View in EDS

Democracy for What and for Whom?: The Possibilities and Challenges of K-12 School Boards. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1277

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Democracy for What and for Whom?: The Possibilities and Challenges of K-12 School Boards. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1277
Language: English
Authors: James Bridgeforth, Julie Marsh, Akunna Uka, Miguel Casar, Laura Mulfinger, Jacob Alonso, Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Source: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. 2025.
Availability: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 48
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Descriptors: Boards of Education, Democracy, Opportunities, Barriers, Governance, Attitudes, Social Influences, Political Influences, Board of Education Role, Politics of Education, Elementary Secondary Education
Geographic Terms: California
Abstract: Local school boards have historically played a major role in the functioning and character of US schools, providing fiscal oversight, shaping policy, and creating avenues for community voice, representation, and accountability. As such, school boards have regularly served as critical sites for political struggle and public discourse on a range of issues. Yet growing demands on schools, political extremism, and well-coordinated attacks on public education are testing the capacity, legitimacy, and purpose of these democratic institutions. This qualitative, multiple case study of 10 California school board members examines the everyday realities of local school governance and how these realities speak to the possibilities of democracy in public education. Ultimately, our findings address under-examined questions about the nature of local democracy: for what and for whom? -- democracy in service of maintaining the status quo or challenging it and advancing the needs of marginalized groups often left out of the process.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED678239
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED678239
    Name: ERIC Full Text
    Category: fullText
    Text: Full Text from ERIC
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: ED678239
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Report
PubTypeId: report
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Democracy for What and for Whom?: The Possibilities and Challenges of K-12 School Boards. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1277
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22James+Bridgeforth%22">James Bridgeforth</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Julie+Marsh%22">Julie Marsh</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Akunna+Uka%22">Akunna Uka</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Miguel+Casar%22">Miguel Casar</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Laura+Mulfinger%22">Laura Mulfinger</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jacob+Alonso%22">Jacob Alonso</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Annenberg+Institute+for+School+Reform+at+Brown+University%22">Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Annenberg+Institute+for+School+Reform+at+Brown+University%22"><i>Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University</i></searchLink>. 2025.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: N
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 48
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Secondary+Education%22">Elementary Secondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Boards+of+Education%22">Boards of Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Democracy%22">Democracy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Opportunities%22">Opportunities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Barriers%22">Barriers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Governance%22">Governance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attitudes%22">Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Influences%22">Social Influences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Political+Influences%22">Political Influences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Board+of+Education+Role%22">Board of Education Role</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Politics+of+Education%22">Politics of Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+Secondary+Education%22">Elementary Secondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22California%22">California</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Local school boards have historically played a major role in the functioning and character of US schools, providing fiscal oversight, shaping policy, and creating avenues for community voice, representation, and accountability. As such, school boards have regularly served as critical sites for political struggle and public discourse on a range of issues. Yet growing demands on schools, political extremism, and well-coordinated attacks on public education are testing the capacity, legitimacy, and purpose of these democratic institutions. This qualitative, multiple case study of 10 California school board members examines the everyday realities of local school governance and how these realities speak to the possibilities of democracy in public education. Ultimately, our findings address under-examined questions about the nature of local democracy: for what and for whom? -- democracy in service of maintaining the status quo or challenging it and advancing the needs of marginalized groups often left out of the process.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: ED678239
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED678239
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 48
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Boards of Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Democracy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Opportunities
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Barriers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Governance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social Influences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Political Influences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Board of Education Role
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Politics of Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary Secondary Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: California
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Democracy for What and for Whom?: The Possibilities and Challenges of K-12 School Boards. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1277
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: James Bridgeforth
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Julie Marsh
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Akunna Uka
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Miguel Casar
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Laura Mulfinger
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Jacob Alonso
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 09
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
              Type: main
ResultId 1