To really hate being a school governor and want to step down after two years

[kevinknowsimmiserabletho]

My DC are all grown up and as I have more time on my hands these days I volunteered to be a governor at the school they attended.

I've been doing it for two years now, so I feel I've really given it a go.

But honestly, I hate it.

I don't mind attending meetings etc and giving my time it's not the hard work element as such. Just the actual make up of the board and the fact that I seem to be there to be a bum on a seat rather than because anyone is paying attention to anything I have to say.

I feel like it's a lot of responsibility but I can hardly influence anything at all and have to go along with the status quo or upset the clique of people who have been there for years.

It's a four year time but honestly I feel so miserable I just want to stand down.

WIBU just to go? If it was a job I would have resigned by now.

@Crinklycut thanks for your reply. Were you a teacher governor at the school you work at?

As @TizerorFizz says, no one governor has power, really. I guess I mean influence. What is the point, why are we here, is what I comes to me in my dealings as a governor. Re the Head, she's very good, and I'm not suggesting we just get rid of her.

Crinklycut, as you say, the state of governance is woeful - hence we have two chairs re-elected unopposed as no one else wants to do it, but it's dysfunctional.

@kevinknowsimmiserabletho

I feel left out with the dynamics as well and like I'm always doing the wrong thing or speaking out of turn. We also have a significant cohort who don't turn up to meetings or even send apologies (which I agree is really poor of them) or do any training, but then the clique bitch about them and I think well this is probably why the don't turn up? Because of the hostile environment.

I don't feel I'm speaking out of turn but I do feel when I do speak it's not having any effect. Our attendance is OK, but the meetings go on well over 2 hours so people gradually leave, when they're on Zoom (had about two in person, ever). Last time that happened I noted down when each person left, and by the end the only people left were women and the Clerk (who is a man).

The bitching I have is about the LA, other schools in the borough, and just general moaning. This is from the two chairs. It's incredibly unhelpful and uncomfortable. The school my DC went to is a different school and they often criticise that school (as it's in a nicer area and generally does do better).

Committee or GB meetings being during the day sounds mad! I think that at least you can say rules out many many people to be on the GB. All our committee and GB meetings are at 6pm, which is still sometimes hard to get to from a normal day job, particularly when they are at the school.

@TizerorFizz thanks for your detailed reply. I am on the Curriculum and Standards committee. I go to every GB and committee meeting.

The minutes being so late is an issue I've raised with someone at the LA and she agreed they're always far too late. I've also had that the papers themselves for GB and committees come in too late (ie 2 days or even less before the meeting) and the attitude is that the Head is too busy, safeguarding issues take precedence. Re the minutes, I've tried to ask that the protocol be much sooner after each GB and I'm going to ask again at GB this week but the Clerk does not budge.

I am Link governor for 2 subjects and try to do visits, but again, the Head is the subject lead for one of them and she's been too busy. I had a good visit last term for the other subject, where I did pupil voice interviews, but both teachers were no longer going to be leading in that subject from this term, and one was leaving, so there's not much continuity. Both subjects are not core so learning walks are less relevant.

I do read the policies, thanks! And I approve policies as part of the GB reviewing process. The complaints policy, as with all community schools in the borough, is standard that complaints go to the Head or Chair in stage 1, and only in stage 2 do they come to more of the governors. So my point is that the full GB does not seem to have view of any complaints, if they are resolved satisfactorily at stage 1. Mumsnetters invoke 'the Governors' too much I think, when maybe they mean the Chair only? It's just something I've noticed since becoming a governor, where I see posters suggesting parents contact the governors if they're not happy and as far as I can see, there's not much governors can do.

I'm also on Heads Appraisal committee but felt I was pulled in last minute to make up numbers (I was) as I can make daytime meetings.

@kevinknowsimmiserabletho I got some help from Independent Governor Support, that I found on Twitter, and I then got a really experienced Governor from a completely different part of the country who gave me some great advice. But really what she told me was that the Clerk was doing a crap job and the Chairs weren't always following protocol and it made me feel even more powerless as trying to challenge that in the meetings is incredibly difficult and then like you I think what's the point. She and someone from the LA have said maybe you need to find another school... But like other posters have said, it seems such a shame as the even if I did leave and offered the equivalent of an exit interview (which I would do from a job) no one would listen.

@Twistyemily

‘Reading through this post confirms for me that MN is a really bad place to come to find out about the role of school governors.’

(sorry I don’t know how to do comments as quotes)

isn’t it more that this post and the replies to it are examples of bad practice that is going on in school governance in England and sadly they’re the reality for many of us?

I agree that loads of things I’ve experienced aren’t ‘correct’ but for people who are trying to be a good school governor or thinking about doing it, these examples are really helpful. Like the OP says, it helps to know we’re not alone and whether we should keep on putting up with.

