Chairmanship

As a few of you have kindly noted in the comments, I was elected Chairman at the first meeting of the year. This will mean fewer blog posts for me, but I still hold out hope that others interested in Loudoun education will become contributors to this blog and keep it lively.

The matter of who is chairman is of little interest to all but a relatively few people have direct contact with the Board. I intended to blog about the role of chairman in December as we approached the election, but when I sat down to write it just didn't seem that it would matter to many of our readers.

The Board selects its Chairman, and Vice Chair, every year at its first meeting. The last few Chairmen have held the post for a few years, despite regular challengers, until they were ready to give it up. In case you were wondering, I'm only concerned about this year. Next year will take care of itself in time.

The Chairman's most visible role is conducting the Board's business meetings and public hearings. The Chairman also signs contracts and other documents on behalf of the Board, sets the agendas for the meetings (though individual members can place items on the agenda as well) and makes committee and dais seating assignments.

The most significant role is representing the rest of the Board, to the community and to other entities such as the Board of Supervisors. This means that I have to redefine my voice on this blog again, and that will slow me down as much as demands on my time.

And finally, the Chairman is still a member of the School Board representing the people of his district. So that's one thing that hasn't changed.