In seven years of serving on a school board, I have yet to meet a board member who chooses to serve for the gratitude, but I will admit it is nice to read sweet notes from students and receive the occasional “Thank you” email or text throughout the month.

This year it seemed the January pleasantries were over on Feb. 1, when legislation was announced which would make it possible to recall school board members. Supporters of the legislation say school board members must be held accountable, and I could not agree more. However, as with other elected positions in the state, we have elections for that very purpose.

If an elected official is not effectively doing the job, individuals have an opportunity to challenge that person or support another candidate in the next election.

Ideally, discussion and dialog has occurred along the way, but it is almost unheard of that we will agree with every decision an elected official makes.

Illegal, immoral or unethical actions by elected officials are addressed via other means, so a recall effort often winds up being used as a disruptive and threatening tool for influence or immediate punishment for specific votes.

It is also curious that if accountability is the goal of this legislation, why does it only apply to school board members? Other than a few cities that include recall language in their charter, there are no other elected officials in Oklahoma currently subject to recall.

That option does not exist for our representatives in Congress, our legislators, our statewide elected officials or our governor.

From the presidency all the way to the local school board seat, an electoral process allows voters to make their final determination on Election Day about an individual’s public service.

To evaluate a school board member’s service, it is important to know what they do — which is not always clear if you do not regularly attend board meetings. Every school district is different, but generally board members collectively set the vision and strategic plans for the district, adopt board policies, ensure compliance for state and federal regulations, approve the annual budget, negotiate salaries, review audits and financial reports and approve contracts.

Operational functions, administrative tasks, and implementation of the strategic plan are delegated to the superintendent and administrative teams.

Board members provide feedback and ask questions based on input they receive from people, then vote on whether to support the presented recommendations. While it is easy to list these things, the past 10 months have brought challenges none of us would have imagined.

Creating a safe, healthy, supportive learning environment for all students is the primary focus of a school board. How to do that during a global pandemic is a question with no right answer.

Guidance from public health authorities and education agencies, local district data and the effect of municipal or state policies all contribute to assessing the risks in a particular school community.

Valid concerns from people on either side of the decision are given weighty consideration, and board members know however they vote, a subset of the population is going to be upset. This is the nature of serving in an elected position, and subjecting school board members to recall in no way ensures a better decision-making process.

It is clear this legislation stems from the challenging and emotionally charged past 10 months we’ve all experienced. While high emotions are understandable, recall initiatives are an unwise solution that would only cause further divide, instability, and contentiousness within a school community.

Hopefully, 2021 will bring the end of the pandemic and more civil discourse. We will not always agree with elected officials, but an angry group of people threatening recall is not accountability.

In this country, we are privileged to participate in elections. The best way to hold school board members, and any elected official, accountable is to engage in respectful dialogue, promote voter registration and encourage citizens to make informed decisions on Election Day.

Melissa Abdo is a member of the Jenks school board and a former member of the Tulsa World Community Advisory Board.

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