In praise of substance over style |
On Board Online • May 2, 2016
Susan Bergtraum
NYSSBA President
This year's presidential primaries on both the Republican and Democratic sides seem to have taught us a lot about politics and the political process.
As school board members, we're no strangers to running for election. But you have to admit, this year's election season has been like no other - and what a contrast to local school board elections!
The federal electoral system is so much more complicated than the local school board election process. This year, we've really gotten a peek into how presidential candidates actually earn delegates during the primary process. I don't remember anything about "super delegates" from civics class. Talk about a teachable moment! We're watching a civics lesson unfold right before our eyes. Teachers could literally pull their lesson plan right from the headlines.
I'm thankful that school board candidates don't have to worry about pledged delegates, caucuses, super PACs and contested conventions. Moreover, in most districts, the only "ground game" you'll see in school board races is candidates passing out flyers at the supermarket or train station, going door-to-door to meet constituents, or shaking hands at a meet-the-candidates night at the local school.
School board campaigns are usually low-budget operations, which is another major difference from the presidential primaries. You might see lawn signs around yards in your neighborhood, but you won't see many big media buys for advertising on television. I guess that is to be expected when you consider that the vast majority of school board members spend $500 or less on their campaign, according to past surveys of NYSSBA members. Of course, spending varies from district to district and outside groups may influence spending as well.
I understand that it takes a lot of money to run a national campaign, so that explains why candidates often plug their websites during their primary speeches. When your remarks are being broadcast on all of the major cable television networks, you have a large pool of potential donors to tap into.
It's also worth noting that national politicians often are masters at delivering their message. If you watch enough of the debates, town hall meetings and television interviews, you'll eventually be able to memorize the buzzwords and catchphrases that each candidate uses because they repeat them so often. Perhaps some of us might want to use this technique the next time we give a stump speech out on the campaign trail.
Of course, it's the issues that really matter: economic growth, environmental protection, affordable health care, protecting the country from terrorism and crime. That's one aspect of presidential elections that does carry over into local school board contests. Boards of education deal with critical issues facing their communities as well: providing our children with a sound education so they can meet the challenges faced by our nation.
That's why it's so disappointing to see the lack of attention paid by the candidates to improving K-12 education. There is a dearth of new ideas being proffered by the candidates. We hear about the things they don't like - Common Core, the education department, but precious little about how they would improve our public schools. Once each party has nominated its candidate, we as school board members should take every opportunity we can to inform chosen candidates of the educational issues facing our country, either by writing letters or, if you're lucky enough to have a candidate come to town, by participating in a question and answer session.
When you think about it, our ability as a nation to produce skilled graduates who will create new technologies, grow the economy, save lives, protect the environment, and defend our country depends in large part on what happens in our local public schools. If we do not offer students in our communities a sound, challenging educational program, then we will not provide them with the skills and knowledge they need to become tomorrow's leaders and innovators.
While the path to the presidency may, at times, seem to be mind-numbingly procedural, driven by campaign contributions, and focused on style over substance, at the end of the election cycle the winning candidate will have a profound impact on our lives, our country and world affairs.
Though school board service and the school board election process certainly differ dramatically from a presidential election, the role that school boards play in our democracy is vitally important to the health and well-being of our communities and our nation as a whole.