Trust, Leadership & the Anderson Five School Board

TRUST - “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded.” (Luke 12:48)

Last night at the Anderson County SC Republican Party's candidate forum, I asked Ramsey and Creed to stand up.

Looking at them took me back to the first Anderson Five School Board meeting I attended a few years ago. Back then, Ramsey was at McCants Middle School and Creed was at Concord Elementary School. I wasn't thinking about running for School Board. I was a busy working dad, with a demanding schedule, that made time to sit in the audience, watching people make decisions that affected my two children and thousands of other people's children across Anderson Five.

I studied governance academically. I have worked with Boards and Trustees professionally. But sitting in that room was different.

This was personal. Those were my kids sitting in those classrooms.

And it caused me to start thinking differently about the responsibility we give the people who serve on a School Board. We don't just call them Board members.

We call them "Trustees." There is a lot packed into that word.

"TRUST."

A Trustee is entrusted with something that doesn't belong to them. Our schools don't belong to nine people sitting around a Board table, no matter how long any of them have served. They don't belong to a political party, a political ideology, or whichever group happens to have the loudest voice at the moment.

They belong to this community.

There is a reason this is a nonpartisan election. Each of us will bring our own beliefs, values and life experiences to the table. I certainly do.

As I earn the trust of our community, and in 42 days, if the people entrust me with this responsibility, I'm reminded that our job is bigger than a political label or a particular side. Kids don’t have political sides, and that’s why we must respect, “Kids Above Politics.”

We already have something to rally around. Anderson Five's mission is “To educate students who are college and career-ready and will positively contribute to an ever-changing world.” Its vision is "to provide an excellent school system that empowers students to reach their potential through academics, arts and athletics."

That's our charge, and it applies to every child in Anderson Five.

Over the last decade, I've also had the opportunity to work closely with a Board of Trustees in my professional life. I've been the executive sitting on the other side of that table, being held accountable by them. I've learned that trust and accountability aren't opposites. Good governance requires both.

Good Trustees ask hard questions. They expect results. They hold leadership accountable. But they can challenge an idea without attacking a person. They can disagree without trying to embarrass one another. They can listen to someone who sees the world very differently than they do and still treat that person with dignity and respect.

They can trust professional leadership without becoming a rubber stamp.

Robert Greenleaf wrote in Servant Leadership that effective trustees serve as “symbols of trust.” (p. 134) I love that!!!!4

Because simply having the title of Trustee doesn't create trust. How you serve does. How we respect others, especially when we have a different view on a matter, contributes to building TRUST.

A Trustee isn't going to agree with every person they represent. That's impossible. But every person should be able to trust that they will be heard, respected and genuinely considered.

Scripture reminds us not to “lord it over those entrusted to you,” but to lead by example. (1 Peter 5:3) I think there is wisdom in that for anyone entrusted with leadership. Ultimately, the authority of a Trustee doesn't belong to the Trustee.

It belongs to the people. We simply entrust it to them for a season.

Last night, looking at Ramsey and Creed standing in middle of that room with many of their friends behind them, I was reminded again why all of this matters so much to me. Those two are a big part of why I started showing up years ago.

But this isn't just about my two. It's about all of ours. That’s why we must refocus our Board of Trustees on "PUTTING KIDS FIRST."

So as we move toward November 3, I hope you'll consider these questions of each of us seeking this responsibility:

Can I trust this person to listen?

Can I trust them to work with people who see things differently?

Can I trust them to put our children ahead of politics?

Can I trust them to effectively communicate what is going on in our district?

Can I trust them to remember who this seat belongs to?

That's the kind of Trustee I will strive to be every day.

Putting Kids First.