| Title: |
NEPC Review: 'Who's on Board? School Boards and Political Representation in an Age of Conflict' (Fordham Institute, October 2025) |
| Language: |
English |
| Authors: |
Carrie Sampson; Jeanne M. Powers; University of Colorado at Boulder, National Education Policy Center (NEPC) |
| Source: |
National Education Policy Center. 2026. |
| Availability: |
National Education Policy Center. School of Education 249 UCB University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309. Tel: 303-735-5290; e-mail: nepc@colorado.edu; Web site: http://nepc.colorado.edu |
| Peer Reviewed: |
Y |
| Page Count: |
19 |
| Publication Date: |
2026 |
| Sponsoring Agency: |
Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice |
| Document Type: |
Reports - Evaluative; Opinion Papers |
| Descriptors: |
School Administration; Politics of Education; School Districts; Political Attitudes; Administrator Attitudes; Charter Schools; Educational Quality; Misconceptions; Educational Attitudes; Elections; Board Candidates; Political Affiliation; Boards of Education |
| Abstract: |
The Fordham Institute recently published a report of survey results from more than 5,000 school board members across 3,000 school districts. It finds that : (1) that school board members are disproportionately White, college educated, and likely to be current or former teachers; (2) that their politics generally reflect those of both national and local views; and (3) that despite often aligning with their local communities' views, they tend to differ slightly from the U.S. public in their beliefs about school quality, school choice, and teachers' unions. The report concludes that those discrepancies--as well as the underrepresentation of Black Americans and Hispanic Americans on school boards--are concerning, but it offers no recommendations for alleviating them. One positive aspect of the report is its use of both nationally representative and enrollment-based weighting, providing a relatively nuanced snapshot of board members' views. But leading and ambiguous survey questions cast doubts on findings related to board members' views of charter schools and school quality. Overall, the results may interest readers, but offer no guidance for policymakers on how to address the identified areas of concern. Notably, the Foreword differs significantly from the report itself. Framed largely in partisan language, it draws unsubstantiated conclusions, overstating some findings and largely ignoring others. For example, the finding that school boards are less supportive of charter schools than other groups is discussed under a heading that asks whether school boards are "the most anti-charter groups in the country." Readers should be wary of its misleading summary and its unsubstantiated recommendation for still more partisanship. The Foreword's anti-school board, pro-charter school screed significantly misrepresents the actual report. |
| Abstractor: |
As Provided |
| Entry Date: |
2026 |
| Accession Number: |
ED681177 |
| Database: |
ERIC |