These tips were provided by Joel Brown, veteran school council chair (current chair at John Fraser S.S., former chair at Thomas Street M.S. & Castlebridge P.S.)
There are some fundamental things that will help school council chairs build the foundation for an effective school council:
1. Develop a good working relationship with your school principal. This doesn’t mean you have to be good buddies or always agree. It does mean you understand each others’ roles, responsibilities and rights. Having mutual respect and understanding is the most important building block for an effective school council.
2. Have a positive attitude. Stay focused on the fact that school councils exist to have a positive impact on the public education system—you’re doing this for kids!
3. Focus global issues, not personal issues. You’re making a difference in your community. You’re not on council to help only your child, but knowing your child will benefit from your efforts will help keep you motivated and focused on what’s important.
4. Use existing rules and templates to help you succeed. Learn about the role of council by reading the Peel board’s handbook for school council members.
5. Encourage volunteers to follow their passions. You’ll get and keep more volunteers by allowing (encouraging) them to pursue something that they are passionate about. Remember everyone comes to school council because they want to get something out of it. Maybe it’s more information, maybe it’s having a say in developing school policies, maybe they really love fundraising. Whatever it is, they will bring more value to the school if they are doing something that they value personally.
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