I'm not sure who you were speaking to here, it was a pp who mentioned ed psych so not sure if you're expecting me to respond here?

Agreed!

I'm not sure why genuine lived experience = "bad information" but I've given my experience as I've found it and, to be quite honest, I didn't write the post as a public information piece about Governor life 😂

I don't have much time to reply to the new posts but thank you everyone who responded.

I have spoken to the Chair and resigned, I wouldn't say it was taken well but it was perfectly in line with how I've been treated to date so not unexpected and also reinforces why the decision to leave is the right one.

There’s lots of training available, but it’s either in the next town, starting at 9am and I have no intention of fighting through rush hour traffic with nowhere to park, or it’s at the same time, but at a venue an hour or so drive away.

I did plenty of training last time round, although it won’t be relevant now I suppose. I just don’t feel part of things really, was never introduced as a new governor and can’t access much of the stuff we’re supposed to. I have spoken about this and was told that I should be able to.

I felt exactly the same as you. Made the bad decision to stick it out. Didn't even get any thanks or acknowledgement during my last meeting.

Ive been a Trustee, and it was a poor experience. It started out fine, it was a charity in an area where I have a lot of experience, and I did considerable volunteer work with them. So they invited me to join the board, and appointed me as a Trustee.

There was a lot of paperwork and discussion about things which were not central to the role of the Charity, like insurance and personnel matters. Yes , I know they are important, but travelling three hours each way to talk about minutiae of insurance cover…..lacked appeal.

The main thing though was the infighting, snobbery and just general unpleasantness of the meetings. Life was just too short to participate in that. It’s a problem, it’s rather like politics. They need new blood, they need people with different experiences and attitudes, but the incumbents make it almost impossible.

I have found peoples lived experience of governance useful here. And realistic. The ideal of good governance and the reality can be very far apart.

It sounds like right decision got you to resign. Rather than seeing is as a negative I’d view as a positive you have given 2 years of volunteering despite a busy life. It wasn’t a good fit but you’ve learned from it and can take experience to other roles paid or volunteer. Other people will benefit as a result eg you are aware of how being excluded due to timetabling meetings impacts.

😁😁
Congratulations on your resignation! What I meant was that as soon as we get a thread about governors etc people start making stuff up as they go along. Not so much saying that people's actual rubbish experience is something to learn from.
There are 3 documents all governors should be aware of and read - Governance Handbook and the competency frameworks for governors and clerks. Quite useful to not only know what you should be doing, but also what the Clerk should...

All governors should get access to training, but I really wonder if some boards prefer them to operate in the dark, it avoids things getting challenged. Learning Link from the NGA is good on-line training.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/governance-handbook

I'm a co-opted primary school governor and my 4 years is up beginning of next year. I've been really mulling over whether to sit for another term. My DD leaves at the end of the current school year as yr 6. It's been interesting and I think overall I have enjoyed it but there are so many meetings what with the full board meetings plus the various committees. Stupid thing is, I'd feel guilty walking away. Argh

@kevinknowsimmiserabletho good for you for making that decision and well done on doing it. I’m sorry that’s been your experience and that how your resignation was received reinforced that. Let’s see how long I last… I have been told there’s a governor vacancy at my DC secondary school - out of the frying pan into the fire?

@kevinknowsimmiserabletho and @Oblomov23

OP I absolutely would tell them you are stepping down because not being listened to etc. It might just make them think twice before they have the next governor .

I once did a voluntary role for 5 years & was mostly happy to , but I gave it up when I ended up just being treated like an employee and being told what to do rather than my views being listened to ( I did not expect them all to be acted upon , I just wanted to have a voice given the great amount of time I put into it. ) So I resigned but said I would wait until they had a replacement .

The replacement is a friend of mine and he gave it a year & just said I am resigning with no notice.

I'm a parent governor at my son's primary school and have been on the GB since May. My experience has some similarities to yours, but also sounds much better in some respects!

On our GB a parent governor is still given an area of responsibility (I'm responsible for Pupil Premium monitoring for example) and isn't treated any differently to the other members. This is great, but I am the ONLY non teacher/ex-teacher/non school worker (not all related to this school - but from other schools locally) and I do feel there is little support for those of us for which school operations and strategy is totally new. It's been a real learning curve and I've had to self teach through doing online courses with GovernorHub and National College.

It is sad in some ways as I have lots of experience working on strategy from my day job (lawyer, also working in business development in the tech sector). I had thought my input would be helpful to see things from a non-education perspective but it isn't appreciated much. Much of the things done at school and on the GB I see as massively inefficient (I'm not referring to school operations, as I know that's not the GB role). Our school is going through a really unstable time at the moment but rather than leaning in and trying to get governance on the right track, the leaders have no time for it.

