While school boards have a reputation for holding snore-inducing meetings, in recent years administrative buildings have become a stage for intense debates and nationwide controversies, especially during the pandemic. Despite this, not enough people are paying attention to the important discussions that are taking place at school board meetings. In fact, many individuals still do not know what role school boards play in their communities, and whether it is worth their attention.
A school board consists of elected members of the community–typically they are divided based the area of the school district to better represent the community. The size of school boards will vary for every district; Issaquah’s School Board consists of 5 members. Just like any local politician, board members are elected every 4 years and eligible voters in the community will choose who they want on the board by voting. Unlike political elections, however, school boards are not partisan-based, which is why the recent buzz over schools in political discussions has been swept up with so much interest.
Board members are responsible for the district’s Superintendent–another locally elected individual who oversees all district employees–and to represent their community at board meetings. During public meetings, school boards discuss a wide array of topics, ranging from bonds to policy to curriculum, with the help and advice of district workers who specialize in specific topics. During meetings, members will also vote on certain policies and decisions. Some of these decisions are simpler, such as approving of moving forward with the agenda for the day’s meeting; others can be more serious, such as approval of a policy change that will directly impact how and what educators teach students in school.
Take, for example, Issaquah School District’s Operational Expectation 12– formally known as Executive Limitation 12, or EL-12. Last spring, a district worker suggested to the board that students be able to earn up to 100% on assignments and assessments after retakes or other recovery options. The proposal triggered a flood of educators, parents, and even students to flow into board meetings to share their views. Many speakers on the topic argued that the changes to EL-12 would be detrimental to students’ mental health, rather than beneficial, and would not only burden students with the completion of past assignments, but teache rs as well. With such high amounts of public attention on the policy and board, the district was obligated to reconsider the proposals and seek further understanding of the community’s desires. As a result, much of the energy around EL-12 has settled, and board meeting attendance has gone down with it. However, there is still much that is being discussed at board meetings, both locally and nationally, that is worth the community’s attention.
In school districts across the country, there are fiery debates being held about the very core values of education. About phones in class, how curriculum surrounding race, sex, and gender should be taught–if at all– and what place religion has in schools. Though school boards do not categorize into political parties, in the past 2 years, school district issues have made their way into local and even national politics. Passionate educators speak at meetings, parents organize petitions, and politicians point fingers, raise their fists and stand their ground. All for the power to control what kind of education our future generations have.
Education has always been both a privilege and a right to be fought over. From girls learning to read and write, to racial integration in schools and classrooms. In today’s society, much of one’s future can depend on their education and early life experiences. While many of the big decisions concerning schools are made in courts and government, it is the schools and the communities that feel their impact the most. It is the teachers, students, and families that will go through the system–for better or for worse. Despite school boards being designed to represent the community, it is impossible for five individuals to entirely embody the opinions and experiences of a large suburb, which is why participation and public attention at school board meetings is so valuable. While Issaquah is not quite as volatile as other districts in the country, we are still a diverse group of families and individuals living together under a shared education system. As human beings, we all have the right to pursue knowledge and learning, but how we–and our children–are educated depends on us as citizens and constituents of our school boards.