School Governance Information Available on the Internet

As a prospective teacher, it is useful to learn more about the different levels of school government by doing some research on the Web. You may want to start with a visit to your state department of education Web site (go to http://www.ed.gov/Programs/bastmp/SEA.htm). From this page, you might find it instructive to select two or three local district Web sites. Compare and contrast information on these Web sites. For example, which state board of education programs are mentioned on local board sites? Do local Web sites include vision, mission, and belief statements? If so, how do they compare or contrast with each other? What reference is there to either state-mandated testing or indicators of student achievement? What information on each local school district Web site makes you interested in teaching in-or avoiding-that school district?

You can also examine the Web sites of national school organizations, listed below. Look for the following: policy statements, areas of advocacy, federal and state legislative positions, and special projects and news releases. How do these national organizations further the aims of local school districts? Which ones do you believe that you, as a teacher, will visit to keep up to date on policy developments?

• School Boards Association (http://www.nsba.org)
• National Association of State Boards of Education (http://www.nasbe.org)
• Council of Chief State School Officers (http://www.ccsso.org)

Other sites where you can learn more about school government include:

Education Week
This weekly online newspaper includes readable summaries of key governmental actions at the federal and state levels.

School District Locator
This search page from the Department of Education's National Center for Educational Statistics can help you find about more about schools or school districts in which you may be interested.

State Departments of Education
Click on a state at this map to link to that state's department of education or similar organization.

U.S. Department of Education
This is a great place to learn about the federal government's positions on many different educational issues. Check out the sections titled "Policy" and "President's and Secretary's Priorities," as well as the "News."