Black-Brown Coalitions in Local School Board Elections

2007 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 315-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rene R. Rocha
Keyword(s):  
School Board ◽  
Local School ◽  
School Board Elections

The Point of No Return? Interest Groups, School Board Elections, and the Sustainment of the Portfolio Management Model in Post-Katrina New Orleans

2018 ◽  
Vol 120 (7) ◽  
pp. 1-38
Author(s):  
Richard O. Welsh ◽  
Michelle Hall
Keyword(s):  
Education Reform ◽  
Interest Groups ◽  
New Orleans ◽  
School Board ◽  
Portfolio Management ◽  
Campaign Contributions ◽  
Educational Governance ◽  
Local School ◽  
State And Local ◽  
School Board Elections

Context Given the growing popularity of the portfolio management model (PMM) as a method of improving education, it is important to examine how these market-based reforms are sustained over time and how the politics of sustaining this model have substantial policy implications. Purpose of Study The purpose of this article is to examine important patterns and trends in the relationship between campaign contributions to local and state school board elections and the sustainability of the PMM in urban districts. We provide a descriptive analysis of the role of interest groups in education reform in post-Katrina New Orleans and document how the PMM changed the landscape of education politics, with a focus on the actors, both local and national, that sustain the PMM. Research Design We describe the creation of Act 35 and the evolution of educational governance changes in New Orleans to determine whether the same interest groups that played a role in the origin of the PMM also contributed to its sustainment. We analyze how these educational governance changes influenced the politics of education reform using data from the Louisiana Ethics Commission on campaign contributions to both state and local school board elections. We apply several non-board and board governance theories to examine interest group behavior. We also conduct interviews with stakeholders throughout the educational system to inform our discussion of the evolution of educational governance and the politics of education reform in post-Katrina New Orleans, as well as the categorization of candidates in school board elections. Results We find that in the post-Katrina era, there was a diversification of actors in the interest group landscape. These groups influenced educational governance through unprecedented levels of campaign contributions to the state and local school board elections. The influence of interest groups, especially out- of- state actors, contributed to an emerging shift in political control from “traditional” school board candidates to an increase in “pro-reform” board members. Conclusions The PMM is accompanied by heightened interest as well as an influx of out-of-state actors in educational policy making and the provision of public education. Unprecedented levels of campaign contributions suggest that state and local school board elections may be one of the primary mechanisms through which interest groups influenced post-Katrina educational governance. Out-of-state campaign contributions were mostly in support of pro-portfolio candidates. There appears to be tangible national support for the PMM that may play a crucial role in sustaining these reforms.

All Politics Is Organizational: An Analysis of Candidate Recruitment and Political Influence in Pennsylvania School Board Elections

Commonwealth ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan R. Shrader
Keyword(s):  
School Board ◽  
Political Party ◽  
Political Influence ◽  
State Legislators ◽  
Board Members ◽  
School Board Members ◽  
Local School ◽  
Party Organizations ◽  
Current State ◽  
School Board Elections

This article seeks to enhance the limited research dedicated to local school board elections by investigating whether Pennsylvania school board members are recruited candidates or are self-starters. The article also investigates which kinds of organizations are the most active sources of candidate recruitment and engagement in Pennsylvania school board races and which organizations are the most and least influential in local school board politics. Using a unique dataset obtained through the statewide Pennsylvania School Board Survey and interviews with current state legislators who began their political careers as local school board members, this article finds that local political party organizations play a larger than expected role in influencing local school board elections and recruiting candidates. Board members themselves are also found to be highly engaged in political party activity within their communities before ever seeking office. Also explored are the implications of these findings for school board politics and the discipline’s view of local party organizations. 

Fighting for the local: Americans for Prosperity and the struggle for school boards

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleni Schirmer ◽  
Michael W. Apple
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
School Board ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Jefferson County ◽  
Political Processes ◽  
News Reports ◽  
High Profile ◽  
Documentary Analysis ◽  
School Board Elections

Corporate-backed philanthropic groups have become increasingly involved in political processes in the past ten years. The Koch Brothers’ and their political advocacy groups, have become particularly prominent players. Their influence extends beyond high-profile state-level elections and increasingly have begun investing in municipal affairs of small cities and towns, such as school board elections like Kenosha, Wisconsin and Jefferson County, Colorado in the US. This chapter asks, why do groups like Americans for Prosperity care about small-town school board elections? This chapter highlights two particularly significant local examples in the United States: school board elections in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2014 and Jefferson County, Colorado in 2015. Through documentary analysis of school board records, news reports, and district evaluations, in both Wisconsin and Colorado, we chronicle the political contest for control of each school board. Our findings illustrate the ideological and political project of corporate, conservative influence in public education in the United States.

Creating an Electronic Student Teaching Portfolio

2011 ◽  
pp. 510-516
Author(s):  
Patricia A. Shaw ◽  
Susan Slick
Keyword(s):  
Educational Reform ◽  
School Board ◽  
Student Teaching ◽  
Educational Experiences ◽  
Teacher Assessment ◽  
Local School ◽  
Teaching Portfolio ◽  
Course Work ◽  
Teacher Portfolios ◽  
Over Time

Over time, student and teacher portfolios have taken several forms for a variety of purposes. Initially, portfolios were created in many educational settings to document learning. Portfolios were used as one means of assessment in course work or for senior graduation exhibitions. As calls for educational reform continued to be heard in forums ranging from local school board offices to the Oval Office, teacher accountability has become an issue of paramount importance. Parents and politicians alike want assurance that the most competent teachers are providing quality educational experiences for students. Thus, teacher assessment has become a “hot” political topic throughout our country.

Leadership

2018 ◽  
Vol 99 (5) ◽  
pp. 72-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua P. Starr
Keyword(s):  
School Board ◽  
School Governance ◽  
Board Members ◽  
School Board Members ◽  
Local School

Changing how we select school board members and how we approve district budgets could address long-standing challenges of local school governance.

Simulation Game: Planning a Gifted Center

1986 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 26-27
Author(s):  
Dona P. Key
Keyword(s):  
School Board ◽  
Simulation Game ◽  
Local School ◽  
Student Input

Since our local school board had recently voted to give our program its own building, the idea of student input on what they want a gifted center to encompass had real appeal. The seed was sown.

“The Research Says”: Definitions and Uses of a Key Policy Term in Federal Law and Local School Board Deliberations

2011 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 195-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Asen ◽  
Deb Gurke ◽  
Ryan Solomon ◽  
Pamela Conners ◽  
Elsa Gumm
Keyword(s):  
School Board ◽  
Federal Law ◽  
Local School ◽  
Key Policy

Politics of School Board Elections

1977 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Delbert A. Taebel
Keyword(s):  
School Board ◽  
School Board Elections

scholarly journals The Editor’s Note

2017 ◽  
Vol 98 (6) ◽  
pp. 4-4
Author(s):  
Joan Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Public Education ◽  
School Board ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Political Life ◽  
Board Members ◽  
School Board Members ◽  
Local School ◽  
News Sources ◽  
Speaking Out ◽  
State Representatives

In the wake of the recent election, countless Americans have become determined to play a more active role in political life. For those interested in speaking out on issues related to public education, key strategies include identifying credible news sources, finding allies, reaching out to state representatives and local school board members, and holding officials accountable for their decisions.

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