Hall Pass: Your Ticket to Understanding School Board Politics, Edition #170

By

Ballotpedia staff

Welcome to Hall Pass, a newsletter written to keep you plugged into the conversations driving  school board governance, the politics surrounding it, and education policy. 

In today’s edition, you’ll find:

  • On the issues: The debate over whether blue states should support private school choice 
  • School board filing deadlines, election results, and recall certifications
  • Oklahoma asks U.S. Department of Education for five-year waiver from federal reading and math testing requirements 
  • Extracurricular: education news from around the web
  • Candidate Connection survey
  • School board candidates per seat up for election

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On the issues: The debate over whether blue states should support private school choice

In this section, we curate reporting, analysis, and commentary on the issues school board members deliberate when they set out to offer the best education possible in their district. Missed an issue? Click here to see the previous education debates we’ve covered.

Republican-led states have made up a majority of those adopting private school choice policies, which provide students with taxpayer funding for private educational expenses. Some Democrats have argued it’s time for blue states to get onboard. The Democratic Party’s 2024 platform states: “We oppose the use of private-school vouchers, tuition tax credits, opportunity scholarships, and other schemes that divert taxpayer-funded resources away from public education. Public tax dollars should never be used to discriminate.”

Jorge Elorza, the CEO of Democrats for Education Reform, argues that school choice is compatible with progressive values and broadly popular, including among Black and Hispanic Americans. Elorza says that Democrats can support school choice and strong public schools, and that the ultimate goal is an education system that works for all students. 

Jennifer Berkshire, a journalist and author of The Education Wars: A Citizen’s Guide and Defense Manual, argues that the Republican education platform is an electoral loser for Democrats. Berkshire says Democrats like Elorza are part of a center-left education reform tradition dating back to the Clinton and Obama eras that has avoided defending public schools and teachers and advocating for popular progressive policies like higher taxes on the wealthy. She says the movement has failed to gain voter support or deliver on its promises. 

It’s Time For The Left To Come to the School Choice Table | Jorge Elorza, Center on Reinventing Public Education

“When it comes to K-12 education, the single most important engine of opportunity in America, many progressives suddenly abandon [choice]. We impose strict monopolies, limit parental agency, and treat any form of educational choice as a threat to our values. In doing so, we resist giving low-income families the same range of educational choices that wealthier families enjoy. The inconsistency is glaring. If we trust people to make decisions about their bodies, partners, health care, housing, college, and child care, then why not trust them to make decisions about their child’s K-12 education? Why defend a system that offers the most options to those with the most privilege, while limiting the agency of those with the least? Progressives should reclaim school choice and educational freedom as part of our own tradition: one that trusts communities, honors diversity, and fights for systems that serve people, not the other way around.”

The Education Reform Zombie Loses (Again) | Jennifer Berkshire, The Education Wars (Substack newsletter)

“While the claim that ‘Dems have lost their edge’ may have launched 1,000 op-eds, two big recent surveys have shown that Democrats now have a substantial lead on education. (Here’s one. Here’s the other.) Which makes sense when you think about 1) the deep unpopularity of the policies being pursued by the Trump Administration and 2) the extreme nature of the GOP education agenda, which is essentially that we shouldn’t have public schools and/or that we have to cut programs at your kid’s school in order to pay the tuition of affluent parents whose kids attend private school…As I’ve chronicled extensively over the past few years, the GOP’s education extremism is not winning over disaffected Democrats but repelling moderate Republicans. Finally, you’ll notice that for all of the talk of the GOP riding school choice to electoral victory, there’s no mention of what happened when actual voters got to actually vote on the issue of school choice. Spoiler: they crossed party lines in order to reject school vouchers just as they have done every single time since (checks notes) 1978.”

In your district: Cellphone restrictions

We recently asked readers the following question: What role should schools play in managing student cellphone use during the day? How does your district’s current policy align—or conflict—with your own view?

Thank you to all who responded. Today, we’re sharing a handful of those responses. We’ll return next month with another reader question. Click here to see all responses to this question, as well as to view older surveys. 

