My Focus as a Board Member

As an elected School Board member I am part of a six person governance team (including the Superintendent) that makes policy decisions for Alameda public schools that are consistent with the principles of public education against the backdrop of a very political environment that will change in coming 20 years . One of the primary roles I can fulfill as an individual Board member is to serve as a link between the schools and the public and between the public and the schools. This entire website is dedicated to carrying out that role. If you have any suggestions on ways to improve my ability to serve as a connector between the District and the community, please contact me.

The primary work of a school board is conducted during school board meetings (the only place where a school board member has any authority). The minutes of school board meetings are records of action taken by the school board. During the school board meetings, the school board oversees a number of areas including: Accountability, measuring achievement against state and federal mandates, Finances, insuring the ongoing operations of the District, Facilities, providing for safe and effective learning environments and charter school oversight. Here is a 2013 study that has studied the effectiveness of school districts.

Beyond the overseeing of annual operations, Alameda Unified School District adopted a AUSD Strategic Plan for 2003-2008 and a Master Plan for 2010-2014. The plan is intended to serve as a blueprint for actions needed in Alameda public schools to insure every student achieves success. This blueprint together with the Board's adoption of a Vision, Mission and Guiding Principles provide focus on educational equity and excellence for the Board.

Another role I can fulfill as an individual Board member is to model the behavior of a lifelong learner. One quality of a lifelong learner is constantly searching for answers to questions that really matter. Here are some of the questions that I am currently contemplating:

• What year are we preparing our students for?
• Who owns the learning?
• How do we hold the district accountable for the educational outcomes of Alameda students?

As I search for answers I have begun to capture interesting articles, studies and research to these questions.

Last modified: January, 2014

Disclaimer: This website is the sole responsibility of Mike McMahon. It does not represent any official opinions, statement of facts or positions of the Alameda Unified School District. Its sole purpose is to disseminate information to interested individuals in the Alameda community.