School Governor question re: conflict of interest.

[figleaf]

Been governor for 3 years. I`m a SAHM but use to be secondary school teacher ( Faculty head ). In the past I expressed an interest in being chair of govs but head has wanted current chap to stay put because she was dreading OFSTED and thought it was easier if she already had experienced chair ets...etc. Ofsted have just been. The school did well. I spoke to the Inspectors with the current chair as I am chair of Curriculum ctte and on the Finance ctte. The current chair told me that my knowledge of the school and system left him standing so he decided to shut up and let me answer the questions.

Today the head told me that the Inspectors congratulated her on having such well informed Governors ie me and thanked me for my input. She then proceded to tell me that the current chair would retire at the end of the year but she felt that it wouldnt be a good idea for me to be the new chair. She felt Id make a better deputy to a fellow governor who is not a parent at the school and "not out there collecting their kids everyday". She seems to think this could lead to conflicts of interest.

She said as deputy I could do all the "day to day" stuff and the chair would be there as a distant figure to be brouight in if needed.

He is not a regular attender at Full gov meetings but has had a long association with the school.

What do we think about this? I feel a bit miffed - should I?

Post crossed there hub2dee. Yours is a good plan and yes I could say how I have time, am around, have knowledge want to contribute etc... but I think enough of the electorate will have been primed before the day. There are 10 of us. I`d vote for me, as would my parish priest and the old parent governor (now a foundation gov) but man-in suit, the head, the deputy head (staff gov), the old chair and one other foundation gov who never speaks would vote for the man-in -suit.

You don't know that figleaf - I really would have a word with all of them individually in a "this is what I can offer" kind of way, then stand for the Chair and leave it in the lap of the Gods. Make it very clear in your speech what they'll be missing out if they don't vote for you as well .

I agree with flashingnose - and what about the remaining 2 governors you haven't mentioned? If they voted for you it would be a tie.

... well, there's one difference between English Boards of Governors and Scottish Scooul Boards: the head teacher is not on the School Board and is merely an advisor to it.

Having said that, it's all changing next year and school bards are being replaced by parents Forums - but as yet, am not clear as to how it is all going to work.

Agree with the others that you shouldn't assume that Man-in-suit would win. He may not even want it - but even if he does, you are perhaps not giving yourslef credit for how your capabilities are perceived - or the other board members credit for seeing that that man-in-sut already has other commitments.

What do you think would be best for the school? If you think you as chair would be best, then you owe it to the school and the children in it (including your own) to stand.

Where there's a will....

You'd want to emphasise your pluses, and even more so when they detract from others... for example, 'I've attended 100% of the x meetings we've had' (and 'I feel it's important to be involved / informed not just though minutes but... interaction... blah bah... getting things done') as that obviously raises the question of what % attendance / involvement anyone else has had IYSWIM...

(Also importance of 'new blood' / young / availability / approachability)

Also, if you think the other candidate might have particular strengths in certain areas (key contacts / gravitas / experience of xyz) then get busy developing your assets in these 'weaker' areas IYSWIM... Pick up the phone to some partners the school has perhaps been wanting to develop links to, or get chatting to a council bod about schemes they are seeking to roll out next academic year etc. etc. think of some fab fundraising ideas / sources of money to inspire the rest of the committee with etc. etc. Oh, and you can always turn up in some power suit after some random meeting which either did or didn't happen... small things add up.

id ont see whyy you cant be as a former teacher
i am and woudl be chari of i wanted to be and was voted on
very odd

You are all very kind.
I need to wait and find out what man-in-suit wants to do because it is possible he may not want the job if I don`t deputise.
The really important thing for me is the school and if the head has some great fear of me being the chair then our relationship may not be what the school needs.

Your points are very well made hub2dee and I hope I would be as concise at selling myself. Still want the job but need a little more info and a think.