A school board member from New Jersey wrote:

Our Regional High School District with two High Schools have banned student cellphone use during instructional time. They can use their cellphones during passing time and during lunch. I believe it is a good compromise because these are High School students that may need to communicate with employers during the day, as well as stay socially engaged.

Very few careers ban cell phones in the workplace, but almost all of them require appropriate use.

A school board member from Washington wrote:

Each school should create its own procedure that aligns with the board’s policy on appropriate use of technology. Different schools/ages will need different approaches, and only the building leader can decide what’s best for the students in their program. School boards shouldn’t get involved by trying to create a one-size-fits-all policy, since it’s an operational/educational matter, not board governance work.

A parent from California wrote:

Schools should not allow students to have cellphones at school. When we had cell phones in class we were on social media, rarely using it for educational purposes. The distraction is extreme. It also carries the risk that students will film each other without consent and upload it online. It carries more dangers than benefits. 

A school board member from Oklahoma wrote:

The Oklahoma Legislature recently passed a bell-to-bell no personal electronics policy. As a board we will vote on a revised policy on August 18 to be in compliance. The Board is supportive of the legislation and began limiting use prior to the bill’s passage. 

An employee of the Cherokee County Career & Technology Center said:

We have adopted a strict, “No Cell, Bell to Bell” policy. Students may carry their phones in their backpack or store them in a locker, powered off. They may not use them during class change, lunch or break. Headphones,  ear buds, and all other devices are also banned.

I love the new policy and I believe most students are adjusting well. Out of over 700 students,  we have had only 2 students receive a disciplinary action due to cell phones. 

Students are socializing more, talking to their friends face to face instead of walking through the halls with headphones in, looking down at their phone.

Honestly,  the only negative feedback I have received is from parents who are upset because they can’t text their kids during the school day.

A school board member from Wisconsin wrote:

Schools should manage (i.e. limit or exclude) the use of phones during classes when that use does not directly support the learning environment. My districts current policy aligns with my own view, but unfortunately the policy isn’t enforced at the classroom level. I do not agree that schools can or should essentially confiscate phones during the school day (barring inappropriate use anyway).

School board update: filing deadlines, election results, and recall certifications

In 2025, Ballotpedia will cover elections for more than 30,000 school board seats. We’re expanding our coverage each year with our eye on covering the country’s more than 80,000 school board seats.    

  • Aug. 26—Alabama
  • Sept. 16—New Hampshire

The next major wave of school board elections will occur on Election Day, Nov. 5, in at least 16 states. Stay tuned for more on Ballotpedia’s coverage of November school board elections. 

Oklahoma asks U.S. Department of Education for five-year waiver from federal reading and math testing requirements 

On Aug. 8, Oklahoma Superintendent of Education Ryan Walters (R) submitted a request to the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) that would allow Oklahoma to become the first state to end federal standardized testing requirements for K-12 public school students in reading and math. 

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which President Barack Obama (D) signed into law in 2015, requires all states to give annual peer-reviewed reading and math tests to students in grades three through eight and at least once in high school. Oklahoma state law also requires the tests. 

What’s the story: The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) submitted the waiver request to expand “its use of alternative assessments including the Classical Learning Test (CLT), the SAT, and innovative benchmark assessments.” The CLT is an alternative to the SAT and the ACT that emphasizes “thoughtful reading passages drawn from classic literature and historical texts.” In May, Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) signed HB 1096, allowing students to use the CLT to qualify for two state-funded college scholarships. 

The waiver request says the ESSA-required peer review process is outdated and prevents Oklahoma from developing or experimenting with new assessment methods. The DOE’s peer review process evaluates the technical quality of state assessments and their alignment with state academic standards. 

Walters said ending the testing requirement would allow for more local control over education and give teachers more time to teach. He said districts could begin choosing benchmark assessments—often administered throughout the school year—from approved vendors in lieu of the state standardized tests during the 2025-26 school year. 

Before the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) can decide whether to approve the waiver, the state must allow the public to weigh in on the proposed changes. The public comment period ends on Sept. 8. The DOE then has 120 days to respond. 