Its a volunteer role and I also work FT in a very demanding career, plus have 2 young kids. When trying to organise a monitoring visit it is like trying to book tickets to bloody Taylor Swift - I swear I've been attempting to find a suitable slot for a visit for a month now. I seem to be at the mercy of the Head and Pupil Premium lead's schedule (which I get... they're busy) but they seem to have no thought at all for the fact that I too have a job that places demands on me and which I need to carefully plan in governor visit times (e.g., they seem to think I can agree to meet them in the middle of the working day with a few hours notice max). This does really irritate me.

"Its a volunteer role and I also work FT in a very demanding career, plus have 2 young kids. When trying to organise a monitoring visit it is like trying to book tickets to bloody Taylor Swift - I swear I've been attempting to find a suitable slot for a visit for a month now. I seem to be at the mercy of the Head and Pupil Premium lead's schedule (which I get... they're busy) but they seem to have no thought at all for the fact that I too have a job that places demands on me and which I need to carefully plan in governor visit times (e.g., they seem to think I can agree to meet them in the middle of the working day with a few hours notice max). This does really irritate me."

Hell to the yes, I agree with every word (Taylor Swift made me laugh!)

It's like they get that their own selves are busy but not that we are. Somehow because we are volunteers we must not be busy?

When I first tried to arrange link governor meetings that member of staff would literally just not reply to me. So I'd be scouring through dates in my calendar where I could somehow make it work - a TEAMS call in my PPA hour if it absolutely had to be that way - holding all these slots for this person and then.....tumbleweed. And this guy's Line Manager and the HT were fully aware that this was happening and seemed completely ok with it (in fact they didn't even acknowledge the drunken, aggressive midnight email I received from this member of staff who had copied them both in, yes that really happened!)

I am exceptionally pleased to be out of it and am really thankful to everyone who posted, thank you.

@kevinknowsimmiserabletho God that does sound sh*t!

I have been copying in the Chair of Govs to my desperate email attempts to make this link governor visit happen... but nothing. At the last FBG a week ago the Chair made a point of saying that I needed to get on with doing a visit ASAP... I felt like screaming "I'M BLOODY TRYING!!!!!!!"

It really does feel like most the GB have no idea that other jobs except teaching exist - or that those other jobs may be equally (or in some cases, more) demanding or stressful!

Re the mad meeting times - we have variously adjusted hours and gone to zoom for some, to make sure we are as inclusive a governing body as possible. It’s still a bloody nightmare for most people to make the meetings, but that’s because we have a governing body of people with jobs, people with caring responsibilities, people with an actual life to lead. All of which is good for the school.

I would be having a look at the schools equality and diversity policy and pointing this out (shortly before resigning)

@kevinknowsimmiserabletho
i see you’ve already resigned but I came on to say I’m not suprised you had this experience.
Im an ex teacher and in my experience all SLT want in their GB is ‘yes men’.
Well done for handing in your resignation.

The comment about Ed Psych was probably addressed to me. Let me take you through the strategic conversation at the Governors' meeting:

SENCo gives a presentation to Governors about SEN at the school. At the end I ask "What one thing do you need to improve the outcome of SEN children"
SENCo: Earlier diagnostics so we can support them earlier
Me: What is stopping this?
SENCo and Head: It takes years for the Local Authority Ed Psych to make a diagnosis
Me: Do we have to use the LA Ed Psych
Head: There are private providers
Me: What's stopping us using them?
Head: Money
Me (as chair of finance committee): We are running a surplus this year. Every year we should be spending the money received that year on the children in the school that year. Could we use some of the surplus to fund a private Ed Psych?

Head takes action to look into this and by the next meeting they have put in place a private supplier. I challenged, influenced and improved the outcomes for the children.

@TreadLight All of that should have been in your SIP for SenD improvement. Its the professional judgement of the head and that’s operational. It’s something the Head and sendco should have been looking at and being proactive about. Clearly your head wasn’t great and was hiding behind the money excuse. Why wasn’t the Ed psych issue in the SIP? Then it could be monitored against evidence to see if progress was made by send Dc and value for money evaluated. Not monitoring financial decisions or educational decisions taken on the hoof would be an issue here, in my view.

@HopSkipJumpOut I feel your pain. I experienced similar. All our governor appointments had to be notified to the head. It’s like gate keeping. All governor reports had to go via the head who then amended them. I mentioned earlier the presence of too many education based governors. I’ve seen many other very decent governors give up. I do think some education people do it as preparation for headship. Tick a box.

I now haven’t tagged the right people: but I didn’t mean to imply no one read policies. However complaints is one where the outcomes can be reported to governors via chairs report. Take the names out and report the outcome.

I have always worked via committees. Yes, I’m sure other schools work differently but most info I give I would like to think was accurate and reflects many GBs. We definitely have schools on mn where parent governors are not seen as equals. That’s totally wrong. We also have GBs that do not understand their role.

@kevinknowsimmiserabletho I see you have resigned. Welcome to freedom!

Thank you!! Massively relieved already.