10 Things to Know Before Speaking at a Jenks Public School Board Meeting
By: Abigail Chow
After writing an extensive article about speaking at Jenks Public School Board meetings, here is a list of 10 things to know before speaking at a Jenks Public School Board Meeting.
School board meetings are open to the public. Anyone part of the community both student and adult can participate in school board meetings and make a public comment or hearing of the public. It’s not open mic, though. Please see the website for more details or refer to the companion article, “ everything about the school board ‘’ for more information
There are two different roles that a school board plays: accountability and community liaison. If you aren’t seeing an issue you care about (regarding policy) not being prioritized, this is the space to do so. This is the space to tell your story, experiences, and how you’re impacted by a particular policy.
That being said, your topic doesn't have to be negative! Public comments or hearings of the public don’t just have to be complaints, concerns, or issues, they can also be positive feedback about something you find beneficial.
Don’t wait till something happens, just come. School Board meetings are open to the public and are a gateway to engaging and building relationships with people who represent you.
Two ways to speak at a school board meeting is by making a public comment or hearing of the public. Public comments are when you want to speak about something that is listed on the agenda, whereas hearing of the public is when you want to talk about something that’s not on the meeting agenda. For public comment, arrive 10-15 minutes before the meeting starts to sign up for making a public comment. For hearing of the public, email the Clerk or Deputy Clerk of the Board, Julie Wortham, by 4 p.m. on the Wednesday before the scheduled School Board meeting and include the topic and the name of the speaker.
Is the issue you’re wanting to speak about operational or policy related? School boards set policies and make sure they align with state and federal laws. A common misunderstanding that happens is that people contact the school board about a more operational issue than policy issue. In those cases, the school board suggests people reach out to the staff who’s closest to that problem whether it’s a teacher, principal, or admin. For example, if it’s something in the classroom, contact the teacher and then work up the chain.
Know who your specific school board member is and contact them through email. To find who your personal school board member is and their contact information, check out the Board of Education page on jenksps.org and go to the top of the page where it says “Board Members.” By contacting your school board member, you can establish a relationship with them and request a meeting or a phone call. You can start by contacting them and addressing something important to you that you want on their radar.
Get your facts straight. Email an administrator and ask ‘what are we doing?’ about the issue that concerns you. You want to be as prepared as you can before speaking at a school board meeting.
Speaking at school board meetings isn't the “end-all” solution. Speaking at school board meetings is a way to express feedback and personal stories to your community. It is a foot in the door to building relationships with your school board and enacting change. Seeing that your issue continues and finds a solution happens outside of the school board meetings.
Post speaking, stick around for the entire meeting, contact and connect with your school board members to say thank you and express interest in continuing the conversation further, reach out and make connections at the meeting.
For more information on Jenks School Board meetings, check out the Board of Education’s website.
For a more extensive version of this article, check out my article, Guide to Speaking at JPS School Board Meetings for Students. For more information about the school board itself, check out former Torch staff member Liza Inbody’s article, “Deep Dive into the School Board.”