Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring School Board Members
While advised about the time commitment, one thing Noel wishes they understood beforehand is how hyper-local the school board member role is, and how that impacts the scope of the work; as Noel states, "you can never imagine all of the things that are gonna come up" when entrusted with children's education, making this "volunteer role" more like a second job. The intensity and breadth of this public service position, operating within such a close-knit community, sets it apart from other elected offices and requires an unexpected level of dedication.
Public Service, Local Governance, Volunteer Work, Education Policy, Community Engagement
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Noel Mora
Trustee
School Board Member
Sacramento State
Masters in Public Policy and Administration
Political Science, American Studies
Education
Education
HSI Grad, Disabled, Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Immigrant, LGBTQ, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. School board member roles are very hyper-local, leading to unique challenges and rapid escalation of issues due to the close community involvement.
2. The responsibilities related to children's education are extensive and unpredictable, making the role more demanding than a typical volunteer position.
3. Despite being a volunteer role, the time commitment and responsibilities often equate to a second job, requiring significant dedication.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
I think a lot of people I knew, some of whom had been school board members before, told me it was a big time investment. But if anyone were to look at how different school board member roles are in terms of public service and being an elected office, they are very different from other roles people might be more familiar with.
These include roles like their local city council member or state legislator. I think school board members are very, very hyper-local, and with that comes a lot of things, a lot of good things.
But I also think things can get very big, very fast because you are in such a local environment. What I mean by that is that you are trusted to handle everything related to kids and young people's education.
You just can never imagine all of the things that are going to come up. So even though they're technically volunteer roles, at least in most districts in California, and I think in most districts across the country, they are probably more than what you would expect for a volunteer role. I usually refer to it as my second job.