An official for the DOE said, “I know there’s been some remarks about this being a done deal. That is nowhere near where we are right now.” 

Democratic and Republican lawmakers seemed open to rethinking state testing requirements but said Walters’ changes require legislative approval. 

  • Oklahoma House Education Oversight Committee Chair Rep. Dell Kerbs (R) said, “We look forward to continued collaboration with Superintendent Walters and school districts so that any proposed changes to student testing align with state law and provides clear, actionable information on student college and career readiness.”
  • Senate Minority Leader Julia Kirt (D) said, “Absolutely we should have a conversation about what testing is appropriate and when, and we’ve been bringing up that conversation up for years. But him doing it this way, I don’t think complies with state law, and it makes us all have to do a bunch of scrambling to figure out what’s happening.”

Go deeper: Standardized testing has long been a focus of broader debates around how to measure student achievement and judge the overall quality of K-12 public education. Proponents of standardized tests say they allow educators and officials to make meaningful comparisons between districts and hold them accountable when they fail to meet state standards. Proponents also say the tests are a more objective gauge of student learning than grades and report cards, allowing school officials to better identify struggling students. But critics say standardized tests provide a simplified snapshot that doesn’t fully capture what students know, encourage teachers to sacrifice instructional time for test preparation, and unfairly advantage students from wealthier families who can afford tutoring. 

In recent years, education leaders across the country have reconsidered standardized tests and the role they play in graduation requirements in light of stagnant or declining student achievement in reading and math. 

  • Since 2023, states like Oklahoma, Alaska, Wisconsin, Illinois, and New York have lowered the threshold for students to be considered proficient in reading and math (though Oklahoma has since restored the previous standards).
  • Critics have accused those states of lowering expectations for students, while education officials have said the changes provide a more accurate assessment of student achievement. Illinois Superintendent Tony Sanders, for example, said, “Our system unfairly mislabels students as ‘not proficient’ when other data – such as success in advanced coursework and enrollment in college – tell a very different story.”

Extracurricular: education news from around the web

This section contains links to recent education-related articles from around the internet. If you know of a story we should be reading, reply to this email to share it with us! 

Take our Candidate Connection survey to reach voters in your district

Today, we’re looking at responses from incumbent Diane Albert and Mackenzi Truelove, who are running in the Nov. 4 general election for District 1 on the Wichita Public Schools school board, in Kansas. 

Albert was first elected in 2022. Her career experience includes working as a business owner and general contractor. Truelove’s career experience includes working in healthcare administration. 

Wichita Public Schools is the largest district in Kansas, with roughly 47,000 students. Four of the board’s seven seats are up for election in November. 

Here’s how Albert answered the question, “What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?”

“I am passionate about policies that put student learning first, support great teaching, and ensure taxpayer dollars are used with transparency and purpose. I believe every child deserves access to a high quality education, and every decision should reflect that commitment. I value integrity, accountability, and a strong partnership between families, educators, and the community. My focus is on setting clear goals, aligning resources to support them, and leading in a way that earns the trust of those I serve.”

Click here to read the rest of Albert’s responses. 

Here’s how Truelove answered the question, “What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?”

“My personal passions have always been about public health and looking at how social determinants impact all areas of everyone’s life. I think viewing things from the standpoint of equity helps us to build an inclusive environment where we can provide resources to those that need them with dignity and which will build up everyone on the journey. Studies do show that positive impacts build trust, and I would like to build trust in our kids in this city so they want to stay and continue this work—feeling safe, listened to, and creating a real sense of community and personal responsibility to do what’s best for everyone.”

Click here to read the rest of Truelove’s responses. 

If you’re a school board candidate or incumbent, click here to take the survey.

The survey contains more than 30 questions, and you can choose the ones you feel will best represent your views to voters. If you complete the survey, a box with your answers will appear in your Ballotpedia profile. Your responses will also appear in our sample ballot.

And if you’re not running for school board, but there is an election in your community this year, share the link with the candidates and urge them to take the survey!