Parent Governors - advice please

[misshardbroom]

I'm considering standing as a parent governor for my DC's school.

The biggest obstacle to it is that I'm worried that if I'm on the governing body, it will be difficult / awkward for me ever to challenge my child's teacher or the headteacher about anything that's going on, or to complain about anything.

For example, I've recently had some 'constructive' conversations with DD's Y1 teacher about how I don't feel she's making much progress with reading, don't agree with the feedback they've given me about her level of reading etc. Would I still have been able to do this if I was a governor?

Thoughts please.

Absolutely. Your role as a Governor and a parent are seperate. As the teacher's role is they are also a staff governor. The 'rules' of governors meetings meet that issues surrounding individual children shouldn't be discussed and this seems to help make the divide more obvious for everyone. I've only been a Governor at DCs infant school for just under a year but I haven't found any problems discussing DCs progress and my concerns with his class teacher ans she is a staff governor as well.

of course you still can. My husband has just become a governor and has to attend a training course on it. He is also expected to go to monthly meetings and to have a "walk" around the school regularly to write reports. He also is reading all the polices and procedures in relation to school - and there are many.

As a governor, definitely.Where a problem comes I think is if you are an emloyee of the school.It would be hard to make a complaint against a school,which was also your employer.

ooh no
teachers very used to not treating you as a gov
altho other parnets will assume you get beter service of course

we rarely/ never discuss kids in a fgb mtg - and i haev been one for eight long years.

Shouldn't be a problem. I am Parent Gov.,PTA treasurer as well as parent and if I have to have chats with school it's pretty clear what 'head' I've got on. When I wear my governor badge in school I do get treated differently by the staff but not in a bad way. I am having lots of issues with DS at the mo and he was very nearly excluded the other day so things can be awkward but you just have to be professional about it. I do sometimes wonder though if the teachers think we're just interfering old busybody's rather than people who want the school to be the best it can be for all the children.

Am still gov of infant school that i actually moved my ds away from.Dd1 and dd2 both attended this school.
Have good relationship with all at school.
It was an agonising decision though!

Thanks all, this is reassuring to hear.

Really, I was going to keep it at arm's length. However, the letter asking for nominations has come home twice now (last term and this) and it doesn't look as though anyone is bursting to come forward and do it. I think it's really important to have parent representation on the governing body, so I think it's 'put up or shut up' time!

Good for you. I'm sure you'll find lots of support from within the school and other governors/parents in general.