A lot has changed since I ran my first race for the Denton ISD Board of Trustees in 1988, some 34 years ago. Back then, school boards weren’t ground zero for the nation’s culture wars and contested races weren’t a given. In fact, races were usually quiet, nonpartisan affairs that attracted committed advocates who decided to run for their local school board after spending time as volunteers, PTA parents, or retiring from the classroom.
These days, across the state, we’re seeing a rapid politicization of school board races that has the potential to dramatically change the public education landscape in Texas — and not for the better. As we get closer to Election Day for the November school board races, I’d argue that it’s time to say no to national party labels and endorsements that divide our communities and distract from the important work of educating all students.
Quite simply, keeping politics and education separate makes for stronger schools and stronger communities. This belief has prevailed in Texas for generations and is part of our state’s great history. Nonpartisan school board races should be a tradition worth protecting in Texas, especially for anyone who cares about local governance and accountability.
To better understand why this approach is best for Texas students, consider this historical context, which I learned from an article recently published on Texans for Strong Public Schools, a campaign to build support for public schools spearheaded by the Texas Association of School Boards. History buffs may already know that the concept of public education took hold before statehood when our founding fathers cited the failure to establish a public school system among the reasons for independence.
Then, in writing the Texas Constitution, our leaders went one step further by calling out public education and invoking Thomas Jefferson in writing that a “general diffusion of knowledge was essential to the preservation of the liberties and rights of Texans.”
Public schools are essential to a strong and prosperous Texas. Certainly, it’s not an exaggeration to argue that Texas public schools have fueled our great state’s growth and development for decades.
People often are surprised to learn that locally elected school board trustees make up the largest group of elected public officials in Texas. With more than 1,000 school districts in Texas and each of those entities having an average board of seven members, we’re talking about more than 7,000 officials accountable to voters in their local communities.
When these elected officials start accepting endorsements from groups with an agenda that’s national, rather than local, we’re doing a disservice to the communities we’ve promised to serve.
This idea that government closest to the people governs best is worth sharing — and shouting out loud. This practice of local governance and local accountability has stood the test of time in Texas and is central to our traditions.
Infusing national politics into local school board races might help generate attention and headlines but this tactic will only divide school communities and hurt students over the long term. We need committed volunteers to run for their school board because they want to serve their students and families. We don’t need more politicians hoping to make a name for themselves or launch a political career.
I’m not naïve enough to think that we’ll put the genie back in the bottle. We’re likely to see school board races become even more political in this November’s elections and beyond. But I do think we owe it to our communities and our students to reject partisan politics that divide and distract. We have too much important work in educating all students. Our future depends on it.