Jeff Olefson

The attackers were two steps ahead of us, and we knew it. The irony was not lost upon us that the comment section of our monthly meetings, designed to provide community members with access to their elected school board, was being hijacked by people who had no interest in speaking to us. This was verified when they ignored our request for a meeting with their group.

What we did not initially understand was that we had created a perfect opportunity for our critics to play to the audience, cable viewers and our local paper. All of the attacks were without substance, but by the time we looked into one matter, they ambushed us with another. We naively believed, with the facts on our side, we could win them over. They wisely understood their agenda was best served by making us look confused and incompetent.

Time Limits
It took us a little time, but once we figured out their game plan, we knew what was needed to counter it and turn the tables on them.

Flexible and undefined public comment procedures were not serving us well, so we changed them.

We set a three-minute time limit and insisted speakers leave their seats and speak from a podium with their backs to the TV camera. We insisted all questions be addressed to the board president. We promised we would respond to every question, but not necessarily when the questions were asked. As a matter of practice, we did not respond to any question until all comments were completed and everyone had left the podium. This was to prevent the critic from engaging in a debate with the superintendent or the board.

If the question was about an operational matter, our superintendent would respond. If it was about a policy, the response would come from the board president. Only if she thought it appropriate would other board members chime in. This clear division of labor between the board and superintendent was an important part of our strategy.

To blunt the potential criticism we were limiting access, we expanded opportunities for community members to be heard. We made index cards available for individuals who were uncomfortable with public speaking. A special board mailing address and later an e-mail address were created for this purpose. When limiting speakers, we mentioned other options, such as submitting comments of any length in writing. The more we expanded access while limiting our critics’ ability to hijack our...

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Jeff Olefson, a former school board member in Mamaroneck, N.Y., is president of Staff Development Associates in Westtown, N.Y. E-mail: jolefson@optonline.net