Elections, Voting, and Democracy in Local School District Governance

Abstract

This article examines the role of school board elections in local school governance. The article argues that the history of school governance including many current reforms such as mayoral takeovers, state intervention, and various market driven models tell a story of decreasing public voice in local educational affairs. The article further argues that the current lack of faith in government in general and school boards in particular is related to an adversarial view of democracy. Deliberative democracy is presented as an alternative to adversarial practices that rely too heavily on elections and voting to create a sense of legitimacy. Some of the benefits associated with increased deliberation over educational policy would be enhanced accountability, improved public spiritedness, and a greater sense of mutual respect.