Chain of command

School board members learn early in their board service about the school district chain of command. As the elected representatives of the community, board members want to help their constituents. When inevitably confronted at a Little League baseball game or the community farmers market with parent complaints or problems, board members must resist the urge to get involved. Instead, they should tell the parents to talk to the teacher first, then the principal, and then the superintendent. If the superintendent decides it needs board attention, the board will consider the matter.

Reinforcing the chain of command with school board members makes sense: It prevents them from engaging in district operational issues where they don’t belong.

Chain of command originated as a military term used to describe the direct line of authority and communication from superior to subordinate. In this scenario, teachers are the subordinates, the foot soldiers in the trenches. They follow orders, and their decisions can be bucked up to the next level if someone is unhappy.