Parenting·6 min read

These Elections Have the Biggest Impact on What Your Child Will Learn

School district leaders, state superintendents, and state boards of education have power over education policy. Here’s how parents can also play a role.
Design: theSkimm | Photo: iStock
October 14, 2022

Voting in all elections is crucial. But if a parent wants to play a direct role in what happens at their child’s school, elections at the local and state level are where their votes can truly make a difference. Think: local school board, state superintendent, and state board of education elections. Those positions impact K-12 policies on curriculum, cell phone usage at school, and school safety.  

“[The school board election] is actually one of the elections where your vote has the best chance of being pivotal, of making a difference, and really deciding who wins at the local level. Those elections are much more likely to be really close,” said Sarah Hill, PhD, a political science professor at California State University, Fullerton.

About 300 school districts across the country have school board elections coming up in November, according to Ballotpedia (a nonpartisan encyclopedia of US politics). They track school board elections by looking at school districts in the 100 largest cities by population and the 200 largest districts by student enrollment. Note: There are school board races happening year-round all over the country, and many don’t align with gubernatorial or presidential elections. 

But first, a refresher on what these positions actually do. 

School board elections

School board members represent the community as overseers of the school district. And they’re the ones who hold the district superintendent and administrators accountable. School boards are responsible for:

Creating policies for the district 

School boards can vote on things like a district’s grading policy, school boundaries, and what kind of programs a school offers (think: art classes or chorus). 

“School boards are making really critical decisions that impact your child's educational experience. School boards are nonpartisan, and their policies should be designed to reach each child and what their needs are. So it's really important for parents to be engaged in that process,” said Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs, the deputy executive director for the National School Boards Association, (and a former school board member in Maryland).

Well, school boards are supposed to be nonpartisan. But things started getting more political during the pandemic (when parents started showing up to school board meetings to protest or support COVID-19 mask mandates, quarantining, and remote learning). Many parents upset with how school boards handled the pandemic have decided to run themselves. And recently, school districts across the country have become political battlegrounds as school boards vote on polarizing issues like critical race theory, book bans, and LGBTQIA+ rights

ICYMI: In August, a Wisconsin school board voted to prohibit teachers from displaying pride flags and materials in the classroom. They’re also not allowed to write their pronouns in email signatures. And a Florida school district placed advisory labels on 115 books in school libraries (most covering LGBTQIA+, race, and sexual topics).

“Politics has always been there. But I think now it's more explicit. It's what we're seeing across America as a whole — Congress to the state legislatures, down to the local level — is more polarization. There aren't as many moderates and folks in the middle. We're seeing the two sides are really far apart, and it's just showing up at the school board level as well,” said Hill. 

School boards usually hold public hearings to discuss policies. “You present an idea or present a recommendation that may come from the superintendent to the community, and then you open it for public comment,” said McCotter-Jacobs. “You want to get some feedback before you make those final decisions. You want to hear from different members in the community.” 

Hiring the superintendent

Superintendents work as partners with the school board and keep the board in the loop about what’s happening in the district. They also make recommendations about daily operations. Superintendents have a say, but ultimately, school board members vote on what policies to put in place. 

“The school board sets the direction and the overall policy, and the superintendent is the one who carries it out day to day,” said Hill. “So they're doing things like picking the principals and implementing the finer points of the budget. Or [looking at how] issues of discipline are handled.”

Approving the district budget

Districts can’t upgrade facilities, repair school buses, or offer sports programs without a budget that allows for those things. For example, if your kid’s school is in need of a new playground, the school board has to approve funding for that. 

“How much money will your son’s school get this year? Will they get money to buy the new textbooks or will they have to make do with the textbooks that are several years old? Will they get supplies? Will they get the nice science lab? The budget is hard, and there's never enough money to make everybody happy, but whether or not you generally agree with how the money is being spent, they get to make those decisions,” said Hill. 

State education elections

State superintendent

Seven states (Arizona, California, Georgia, Idaho, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Wyoming) will vote for state superintendent in November

PSA: State sups are only elected in 12 states. They’re appointed in the other 38 (by either the state board of education or the governor). Nudge, nudge: This is why voting for state offices is also important. In some states (see: Florida, Tennessee, and Texas), governors and other state leaders have passed bills that impact how gender and race are taught in classrooms. 

State superintendents oversee all district superintendents and work with them to make sure districts are meeting academic goals. They share power with the state school board of education to oversee districts. 

State board of education 

Voters next month in Alabama, Colorado, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, Texas, Utah, and the District of Columbia will choose who sits on their state boards of education (a total of 51 seats).

FYI: State board of education members can be appointed by the governor or elected, depending on the state

The National Association of State Boards of Education, a nonprofit and nonpartisan group that supports state board members, says boards in 45 states set learning standards that all students are expected to achieve

NASBE says most state boards of education have the power to:

  • Establish high school graduation requirements

  • Set qualifications for educators (think: teachers and principals)

  • Establish standards for school district accreditation (aka: if schools are meeting educational goals set by state)

How to prepare for upcoming local elections

It’s never too early to start researching the candidates in your local elections before you head to the polls on Nov 8th. (And if you’re thinking, “Cool, because I don’t have enough on my ‘to-do’ list,” we feel you. We’ve got tips for you below).

Start by getting a sample of your ballot . Find out what races you’ll be voting on, and look up the candidates. 

For local school boards, it’ll require more work because many of these candidates are neighbors that may not have websites or public profiles. (Permission to Facebook stalk).

Psst: It’s ok if you’re feeling overwhelmed about this. Deep breaths. You don’t have to uncover everything about the candidates’ lives. Sometimes a quick Google search will pop up news stories on local candidates. 

You could also find out if there are any upcoming “get to know the candidates” sessions in your district. McCotter-Jacobs recommends you go to your PTA and ask them to host school board candidates so parents can hear from them and address issues that matter to your community. 

theSkimm

Tracking education policy can be hard because federal, state, and local leaders all have some control over our schools. But experts recommend parents start by researching candidates in their local school board, state superintendent and state board of education elections. Remember: School boards fund extracurricular programs and can decide what textbooks are used in the classroom. And we know we sound like a broken record but — don’t forget: Go out and vote

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