Four Corners Public Radio | Why School Board Elections Matter

Why school board elections matter

There are certain questions just to sort of assess, ‘Is this someone who has really engaged with what it means to be a school board member?’ So, did you attend school board meetings before you became a candidate? Have you spent time with the board packet? What do you think the job of the school board is? And just to sort of understand, do the candidates understand what their role is and what they’re taking on? And I think the other thing is to probe some of the language that people use because, like all politicians, you will hear school board members talk about things that how could you be against? Of course, we all want great schools in every neighborhood. Of course, we all want high-quality teachers. Of course, we all want parents to have a say in their kid’s education, but these things that sound good to everyone can mean different things. And so I think just that question, it’s a great question for journalists, and it’s a great question for the public: ‘What do you mean by that?’ That’s a question that I think is worth asking on almost any issue.