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Who's on Board? School Boards and Political Representation in an Age of Conflict

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Title: Who's on Board? School Boards and Political Representation in an Age of Conflict
Language: English
Authors: David M. Houston, Michael T. Hartney, Thomas B. Fordham Institute
Source: Thomas B. Fordham Institute. 2025.
Availability: Thomas B. Fordham Institute. 1701 K Street NW Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20006. Tel: 202-223-5452; Fax: 202-223-9226; e-mail: thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org; Web site: https://fordhaminstitute.org/
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 45
Publication Date: 2025
Sponsoring Agency: Wallace Foundation
Thomas B. Fordham Foundation
Document Type: Reports - Research
Descriptors: Governing Boards, School Administration, Politics of Education, Culture Conflict, Political Attitudes, Controversial Issues (Course Content), Ideology, School Effectiveness, School Choice, Unions, Educational Attitudes, School Budget Elections, Charter Schools, Grade Inflation, Governance, Surveys, Political Affiliation, Demography
Abstract: School boards have become ground zero for America's education culture wars, with fiery debates over race, gender, curriculum, and pandemic policies making national headlines. But beyond the noise, how well do these elected bodies actually represent their communities? To find out, political scientists David Houston and Michael Hartney conducted the largest national survey of school board members in decades, gathering responses from more than 5,000 board members across 3,000 districts. They compared members' political and demographic identities, as well as their views on controversial education issues, to those of the communities they serve. The findings complicate common narratives. While board members' partisanship and ideology largely mirror the American public's--and often align with local voters on hot-button cultural issues--they diverge more on questions of school quality, school choice, and teachers' unions. The report sheds light on the surprising ways representation works, and doesn't work, in one of the country's most important democratic institutions.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED677313
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
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  Data: Thomas B. Fordham Institute. 1701 K Street NW Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20006. Tel: 202-223-5452; Fax: 202-223-9226; e-mail: thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org; Web site: https://fordhaminstitute.org/
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  Data: Wallace Foundation<br />Thomas B. Fordham Foundation
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  Data: School boards have become ground zero for America's education culture wars, with fiery debates over race, gender, curriculum, and pandemic policies making national headlines. But beyond the noise, how well do these elected bodies actually represent their communities? To find out, political scientists David Houston and Michael Hartney conducted the largest national survey of school board members in decades, gathering responses from more than 5,000 board members across 3,000 districts. They compared members' political and demographic identities, as well as their views on controversial education issues, to those of the communities they serve. The findings complicate common narratives. While board members' partisanship and ideology largely mirror the American public's--and often align with local voters on hot-button cultural issues--they diverge more on questions of school quality, school choice, and teachers' unions. The report sheds light on the surprising ways representation works, and doesn't work, in one of the country's most important democratic institutions.
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  Data: 2025
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  Data: ED677313
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED677313
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    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 45
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Governing Boards
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Administration
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Politics of Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Culture Conflict
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Political Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Controversial Issues (Course Content)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ideology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Effectiveness
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Choice
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Unions
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Budget Elections
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Charter Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade Inflation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Governance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Surveys
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Political Affiliation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Demography
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Who's on Board? School Boards and Political Representation in an Age of Conflict
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            NameFull: Thomas B. Fordham Institute
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            NameFull: David M. Houston
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            NameFull: Michael T. Hartney
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              M: 10
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              Y: 2025
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