This article is from Cal-Tax Digest, published
by the California Taxpayers' Association.
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In a most encouraging development for the public schools, business or-ganizations today are actively seeking ways to involve themselves in efforts to raise academic standards and improve student achievement. Businesses are "adopting" schools, donating equipment and supplies, offering employees time off for tutoring and parent involvement programs, and sponsoring career days.

Although all these efforts are most welcome, I believe that one of the most important roles businesses can play in strengthening public schools has been neglected. That role is one of increased representation of business leaders on local school boards.

Decades ago, elected school board members were broadly representative of a community's leadership, with business executives playing a prominent role in the fiscal management and policy direction of local schools. Business representatives do continue to serve on school boards in some communities. However, for a variety of reasons - ranging from Proposition 13's diminution of school districts' fiscal flexibility to the politicization of many boards to growing time pressures on working parents - fewer business executives today run for and serve on school boards than once did. That's a shame, because experienced business people can provide both the fiscal acumen and the ability to motivate community support that are sorely needed by local schools. Managers of successful businesses know how to analyze data, serve customers, communicate effectively through department levels, work on teams toward a common goal and stay focused on policy rather than crisis management.

As California's public schools move toward higher spending levels and an outcomes-based culture, where the state sets standards and holds schools accountable for results, school boards can expect more flexibility in setting policy at a local level that will best meet those statewide goals. To achieve that end, we need dedicated people committed to the vision of management by objectives to serve as school board members. Increasing the role of business leaders on local school boards can help our schools reach the goals of higher standards and improved student achievement. As school boards work effectively toward those goals, there will be increased political pressure in Sacramento to eliminate some of the process-based constraints that have themselves served as disincentives to school board participation.

Obviously, serving as a school board member involves a significant time commitment and, unlike the private sector, significant public scrutiny. Sometimes board members are required to make painful decisions and politically sensitive choices in public. Such sacrifices are worth considering, however, because one of the key ingredients in any successful school district is a school board with intelligent, strong leadership.

Businesses can perform a great service by encouraging their best and brightest to serve on school boards, and by giving them the flexibility on the job to perform their school board duties well. Some companies, such as Hewlett Packard, already encourage employee involvement in the schools and give paid time off for volunteering in the schools. I would encourage more companies to consider such incentives, and to take the next step of promoting a corporate culture that respects and actively encourages employee service on school boards. This will require some sacrifice on the part of the company, for school board service done well is demanding both of a member's time and mental energies. But if companies everywhere would encourage their successful employees to serve, public schools would benefit greatly.

Gary K. Hart is secretary for education in the Gray Davis Administration. A former teacher and state legislator, Mr. Hart wrote about the governor's education reforms in the May 1999 issue of Cal-Tax Digest.