How To Fuck Up an Asshole School Board^[1]

By Chad M. Topaz

November 10, 2024

Stall, baby, stall.

(1) Public Comment Period

Using the public comment period strategically is a powerful way to take up time.

Community Mobilization

• Organize a Group: Organize a group of community members to attend the meeting and sign up for public comment. The more speakers you have, the longer this portion of the meeting will take.
• Prepared Statements: Ensure each person has a unique, prepared statement. While comments should address the agenda items or broader concerns, they can include questions or emphasize points that need a response.

Effective Use of Time

• Maximize Speaking Time: If the board imposes a time limit for speakers (e.g., two minutes per person), make sure every speaker uses their full time. Coordinate with your group so that comments build on each other, creating a cohesive message that demands attention.
• Pose Questions: Pose questions that require detailed responses from the board or administration. Even if they choose not to respond fully, your questions are entered into the public record, highlighting your concerns.

Create Pressure to Respond

• Compelling Comments: Use facts, figures, and personal stories to make your comments compelling. By framing your concerns as important and urgent, you may pressure the board into engaging, which can extend the discussion.
• Request More Time: For highly contentious issues, have some speakers suggest that more public comment time is needed, potentially leading to additional meetings or hearings.

(2) Request Detailed Clarifications

Requesting detailed clarifications during the meeting can effectively slow down the agenda without requiring the board's cooperation.

Prepare Specific Questions

• Identify Key Issues: Before the meeting, identify agenda items or policies that are unclear or controversial. Develop detailed questions related to these topics, focusing on points that may not have been thoroughly explained.
• Example Questions: Examples include, “Can you clarify the funding source for this program and any potential impact on the budget?” or “What research or community input informed this policy decision?”

 Ask for Procedural Clarifications

• Process Inquiries: Use your time to ask about the process by which decisions were made. For instance, inquire, “Was this policy vetted by relevant stakeholders? If so, can you outline that process for us?” These questions may require administrators or board members to explain their actions in detail, taking up time.

Highlight Unresolved Issues

• Follow Up on Previous Meetings: Emphasize unresolved issues or unanswered questions from previous meetings. For example, “At the last meeting, it was mentioned that further data would be provided on this topic. Has that data been reviewed and shared with the public?”
• Create a Record: If the board or administration cannot immediately provide detailed answers, it creates a record of the issue and may force them to address it in the future, causing additional delays.

Use Follow-Up Questions

• Prolong the Discussion: If the board provides incomplete or unsatisfactory answers, follow up with additional questions or ask for a commitment to provide the information in writing. This keeps the focus on your concerns and prolongs the discussion.

(3) Document and Evidence Submission

Submitting documents or evidence and requesting that they be acknowledged in the meeting can create delays and require board members to respond.

Prepare Documents in Advance

• Compile Supporting Materials: Compile relevant materials, such as research studies, expert opinions, or community petitions, that support your position. Make sure these documents are thorough and professional to increase their impact.
• Distribute Copies: Bring multiple copies and, if possible, submit them to the board before the meeting, requesting that they be distributed to all members and included in the public record.

Request Document Reading

• Read Aloud Key Excerpts: If board rules allow, request that key excerpts of your documents be read aloud during the meeting. This can take up significant time, especially if the material is lengthy or detailed.
• Example: “I would like to submit this statement from a community health expert regarding the impact of this policy. Could we have a portion read for the record, as it’s crucial to our understanding?”

Use the Documents to Prompt Questions

• Reference Materials: Reference your submitted materials during the meeting to ask questions or raise concerns. For example, “Based on the data in the report I provided, how does the board plan to address these findings?” This forces the board to engage with the content or acknowledge it, slowing the meeting further.

Submit Evidence Strategically

• Challenge the Board: If you know a specific agenda item will be discussed, submit evidence that challenges or complicates the board’s position. This can force board members to defend their decisions or reconsider their approach, extending deliberation.

(4) Use of Points of Order

A “point of order” is a formal objection raised when someone believes the meeting is not following proper procedures. Using this method requires understanding the rules the board operates under, typically Robert’s Rules of Order.

Preparation

• Understand the Rules: Familiarize yourself with the rules of order that the board follows, usually Robert’s Rules. Focus on key procedural requirements, like the order of business, debate rules, and voting processes.
• Identify Common Violations: Identify common procedural elements that are often violated, such as time limits for speakers, proper handling of motions, or rules related to quorum.

Raising a Point of Order

• How to Raise It: You can raise a point of order when you believe a rule has been broken. For example, if a motion is made without being seconded, you can interrupt by saying, “Point of order.” The chairperson must address your concern.
• Be Specific: Be specific about the violation. For example: “Point of order. According to Robert’s Rules, speakers cannot exceed their allotted time, and this member has gone over the limit.”
• Appeal Decisions: If the chair disagrees with your point, you can appeal the decision, requiring a vote and potentially sparking further discussion.

Common Violations to Watch For

• Improper Motions: A motion is made without a second or before the proper time in the agenda.
• Speaking Out of Turn: A member speaks without being recognized by the chair, or debate occurs without a motion on the floor.
• Time Limit Violations: Board members or speakers exceed the allowed time for discussion or public comment.
• Quorum Issues: If there aren’t enough members present to legally conduct business, you can raise a point of order to halt proceedings.
• Voting Procedures: If a vote is conducted improperly, such as taking a vote without adequate debate or failing to follow the correct voting method.

Potential Disruptions

• Frequent Points of Order: Repeatedly raising points of order—when valid—can disrupt the flow of the meeting. Highlighting every procedural error forces the board to address them.
• Appeals: If the chair rules against you, appealing the decision requires a vote and can lead to further discussion, delaying proceedings.
• Strategic Timing: Raise points of order strategically, especially during contentious debates, to maximize their impact and slow down the process.

Know Your Rights

• Assert Your Rights: Understand your rights as a meeting participant or observer, including the right to challenge procedural violations. Use them assertively.
• Demand Proper Consideration: If the board tries to dismiss your point of order without consideration, insist that proper rules be followed.

DISCLOSURE: I was aided by a large language model in developing portions of this document but fact-checked them independently.