Prospective Trustees
Information for prospective trustees
The next trustee elections will be held on Friday 7 May 2010
What is a Board of Trustees ?
All of New Zealand's state and state-integrated schools have a board of trustees. The board of trustees is the Crown entity responsible for the governance and the control of the management of the school. The board is the employer of all staff in the school, is responsible for setting the school's strategic direction in consultation with parents, staff and students, and ensuring that its school provides a safe environment and quality education for all its students. Boards are also responsible for overseeing the management of personnel, curriculum, property, finance and administration.
Who sits on a Board of Trustees ?
A standard board of trustees' membership includes:
• between three and seven parent elected trustees;
• the Principal of the school;
• one staff elected trustee;
• one student elected trustee (in schools with students above Year 9);
• co-opted trustees; and
• up to four trustees appointed by the proprietor (in state integrated schools only).
Trustees are elected by the parent community, staff members and, in the case of schools with students above Year 9, the students. The board can also co-opt additional trustees. Co-option cannot be used to fill casual vacancies on a board; a board must hold a by-election to fill the casual vacancy or fill the casual vacancy by selection having first given consideration to the requirements of section 105 of the Education Act 1989.
How are trustees elected ?
Boards of trustees must hold elections for parent and staff trustees every three years (triennial election). A board may also decide to adopt a mid-term (staggered) election cycle where half the parent representatives are elected at a mid-term election (18 months after the triennial election) and the remainder are elected at the triennial election. Elections for student trustees must be held annually in September in schools with students above Year 9.
The national elections for parent representatives of the country's 2,700 Boards of Trustees are held every three years.
The trustee elections are the biggest democratic event in New Zealand, with more than 14,000 parent representative positions needing to be filled around the country. These elections are held at all state and integrated primary, intermediate and secondary schools. All parents and care-givers of students enrolled at a school are eligible to vote in the trustee elections for that school.
Could I be a trustee?
Yes, if you:
• Care about your child's education, and the education of all students at the school
• Want to help make decisions about the vision and direction for your school
• Are willing to share your skills and experience
• Can work as part of a team and apply common sense
What would I have to do?
Boards of trustees make crucial decisions about the governance and direction of our schools. As a trustee you will:
• Evaluate educational achievement at your school
• Make decisions about direction and priorities that support the teaching and learning in the school
• Make decisions that take into account the needs of all students
• Delegate powers to the Principal
• Ensure that the school is communicating effectively with the community
What would I be responsible for?
Boards ensure that their school meets the legal requirements set out in the National Education Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Education. These include National Curriculum Statements, plus the National Education Goals and the National Administration Guidelines - called NEGs and NAGs for short. These cover key areas such as:
• Student Achievement, Teaching and Curriculum
• Strategic Planning and Self-review
• Employment and Personnel
• Financial and Property Management
• Health and Safety
Within the bounds of this framework, boards can choose how they want their school to develop.
What questions do trustees seek to answer ?
• What does the community want for our school?
• What can we do to make our school better?
• What are our priorities?
• How can we achieve our goals?
How much time is required?
As a trustee you are part of a team, so responsibility for the work of the Board is shared. People put into the job what they can. There are regular meetings that require some preparation beforehand. In addition, in some schools you may be asked to work on a sub-committee that will meet outside of the regular board meetings.
Many schools have regular meetings only twice each term. Meetings typically take 2 to 3 hours at most. Preparation time will vary, but should be no more than 2 hours.
If all is going well, and no major changes or initiatives are in hand, the time required is quite limited. However, large amounts of time can sometimes be required if major changes are needed at your school, or there are serious issues to address.
How can I get a better idea of what might be involved?
Meetings of the Board of Trustees must be open to the public (other than when matters are being discussed that are particularly sensitive and require privacy). You can find out what being a trustee is like by attending your school's board of trustee meeting as an observer, or talking to the board's chairperson or one of the trustees.
What if I think I don't have the time or expertise?
Help is available. You are not alone! If elected, you will be part of a team and others on the board will have the same focus as you. There is no set of right skills or qualifications needed to become a trustee. Everyone has something to offer.
Why should I become a trustee?
Just by standing, you are demonstrating your commitment to the students of your school and their education. Putting your name forward shows how much you value our children’s education. Sitting on the board helps everyone. You make important decisions about your school and you learn new skills and get to know new people. The vast majority of trustees say it is a very worthwhile experience - not only helping our children, but because of what they gain personally as well.
