Make Your Plan to Vote for your School Board Today
School boards vote on policies that directly affect what students are taught. But a growing number of school board candidates are not qualified for the job. They have no background in education, no track record of school system involvement, and no understanding of what school boards actually do. Instead, they are pushing false narratives about manufactured culture wars. And they want to make it nearly impossible for teachers to do their jobs without fear.
Together, we can show up to the polls and vote for candidates who are truly seeking to serve the best interests of our children.
What does a school board do?
VISION
Sets district vision, adopts goals and priorities, and monitors progress in the best interest of students
POLICY
Adopts and reviews district’s local policies in compliance with federal and state laws and regulations
SUPERINTENDENT
Hires and evaluates superintendent and works with input of the superintendent
BUDGET
Ensure adequate budget, facilities, materials and human resources
COMMUNITY
Acts as liaison with the community in meetings, which follow state laws
What makes a good
school board member?
You got my vote!
As voters, we should be knowledgeable of the traits that make someone a worthy candidate for school board. And while there’s no perfect definition of a “good candidate,” there are few things worth looking for.
The best school board members already have a record of community service and leadership before they even consider running.
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A former teacher or principal
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A coach for one of the local youth sports teams
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A local business owner who uses their business to support the schools
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Someone who often volunteers in the community
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The parent of a child who is currently in the school district
The most important question to ask yourself: Do they understand the unique needs of this community?
The best school board members have a strong record of community service and leadership:
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A former teacher or principal
-
A coach for one of the local youth sports teams
-
A local business owner who uses their business to support the schools
-
Someone who often volunteers in the community
-
The parent of a child who is currently in the school district
The most important question to ask: “Do they understand the unique needs of this community?”
No thanks!
Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to tell when someone is running for the right reasons. So here are some red flags to watch out for when evaluating if a candidate for school board is running with the wrong intentions.
They’re not from the community — Is the person dropping in from another town outside your school district just to run for office?
They have no prior record of community service–on any level — Has the candidate ever volunteered on the PTO? Chaperoned a field trip? Coached the JV soccer team? Organized a park clean-up?
They’re focused entirely on politics and/or culture wars — Are they focused on the issues that actually affect your school district? Or are they just making provocative statements to try and rile people up?
They’re not from the community — Is the person dropping in from another town outside your school district just to run for office?
They have no prior record of community service on any level — Has the candidate ever volunteered on the PTO? Chaperoned a field trip? Coached the JV soccer team? Organized a park clean-up?
They’re focused entirely on politics and/or culture wars — Are they focused on the issues that actually affect your school district? Or are they just making provocative statements to try and rile people up?
