Losing sight of the goal?

I have been a school governor for nearly twenty years. First a small church primary (52 pupils), then asked to go (by the then LEA) to a school that had just received the dreaded special measures category. Four years, three heads and lots of work on everyone's side, teachers, parents, LEA, govs etc, the school emerged to move onwards in a very difficult ward (one of the most deprived in England, and situated near very non deprived areas!). As it happened, the authority were then opening a school near where I lived, and it was the one my child would go to. Thus, I became a parent governor for the first time, and participated in the opening of a great primary in a lovely area. I enjoyed it so much I moved on to do another primary in another part of the same time, also new but very different. Finally, six years ago, I decided that I needed to explore the secondary side, and as my child was moving on to that, it seemed fitting. By now, I think I was new school addicted, so I volunteered for the brand new secondary due to be built in my catchment. I am still there, as are most of the original governors and staff. It was rated outstanding by OFSTED last summer. (My son says he is fed up with me following him about, and I am banned from even thinking of becoming a college governor.). Why do I do it when it can be difficult, demanding and frustrating? Partly because it helps me to be grounded when researching in education, partly because I know I can be useful to the school and partly because I enjoy seeing things grow and happen for people, young and old. The governors have decided that we are to become an academy, not something I would have pushed, but we are a democratic bunch. I await to see how it works in practice, and it does give me some insight. Now, a local primary becoming an academy has asked me to join as I am so experienced. This could be interesting, so I give a tentative yes. Meanwhile, I discover I have won the election to the Board of Govs of my University! Am I losing sight of the goal? Am I just a collector of governorships? I don't think so. It's probably time to move on from my secondary soon, and I am interested to see how HE governance responds to all the changes over the next few years. That's the thing- when I became a governor back in 1990, I thought I would ride through some interesting changes and then stop. But, apart from a brief six month break, I am still fascinated by how Heads change schools, how people work together to do great things, and how governments of whatever hue seem to want to conspire to stop them doing what they do well. The next year is my academies phase, and I will do my best to be a critical friend and a trenchant criticof anyone who has never really been inside a school for more than a brief visit, has academically able children and doesnt realise others haven't, and does not understand about what makes an effective school community. That reminds me, I have been asked to write about that very issue of community for a new book. Back to the day job.