Kindergarten students in San Jose Unified School District. (EdSource File photo.)
Credit: Liv Ames / EdSource
Over the next several months, high-profile political races will command the public’s attention. But one set of races at the local level might be just as consequential: local school board elections.
Too many of us are flying blind when making school board ballot decisions. Few of us can say we regularly attend our local school board meetings (and those that do rarely represent the larger community). There is little research about school boards and limited public understanding of what the role of a school board entails. Although it seems like there are more news stories about school boards than ever before, those accounts unfortunately focus on disruption and dissension. Tales about recent recall votes, a fight about which books to teach, or a board meeting turning violent reveal that many school boards…
