school boards

When public pressure is intense, what can you do?

By Ann Macfarlane / January 21, 2021 /
A woman in a green turtleneck holds her glasses and touches her temple, appearing to have a headache or be stressed, likely due to public pressure, with a blurred background.

At a recent workshop, a director from a school board split by pandemic-related decisions asked me what board members can do in the face of intense public pressure. These are tough times for local non-partisan government bodies, for sure. Here are some thoughts about what can be done. Download PDF Listen to your constituents, while…

Read More

Don’t get into back-and-forth exchanges during public comment

By Ann Macfarlane / March 6, 2018 /
A handheld silver and black microphone is mounted on a black microphone stand against a white background, ready to provide language tips.

When city councils, school boards or other public bodies hold their meetings, it is usual to reserve a time in the meeting for members of the public to speak to their elected officials. One common name for this is the public comment period. We strongly recommend that elected officials should not get into back-and-forth exchanges…

Read More