Primary Governor and not enjoying it

[Honeywaffles1]

Due to a local council initiative to increase the representation of ethnic minorities on school boards, I had submitted an application to be a governor.

I believe that the school appointed me in an effort to appease them, but they haven't done anything to make me feel welcome. ignoring emails for weeks and failing to schedule meetings on the part of the head.

For more context, let me say that I run a successful business, am still relatively young, innovative, and outspoken about the challenges I face as a BAME woman in business.

I provide mentoring at nearby universities and aid the local government in its efforts to help young people from non-traditional backgrounds break into the workforce. So I know I have something to give.

I've offered to organise career days to increase aspirations or to use my connections with neighbourhood businesses to raise money through fundraising.

Over 50% of students receive free meals at school, and many kids live in unstable homes, making it a fairly deprived area.

Additionally, school governors are typically permitted to deduct reasonable expenses; however, the school business manager has stated that this is not the case, essentially telling me I must pay them for the after-school club. As a result, I am now spending my own money to volunteer at the school.

How would you respond? I was so eager to contribute, but now I just feel purposefully left out.

I now believe that's the reason you don't see faces like mine serving as school governors because I'm not wanted.

BAME questions you could ask as part of a pre-arranged governing body meeting agenda item:

● What are the outcomes for BAME students compared to whole school?

(There likely will be a gap, so...)

● What is the school doing to close the gap?

● What is the average value added data for BAME? (What about BAME who are FSM?)

● What proportion of safeguarding referrals are to BAME families? Is this proportional to the whole school split?

● What proportion if high level behaviour sanctions go to BAME?

● How does the curriculum celebrate people who are BAME?

No please don’t take Eupraxia’s advice - terrible.

This is why I really hate the diversity quotas that are being introduced in so many places. It is so disrespectful to the BAME community.
It sounds like they have not been honest with you as to what being a governor entails and just liked the fact the diversity box will be ticked. It's dehumanising and racist and everyone seems to be happy to accept this ridiculous idea.
I worked in schools finance and you do sound like a pain to be brutally honest, so I don't think this part is them being racist. However, it is not your fault. It doesn't sound like the role was even explained to you properly. It's not your job to make the school more diverse and welcoming. You've been misled. If you want to continue, get yourself on the course. You might however find that being a governor is not for you.
It sounds like setting up a PTA and raising funds that way would be a better use of your skills and drive.

Value added data?

It isnt 2015!
Did you just google some random questions?
And no governor would ever use BAME- its offensive!

@Eupraxia Great example of why the hell I hate this diversity quota rubbish. Why would she ask that? She hasn't been given a role yet. She is not the BAME police. She is more than her skin colour or ethnicity and her skill set could very likely be used in other areas.

@Meadowbreeze The head told me that parents never offered anything, never put themselves forward, and that she had to approach and convince them in the past, so she was pleasantly surprised to see my application through the LA who approached her.

So I thought I was assisting her 😂

Yes, diversity quotas are inconvenient, but as a black parent and leader, why shouldn't I put myself forward if no one else does?

Someone like me has to get involved, right? The inverse would be even worse.

People can call me a pain because I'm used to breaking down doors and standing up for myself to get what I want. Quietness gets no one anywhere.

I used the term BAME only because the OP did.

Then I was trying to offer some governor - specific ways the OP could tackle her favoured topic.

There would be absolutely nothing wrong with asking for data. It is expected of a governor.

It seems you have misunderstood your role.

Also volunteering means you do it for free and if that costs a few quid in parking, or after school club, or petrol, or whatever - you absorb that gladly. (No-one is asking you to bankrupt yourself but neither can the school pay for their volunteers).

You seem to think they should be hugely grateful for your contribution - yet you are not really helping. You're just telling them what you think they should be doing and how they're doing it wrong.

And I'm guessing you don't share the faith of the school and many of the parents. You want to criticise the religious organization that contributes a percentage of the funds.

Maybe choose a different role for your talents and experience. You clearly have good ideas and lots of drive and could benefit your community in so many ways. You could make a real difference. It doesn't sound like this is the right role for you.

@Eupraxia i personally don’t find BAME offensive. BAME/ethnic minority.. whatever you want to call it.

I’m the only one that isn’t old, pale and stale.

@Honeywaffles1 Of course you should put yourself forward, no one is saying you shouldn't. It is great to see more representation, but it is not helpful when people are reduced to a tick box exercise based on their skin colour or surname. It is far better to make the role as a whole better understood and accessible to all, so that people feel they can apply. Not because of the way they look or sound, but because of their skills.

The problem is, at the moment you are trying to break a door that doesn't exist. I would first understand the role fully before you are loud, otherwise you might end up looking silly. And I say this with the utmost respect for you. It is clear you want to make a difference. Just please don't make yourself look silly in the process.

@Honeywaffles1 It's probably best you don't call people old, pale and stale. You don't know how much those old pale and stale people have done for the school and community, and even if they did nothing, it's plain rude.

If your kids are taking a place in after school club then that's a place unavailable for a paying customer, so - unless it is undersubscribed - it costs the school in lost income.

That said, I think you just need to look at the governors' expenses policy and see what you are entitled to claim.

