Teacher Governors
The Role of the Teacher Governor
All governors have the same status and share responsibility for the corporate decisions taken by the governing body. However there are some restrictions and special roles assigned to you as a teacher governor:
1.1 You bring valuable, specialist, professional knowledge to the governing body;
1.2 You should be actively involved in informing governors about the way in which the curriculum is delivered eg through taking a leading role in the Curriculum Committee/Working Party or making presentations about curriculum initiatives to the whole governing body;
1.3 You need to have clear lines of communication with the Headteacher. It would be helpful to meet prior to the governing body, to agree on how school performance/pupil achievement is going to be reported. Agree with the Headteacher how you will handle disagreements about issues, before they reach the governing body;
1.4 You need to have clear lines of communication with colleagues in the staff room: circulate the agenda and minutes among staff; seek staff views on major issues; agree with the Headteacher how you will report back to colleagues
1.5 You have the same rights and status as other governors and you are bound by the same rules of confidentiality and corporate responsibility. This is particularly important when budget difficulties or a proposed reorganisation within the school may have a direct bearing on your colleagues;
1.6 You cannot act as chair or vice chair of a governors meeting or committee;
1.7 You must withdraw from any discussion by the governors of the salary or appraisal of an employee of the school or any discussion which may directly or indirectly benefit you personally (eg discussion of a promotion from which you stand to benefit) more than the other staff in general;
1.8 You are not a delegate or 'shop steward', mandated by your colleagues to put forward their specific views, nor should not act as an advocate: if another member of the teaching staff has a particular concern or grievance he or she should raise it with the Headteacher or in a staff meeting, not ask you to raise it on their behalf with the governing body. However, you are a teacher and therefore can put forward a representative view (the 'view from the classroom' not the 'view from the staff room').
1.9 You should give strong and explicit support to the Head and Staff Governor when it is appropriate - for example when you know from your own experience how important it will be to introduce a particular policy or initiative;
1.10 You will be required to withdraw from certain personnel discussions which will limit your involvement, and therefore it is not appropriate for you to be a member of the Personnel Committee. However, you should be involved with other governors in making Headship appointments;
1.11 It may not be appropriate for you to be a permanent member of any Committee where there is a frequent conflict of interest between your role as governor and your status as an employee of the school. This would include the Pay Committee; Appeals Committee; and Staff Disciplinary and Capability, Student Discipline and Complaints Committee.
1.12 You should report outcomes of the governors meeting, not details of the actual debates;
1.13 With the Headteacher you are in the best position to guide governors in adopting and drawing up appropriate school curriculum policies;
1.14 You have an important role to play in establishing agreed rules about Link Governors visiting the school;
1.15 You are entitled, like any employee, to 'reasonable time off' to carry out your work as a governor (to take part in appointment panels, to visit other areas of the school, etc). You will need to secure the agreement of your Headteacher and Chair of Governors as to what is regarded as 'reasonable' time off, or time off in lieu for attending INSET days with other governors
1.16 You need to be open-minded, diplomatic, committed to teamwork, a good communicator and conscious of the importance of confidentiality.