Toolkit: How to Hold Your School Board Accountable
In 2022, parents across California stepped up to run for their local school board. Many of these parents sprung into action in response to extreme COVID mandates in California’s public schools as well as radical gender and race-based curricula pushed by the state’s teachers’ unions. Parents and parent groups are calling for greater transparency from school districts and school boards, on everything from school budgets and teacher training curricula to what is being taught in the classroom.
Making your voice heard at the local level is paramount. You may be familiar with the Board of Education of your county, and/or the school board of your school district. The following is an overview of how they work and how to engage with your local boards.
District school boards and county Boards of Education in California typically consist of 5 or 7 seats, with each seat being either “at-large” or representing a “trustee area.” The boundaries of a trustee area might change according to each census to keep them equal in population. Depending on your district, there will usually be 1-4 seats up for election at a time, since school board elections are regularly staggered.
A great way to stay apprised of issues affecting your school district is to attend school board meetings. It’s also your opportunity to make your voice heard when the board takes public comments. Establish a good rapport with your school board by getting to know the members, and know who represents your trustee area on the board. If you have a concern you’d like to be addressed, prepare a brief statement ahead of time — it’s always best to come prepared! A great tool is to look up your board’s agenda for the next meeting; be aware that some boards only allow public comment on the agenda items listed for the particular meeting at hand.
One way to ensure your district school board or county Board of Education takes your comments seriously is to attend meetings as a group with other parents. When greater numbers of parents show up to comment on a particular issue, boards take notice. Attending meetings as a group is also a great way to streamline public comment opportunities because, if you wish, you can choose a “representative” to give a statement, and speakers who follow the speaker can simply state that they agree. Another effective strategy is to put your concerns in writing, and to provide your written letter to the board members and/or their staff.
Is it possible for you to be a member of your local school board? Yes! School board seats are locally elected public offices. To win a seat on a school board, you’ll need to run a campaign and win the election. Take a look at our “How to Run for School Board” toolkit article if you’re considering running, and don’t miss our CLEO (California Local Elected Officials) Candidate Academy that will walk you through the ABC’sof running for local office. Use the code CPCFREE to access the content at no cost to you.