Oh and I agree, you have misunderstood the role.

People can call me a pain because I'm used to breaking down doors and standing up for myself to get what I want. Quietness gets no one anywhere

Then channel that into an appropriate avenue. It’s not the role of a school governor.

Governors aren't there to fundraise. Get signed up for the PTA to do that. Sounds like you need training on the role of a governor.

Calling people old, pale and stale is rude. Especially people who have given UK their time to support the school.

@Hercisback i feel like I’ve received lots of rudeness from people on this post.

I’m just upset to see that these barriers to get involved still exist.

If you don’t fit the box you’re not accommodated.

So it’s a tick box exercise that sounds good but I can see why still the uptake is so low.

I wasn't saying that you shouldn't interrogate data

I was saying that asking for BAME VA data (whatever you determine that to be) is pointless and a very dated approach.

OP you do not seem to be taking on the messages from lots of experienced governors. It is very clear that you don't understand the role and you will not be doing the school or its pupils any favours if you do not discharge your governance duties as a governor and/or if you start to drain resources from the school by it having to 'manage' all your demands to get involved in the operations (not to mention claim expenses!!).
This is nothing to do with you being young/innovative/having something to give/wanting to get involved etc - lots of that would be very useful to the PTA. Whilst some of that may eventually be useful to the school through your governor role you first need to understand the role/governance structure. This is not about telling you to be quiet it's about you understanding what is expected in the role - you seem to be framing this all about you and accusing everyone else of being pale and stale. Please don't forget that all those pale/stale people are giving up their time too and if you stopped focusing on how wonderful you are you may find that they have something to offer the school too, that they may already have helped the school a great deal and may even be able to guide you in your first year as a governor. If you are not willing to accept that the first year is a steep learning curve for a new governor then you are not suited to the role and will be doing the school a disservice.
Also whilst you may be bringing diversity to the role and table that is not the be all and end all - it is about you bringing your perspective to the role rather than getting cross that the role is not what you expected. You will be able to bring your perspective to information that you are presented with and challenge it on a common sense basis, on the basis of your experience and from your perspective as a black person. However, the fact that not every one of your expectations/demands have not been met do not automatically mean that the school etc is being racist - I suspect many of the issues you are facing stem from your lack of understanding of the role and the fact that you seem to be centring yourself rather than the role you are supposed to be discharging.

You sound like you have a lot of big ideas that will create a huge amount of work for other people.

If you want to help, you organise stuff, you do what needs to be done to get the school all this money you have access too. Don’t talk about what you can do to help when what you really mean is that you want already overstretched people to prioritise your ideas over their actual work. That’s not helpful.

Honestly if my experience is anything to go by, it's not your face that they don't want; they don't want anybody's face.

Schools are being driven into the ground at the minute and advice, however well-meaning, by someone who isn't working in the thick of it won't be taken too well because the time and money to implement your ideas, however good they are, isn't there.

The only time I've seen governors make a meaningful contribution is when schools require anyone in the role to spend X amount of hours paired with a class. That way when you make a suggestion you'll have a better idea of how it will be implemented and you'll be around to see if it has an impact.

Also schools are skint. Please don't claim expenses. That's just adding an unnecessary pressure on them.

You're not listening OP. When you say People can call me a pain because I'm used to breaking down doors and standing up for myself to get what I want. Quietness gets no one anywhere. I do think they'll be finding you frustrating. You need to listen for a while before you barge around breaking down doors etc.

Well said! This is an issue for PTAs too - people constantly share their 'brilliant ideas' as though they have presented us with the greatest gift ever and 'have done their bit' and then somehow expect 'someone else' to magically have the time to implement their idea (along with the other 50 'brilliant' ideas that other people have dropped on the PTA) without any further input from them.
Roll up your sleeves and join the PTA OP - that is the organisation that raises money to help the school, not the governors!

@DoubleDuvetDay what are good ways to approach BAME outcomes then?

I believe it is critical to ensure that all children have a level playing field and that any disadvantages they have are still bringing them up to a level playing field.

I've read a lot of data and don't mind if it's recommended as the best approach.

What is the point of local governments doing so much to attract black governors but then leaving us in the dark about how to champion diverse communities?

For example there are so many ethnic minority parents but they’re just not that engaged with school. For lots of reasons like confidence, language barrier etc.

So important a lot of these things are looked at and all families are supported.

Roll up your sleeves and join the PTA OP - that is the organisation that raises money to help the school, not the governors!

@MsFogi there is no PTA or anything for the parents, otherwise I would have joined it and got on with it over there.

Op no one is being rude, you've had some really helpful replies. It stings when something doesn't turn out to be what we expected but it sounds like you're quiet resilient. Remember, if you are going to stay, you must be able to work alongside the other governors. Sometimes it's good to be quiet and observe, learn, to then offer advice. The people you've been rude about have years of experience in this on you. They know their stuff. You may find that there are perfectly good reasons why some of your suggestions arent in place.
Before you kick up a fuss about them not being accomodating and you not fitting into a box, I strongly suggest you take that course. I fear you are going to make yourself look silly with all this kicking up a fuss.