Extremism Breeds Conflict in School Districts
One of the best reports describing what’s behind the far-right extremist movement is “Merchants of Deception: Parent Props and Their Funders” by Maurice T. Cunningham. The report has excellent visuals showing the links backing the strategy, funding and economic and political aspects of far-right and ultra-conservative individuals and organizations.
Forbes published a piece with quotes from the author that’s a shorter read, too.
Other Research We Recommend:
ProPublica launched an a series called “Chaos at the School Board: Unraveling America’s School Board Unrest.” Topics include the background about how school boards became flashpoints for unrest, conflicts that led to arrests, how issues like diversity and diversity, and violence that has taken place. The series covers multiple states. In a July 25 public webinar about the issues, one speaker mentioned their surprise at how the dynamic is not isolated to one or a few regions. It is national. Access the ProPublica resources here. In addition to articles on the website, there are also links to webinars and occasionally recommendations for related podcasts.
ProPublica analyzed at least 90 incidents in 30 states between May 2021 and November 2022. The incidents resulted in at least 59 arrests or charges, mostly for trespassing, resisting officers, or disrupting public meetings. Interestingly, the majority of incidents occurred in suburban districts. Source: "How School Board Meetings Became Flashpoints for Anger and Chaos Across the Country" by Nicole Carr and Lucas Waldron
Community Stories
Woodland Park, CO: A mountain community near Pikes Peak and Colorado Springs, CO has experienced severe and intense conflict since a slate of conservative Board Members was elected. The site, Support Woodland Park Schools, shares information about meetings as well as data obtained via CORA (public records) requested. It is run by a local community member.
Updates coming regarding other Districts around the state.
Related Questions:
Because these conflicts over values and priorities often prompt questions about the role of school boards, their directors, and administrators, the topics below may be of interest to you.
What is Policy Governance?
Many superintendents and Board Members reference “policy governance” when they talk about what school boards and superintendents can and cannot do. For many of us, this is a new term. It is sometimes referred to as the “Carver Model,” named for Dr. John Carver.
Policy Governance is a model that “enables the board to focus on the larger issues, to delegate with clarity, to control management's job without meddling, to rigorously evaluate the accomplishment of the organization; to truly lead its organization” (Source: www.policygovernance.com)
What are the rules for running School Board Meetings?
Each district should have policies in place that cover how meetings are run, communicated and documented. The first place to look is on your district’s website using search terms like “board meetings” or “meeting policies.” An email or call to the administrative offices may also put you in contact with someone who can point you in the right direction.
What do Sunshine Laws have to do with School Board Meetings?
Sunshine Laws seem to come up in a lot of discussions about school board conflicts. We recommend reviewing this toolkit from some experts: The Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition and the Colorado Press Association.
If you are looking for information about how to connect with people in your area about school boards in your area and need help, send us an email with this link.