We Can Win School Board Elections!

Recently, Michael Hartney, who writes for the Manhattan Institute, published an excellent article sharing his extensive research on how the National Education Association’s (NEA) powerful endorsements win seven out of every ten elections for the candidates they support. The NEA’s successful use of endorsements is not limited to the NEA. Conservative candidates can learn how to successfully include securing endorsements as a strategy to win school board seats!

School boards gained power and influence through the evolutionary process set in place during the 1930s by progressive educators. Early school boards in America were simple; each school had a school board comprised of local citizens. This model grew to 150,000 and served the educational efforts of growing communities for almost thirty years. In the 1930s, progressive educators, thinking they would save money, began consolidating multiple local schools under one governing school board. The original 150,000 schools with their school boards dwindled to the now 13,809 district school boards that make decisions for over  53.9 million K-12 students. Today, many of these school boards manage multi-million dollar budgets and make policy decisions that impact students’ lives for years to come. 

Ideally, the people who live in their districts elect the men and women who hold school board seats. Reality paints a different picture. Education’s powerful labor union, the National Education Association (NEA), is the prime determinator of who runs and wins school board elections. They wield the bulk of their power by endorsing candidates who will work to bring in as much money as possible for the union.   

In 2021-2022, parents across America realized the tremendous power school boards held over their communities and stepped up to run for school board positions. Surprisingly, many won seats, ousting incumbents and defeating many liberal candidates, creating a trend conservatives want to continue well into the future. Those brave enough to engage in a school board election realized that conservatives who run for a school board position face massive opposition from education’s two major labor unions, the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). The combined membership for both unions is over three million educators. Their liberal agenda holds significant influence in American education, a fact that manifests during school board elections.

Mr. Hartney’s research gives insights that increase knowledge of the union’s candidate selection process and how conservatives can engage in the endorsement process to give our candidates the maximum support needed to win. Below are vital takeaways that give insights that anyone running for a school board position can either embrace or overcome.  

Takeaway #1: We must address voter misconceptions about unions. Post-election surveys revealed that many voters believe that since unions have been around for a long time, they are more knowledgeable and more willing to address the needs of the students and teachers. The truth is, when a school, parent, or student’s interest conflicts with union interest, union power wins, and union-sponsored school board members prioritize the needs of the union over all other needs. 

Takeaway #2: Realize the power of a union endorsement. A union’s endorsement increases voter support by six percentage points and packs a bigger electoral punch for candidates than incumbency or district academic achievement gains.

Takeaway #3: When campaigning, point out a union-backed candidate’s loyalty to the union. Regardless of what a union-backed candidate states as his support for parental rights, children’s rights, or commitments to raising academic skills, Mr. Hartney points out that the only consistent predictor of union support for incumbents is whether the district raised salaries for senior teachers before an election. Mr. Hartney states that groups wishing to counteract union dominance must find ways to ensure that ordinary voters know the policy priorities of union-backed candidates.

Takeaway #4: Do not focus on changing the low-turnout election cycles of school board elections. Mr. Hartney gives research to show that off the voting cycle, low-turnout elections where the majority of voters are teachers and their relatives are not enough to swing an election. He stresses that candidates should focus on turning out motivated voters who align with student and parental values.  

Takeaway #5: Know your voter. Research shows that the elderly (childless adults) turn out disproportionately in school board elections. Many childless adults remember school as a positive learning place where their teachers taught them valuable academic life skills.  

Takeaway #6: Publicize the school’s Report Card. In the past, many school districts have published yearly report cards for their local schools. A School received a grade A to F based on their academic achievements. More recently, many local school districts have stopped publishing their district’s report cards, not wanting the public to be aware of the dismal academic results. Information is available on The Nation’s Report Card, published by the U.S. Department of Education.   

Takeaway #7: Use the Florida DeSantis model for endorsing school board candidates

Before the 2022 Florida elections, Governor Ron DeSantis submitted a ten-point commitment for school board candidates. Thirty people signed the commitment, and Governor DeSantis endorsed their races. The outcome demonstrated the success of the endorsement when twenty of the thirty who signed the ten-point commitment won school board seats.

Mr. Hartney suggests that significant endorsements come from like-minded politicians.

We can break the power of  NEA and the AFT over the lives of our children. We look to God to give us the wisdom to go forward with a new awareness of the task set before us.