Halgerda,The other 2 governors I didnt mention are the new parent governor (not a frequent attender as he is often tied up at work). He could go either way but our head is quite persuasive. The final governor is another 20 year foundation governor. Almost never comes to meeting but when he does he fiddles constantly with his whistelling hearing aid. I imagine hell go along with the head if he is there to vote.- We sound like a right bunch dont we!

its bugger all to do with the head who is elected chair of guvs

governers are the bosses of the head

.. ignore her .. go for it .. hope you get elected

I think you should go back to the head and explain that, after careful thought, you are keen to stand as Chair. If you are elected, you will have to work closely with the head anyway, so start now. If you cannot persuade her that it is a good idea to stand, then perhaps you should think again whether you would be right for the post (after all, the Chair must be able to stand up against the Head).

Ok, been a few developments so need to check back with everyone for what to do now.

We had last Govs meeting of the year this afternoon. It was a training session which was nice because weve never had one before and 7 of our 10 governors attended(man-in-suit is one of the 3 who didnt).

At the end of the training the chair asked us to stay behind. He said he was retiring and that an election would need to be organised. The clerk (also school sec) said that if we were interested we had to write to her with a proposer and a seconder AND any candidate should be a Foundation governor.The Diocese made this suggestion apparently.

I said that I would have been interested but as LEA gov I now couldnt and wondered why this particular restriction hadn't been mentioned when the head had spoken to me last week. It was all a tiny bit uncomfortable.

The parent governor wandered out with me and asked about the conversation that I`d had with the head. He said he'd not vote for man-in-suit if he couldnt put in time. He said that the conversation that head had had with me implied that the election was not free and fair. He thought I should throw my hat in the ring anyway.

The old chair was leaving and I went over to tell him how disappointed I was. He said hed never heard of this rule before but thanked me for my help with OFSTED again. He left but a few mins later he returned to me to say hed phoned the clerk (from his car!)who had told him that the foundation gov thing could be waved if I was standing for deputy. He even said he'd propose me!!!

I`m really sad now. I bet if I was a foundation gov another "rule" would be found to block me.

Man -in-suit still hasn`t got back to me but I will still ask him if he wants to stand knowing that I will not be deputy.

This new rule means that only man-in-suit, lady from bank that doesnt speak, whistly hearing aid man, parish priest, old parent gov (now foundation gov) or the old chair are eligable. There is only the old parent governor who has the time/ability to do the job if man-in suit turns it down but when I spoke to her last, she said she'd not want it. She isnt a catholic so if the Diosece want a foundation gov because they are catholics this would probably rule her out anyway.

Part of me is irked and wants the job really badly now. Part of me wants to refuse to stand for chair even if they beg me because no one else wants to do it.
As well as telling man-in-suit that I`ll not be a deputy, my plan is to contact the lady I spoke to in the govs development centre again and see if she had any advice. Not sure what else I can do really.

That's terrible, figleaf. After all that, do you feel you could actually do the job without seething bitterness surging regularly to the surface? You're a better person than me if you could.

If I were you I'd go and find some other outlet for my talents where I would be more appreciated. If you still want the job, your plan sounds good.

A stitch up!

Find out the rules and challenge them, if you know you have the backing of the govenors who are actively involved and with whom you can work. The HT will have to take it or leave it.

Good luck

You have already established that the foundation gov thing can be waived, and you ahve the support of the parent governor (and possibly the old chair). If you still want it, then put your name forward. If the school refuses to let you stand, then walk away from them altogether.

figleaf, this sounds bizarre in the extreme. I suggest you talk to Governorline, they are confidential and helpful with their advice.
Good luck!

Spoke to Gov devel lady today who said she hadnt heard that particular recommendation before but did check it and it is there. There is also a recommendation for the foundation govs to be Catholic (one of ours isnt but she is a good governor)and for the chair not to be parish priest(incase parishoners wont argue against him). If you take out our non catholic gov and our priest you then only have man-in-suit, bank lady who doesnt speak, whistly hearing aid man and the retiring chair.I honestly dont think the head will get a chair and deputy out of them.

Man-in-suit still isn`t back so hasn't returned my call but I have told the clerk that I intend to tell him I wont stand for deputy chair.Until I speak to him I don't know if he is being pushed into the job or if he genuinely wants it.

I dont think I really want the job anymore. Feel kind of manovered against. The Gov lady has put me intouch with a local secondary school that is full governorwise at the mo but expects a foundation vacancy in the short term. I think I'd rather spend energy somwhere else now. As it is allowed to be gov at more than one school I wont leave my current post though.