The next trustee elections will be held on Friday 7 May 2010
What is a Board of Trustees ?
All of New Zealand's state and state-integrated schools have a board of trustees. The board of trustees is the Crown entity responsible for the governance and the control of the management of the school. The board is the employer of all staff in the school, is responsible for setting the school's strategic direction in consultation with parents, staff and students, and ensuring that its school provides a safe environment and quality education for all its students. Boards are also responsible for overseeing the management of personnel, curriculum, property, finance and administration.
Who sits on a Board of Trustees ?
A standard board of trustees' membership includes:
• between three and seven parent elected trustees;
• the Principal of the school;
• one staff elected trustee;
• one student elected trustee (in schools with students above Year 9);
• co-opted trustees; and
• up to four trustees appointed by the proprietor (in state integrated schools only).
Trustees are elected by the parent community, staff members and, in the case of schools with students above Year 9, the students. The board can also co-opt additional trustees. Co-option cannot be used to fill casual vacancies on a board; a board must hold a by-election to fill the casual vacancy or fill the casual vacancy by selection having first given consideration to the requirements of section 105 of the Education Act 1989.
How are trustees elected ?
Boards of trustees must hold elections for parent and staff trustees every three years (triennial election). A board may also decide to adopt a mid-term (staggered) election cycle where half the parent representatives are elected at a mid-term election (18 months after the triennial election) and the remainder are elected at the triennial election. Elections for student trustees must be held annually in September in schools with students above Year 9.
The national elections for parent representatives of the country's 2,700 Boards of Trustees are held every three years.
The trustee elections are the biggest democratic event in New Zealand, with more than 14,000 parent representative positions needing to be filled around the country. These elections are held at all state and integrated primary, intermediate and secondary schools. All parents and care-givers of students enrolled at a school are eligible to vote in the trustee elections for that school.
Could I be a trustee?
Yes, if you:
• Care about your child's education, and the education of all students at the school
• Want to help make decisions about the vision and direction for your school
• Are willing to share your skills and experience
• Can work as part of a team and apply common sense
What would I have to do?
Boards of trustees make crucial decisions about the governance and direction of our schools. As a trustee you will:
• Evaluate educational achievement at your school
• Make decisions about direction and priorities that support the teaching and learning in the school
• Make decisions that take into account the needs of all students
• Delegate powers to the Principal
• Ensure that the school is communicating effectively with the community
What would I be responsible for?
Boards ensure that their school meets the legal requirements set out in the National Education Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Education. These include National Curriculum Statements, plus the National Education Goals and the National Administration Guidelines - called NEGs and NAGs for short. These cover key areas such as:
• Student Achievement, Teaching and Curriculum
• Strategic Planning and Self-review
• Employment and Personnel
• Financial and Property Management
• Health and Safety
Within the bounds of this framework, boards can choose how they want their school to develop.
What questions do trustees seek to answer ?
• What does the community want for our school?
• What can we do to make our school better?
• What are our priorities?
• How can we achieve our goals?
How much time is required?
As a trustee you are part of a team, so responsibility for the work of the Board is shared. People put into the job what they can. There are regular meetings that require some preparation beforehand. In addition, in some schools you may be asked to work on a sub-committee that will meet outside of the regular board meetings.
Many schools have regular meetings only twice each term. Meetings typically take 2 to 3 hours at most. Preparation time will vary, but should be no more than 2 hours.
If all is going well, and no major changes or initiatives are in hand, the time required is quite limited. However, large amounts of time can sometimes be required if major changes are needed at your school, or there are serious issues to address.
How can I get a better idea of what might be involved?
Meetings of the Board of Trustees must be open to the public (other than when matters are being discussed that are particularly sensitive and require privacy). You can find out what being a trustee is like by attending your school's board of trustee meeting as an observer, or talking to the board's chairperson or one of the trustees.
What if I think I don't have the time or expertise?
Help is available. You are not alone! If elected, you will be part of a team and others on the board will have the same focus as you. There is no set of right skills or qualifications needed to become a trustee. Everyone has something to offer.
Why should I become a trustee?
Just by standing, you are demonstrating your commitment to the students of your school and their education. Putting your name forward shows how much you value our children’s education. Sitting on the board helps everyone. You make important decisions about your school and you learn new skills and get to know new people. The vast majority of trustees say it is a very worthwhile experience - not only helping our children, but because of what they gain personally as well.