University of Virginia Library

Visitor To The Board

By DARLENE SPRINKLE

"I was very loud in public,
but very timid in talking to the
president..."

So Paul Freeman, the first
high school student in the
country to be a bona fide
member of a school board,
sums up the beginning of his
board duties in Fairfax.

Paul, a first-year student at
the University, competed last
February for this
much-coveted position. He was
chosen by student
representatives from the high
schools. As a result, he had to
relinquish his position as
Student Government President
of Herdon High School, a
consequence he regarded as
unfortunate.

Those who elected him
describe Paul as an extremely
good speaker, having
significant objectives; besides
that, he had longer hair than
the rest.

There have been other
students on other school
boards before him, but not in a
full capacity. Some students on
other boards did not even have
a vote but served in an advisory
capacity only. Paul had an
equal vote on all issues. He also
received a full salary that
amounted to $3000, with
expenses paid. This was not a
lucrative sum, however,
considering the time he spent
on the Board.

When asked why he was
interested in the job, he
responded in this way: "I felt
that so many times decisions
are made by the school
board ... that are
well-meant...but so often the

school board is so separated
from the classroom that they
are just not aware..." The
major part of his objectives was
to make them aware of the
world in which students live.

He said he was "on the
Board at the most troublesome
times" they have ever had.
Many controversial issues came
up the remainder of the
1971-72 school year, and he
worked to become a
listened-to, coequal member.
His concern in this led him to
desire to sound knowledgeable
in the technical aspect of the
policies when discussing them
with the other members so that
he would be considered equally
when he spoke on academic
reform. He read extensively to
obtain the knowledge he
needed.

His proudest
accomplishment is a thick
paper-backed volume called
"Blueprint for Action." It
consisted of his ideas and the
ideas of some of the other
members on the special
education programs for
students that are handicapped
or gifted. He describes this area
as being "more screwed up
than any other part of the
school system."

He worked on other issues,
such as a pass-fail grading
system, substituting the tenure
system for teachers with a
better rating system, a program
evaluation system, smoking
rights, a bond referendum, and
the annual budget. As to the
budget, he added, that when he
studied it, he came up with
seven goals he wanted included
in it; six of these were
approved.

When Paul worked on the
Board, he flourished shoulder-length
hair and a beard. His
hair is now shorter and the
beard has disappeared. He feels
the experience has changed his
attitudes, as well. He has a
better understanding of local
government, and his own ideas
about electing supervisors of
counties. Paul sees teaching in
his future...then, possibly,
politics.