children are out of the school system. They're safe." Then turned to me and another board member and said, "Your children are still in the system, think about that before you make your next offer." P.S. The other board member had the resources to remove his younger children from the district, and did so.
• Your children could be singled out and made to feel uncomfortable in class because their parent is a board member as happened to my daughter.
• Forget about getting college recommendation letters for your kids if you are in contract negotiations. It's not happening. And these are the people that use the phrase "for the children". It's a joke.

I could probably go on but you get the idea. The disadvantages far outweigh the advantages - at least externally. The privilege, if there is one, comes from an internal feeling that you have been of service to your fellow citizens. That has to be enough.

Wawa and the Meaning of Life

After thirty-seven years, the Hillsborough, NJ Wawa is no more. The daily - sometimes twice daily - routine of hundreds of commuters, neighbors, and friends has been permanently disrupted. 

I have patronized the Wawa on Triangle Road in Hillsborough for over 30 years. Indeed, there was a period of seven or eight years when I was there seven days a week. I am a creature of habit, but I strive to make them good ones - and Wawa was a good one.

The Wawa morning shift cashiers must be the most patient people on earth. Why? Because they interact with customers who have yet to drink their morning coffee! I will miss them - just as I miss all the great employees who have moved on over the years (Nettie, AJ, Justin - even the other Justin!).

As my travel patterns in and around Hillsborough changed over the past three years I became a Wawa weekend warrior almost exclusively. But now even that is gone. And while I will miss the coffee (I can't see driving out to Summer Road/Route 202 for 20 oz. of joe) what I will miss the most are the friendly faces that I only ran into at Wawa, and their inevitable greeting, "How are things going on the school board?"

I have been off the board for nearly a year already and I still get that question. 

School board members (as well as school employees and local politicians) come in two varieties - those who are happy to engage with the public, and those who aren't. In some cases, it breaks down to whether or not the board member thinks residents of the town are truly his constituents. As discussed in a previous article, the New Jersey School Boards Association trains board members to NOT be accountable to residents as their representatives, but rather to act as "agents of the state". I was never an agent of the state.

I have known school board members - and other school employees - to avoid the public. In other words, if they must go to the local Shop Rite, it's during off-hours. And Wawa is to be avoided during the morning rush.

Of course, I know many who have the completely opposite philosophy.

The best example that comes to mind is my friend and longtime New Jersey Assemblyman the late Pete Biondi. During his most active years representing the residents of the 16th legislative district, he would be at the Hillsborough Wawa once or twice a week during the morning coffee hours. After making his coffee, he would step outside the store and make himself available to anyone who wanted to talk.

What I observed in those years was a confident person willing to engage. Although I never went as far as setting up shop outside the doors, I did try to emulate his attitude towards the public. And I never shied away from the hard questions - even when they came from Pete himself!

And one other thing...about 15 years ago at the coffee counter, as I was about to add the half-and-half Pete stopped me briefly, reached into the cooler, turned to me, and said, "I've got the secret to the meaning of life." In his hand, he held a carton of French Vanilla creamer. 

I am going to miss Wawa.