Even with more than 30 years of school experience behind him, Joe Armstrong says he still has a lot to learn.
Armstrong was elected to the Clarkston School Board in May and was sworn in as a trustee the first week in July. Since that time, Armstrong said he has been through a lot to prepare himself for his new responsibilities and was surprised by just how much the position requires.
‘There’s a real steep learning curve and you have to pick things up in a hurry,? said Armstrong, who compared joining the school board like trying to board a moving train. Armstrong has already attended seven classes to become a certified board member by the Michigan Association of School Boards. Before the election, Clarkston was one of only seven boards in the state to have every member MASB certified and Armstrong wants things to be that way again.
‘There’s a little pressure for me to be certified because everybody else is,? Armstrong said.
‘There’s kind of an unwritten rule, ‘If you’re new, listen, don’t talk.? And in a way I agree with that because this learning is so intense that sometimes you need to sit back and understand what is going on before you get involved,? he said, adding that he feels like he should sometimes keep his opinion to himself until he has more experience. ‘I don’t feel a whole lot of pressure on this board about that, but I think it’s kind of a universal things that if you’re smart, you’re not going to make a fool out of yourself right away.?
So Armstrong has been trying to lay low while he adapts to his new duties, all the while studying up on the various laws that apply to public bodies and how meetings must be conducted.
‘I took law classes and how it relates to the board, I took curriculum classes, finance, and that’s pretty important especially today,? Armstrong said. ‘When you understand that 85 percent of our budget goes to salaries and retirement? now we’re working with this other 15 percent and we’re supposed to make cuts in this area… it’s kind of tough, but I think Clarkston has planned ahead quite well.?
The biggest surprise for Armstrong so far is how the board must communicate with the restrictions placed on them by law.
‘I thought there’d be a little more socialization going on, because you’re a group, you’re together a lot of times, but man, when we’re together it’s just business,? said Armstrong. ‘You don’t have the time and? the law doesn’t permit it because when you’ve got four members together that’s a quorum and you don’t dare talk about school business and yet that’s what brings you all together.?
Armstrong said he has noticed that all members of the Clarkston School Board take these rules and regulations very seriously and strictly adhere to them. While he intends to do the same, Armstrong said he is still getting used to the amount of work and preparation that goes into every board meeting.
‘Once you get on the other side of that bench, there’s a lot more to it than what you would expect,? Armstrong said.
When observing other school boards, Armstrong said he was surprised by the animosity between board members and teachers. Though he does not see the same thing in Clarkston, Armstrong said he hopes his experience as a teacher will work to bridge any gaps that may arise in the future.
‘They’ve got to work together,? Armstrong said. However, he remarked that one of the biggest challenges the board will likely face in the future revolves around the budget.
‘It can be pretty complicated, and that is why we have a business manager? but ultimately the decision is ours.?