The Economist magazine published an article about an alarming phenomenon: the large amounts of money entering local school board races, much of it from mysterious political action committees, often from out-of-District and out-of-State sources.
Races in Denver, Douglas County, and Aurora County in Colorado attracted at least $1.65 Million.
Last spring’s School Board Race in Los Angeles was the most expensive in U.S. history, at $15 Million. Billionaires like Reed Hastings and Eli Broad make clear that they will spend whatever it takes to install true believers in privatization. In most such races, you are likely to encounter the same names, whether it is Hastings, Broad, Bloomberg, or members of the Walton family. You are likely to see other names associated with hedge funds or other parts of the financial industry. They have two goals in common: they love charter schools and they don’t like unions.
The intrusion of this kind of money into school board races is a danger to democracy. School boards are supposed to reflect the wishes of the local communities, not the purposes of out-of-State billionaires in search of willing puppets.
How can a local citizen, a parent or community leader, have any chance of running for school board if their opponent has a kitty of $100,000-300,000 to millions of dollars? I recall visiting a city where I was told that, in the past, a candidate could run by raising $40,000. Those days are over. That’s not good for democracy.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Susan Turk is just a citizen who pays close attention to what the Post Dispatch is trying to do……they certainly did not expect this much attention:St. Louis Schools Watch
The First Alternative Forms of Governance Task Force Meeting Was a Night to Remember
By Susan Turk
November 6, 2017—St. Louis—Approximately 300 people attended the first meeting of the SAB’s task force on alternative forms of governance meeting tonight. The crowd was diverse but there was a large contingent of SLPS principals and senior staff for whom attendance was mandatory. All seven elected board of education members were also in attendance.
There was a change of personnel on the task force from what had been published in the Post Dispatch. Better Family Life’s James Clark declined his appointment due to being appointed to another board that would take up a considerable amount of time. He was replaced by SLU and Lindenwood Law School Professor Stephanie Hudson. After the meeting we learned that Rolanda Gladden, the teacher who had been appointed to the board and attended the first meeting resigned due to the level of controversy involving the task force. Another teacher, Kaylan Holloway, was appointed to take her place. The haste with which the SAB put this together has not worked so well.
The three experts who presented at the meeting were Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs, Esq., Executive Strategic Advisor in Equity Programming for the National School Boards Association, Melissa K. Randol, Esq., Executive Director, Missouri School Boards Association and a former school board member from Prince George County in Maryland and Janet Tilley, Director of Board Development at Missouri School Boards Association. Tilley presented the background information on elected boards.
In summary, elected schools boards are the most common form of school district governance in the country. They represent democracy in its purest form because they are non-partisan and their members are not paid to serve. They work for the children and are directly accountable to the community at the ballot box. In our 40 largest cities 82% of the school boards are locally elected, 15% are appointed and 3% are hybrids with both elected and appointed members. Nationally school boards were originally appointed but 100 years ago during the Progressive Era there was a movement to transform them to democratically elected boards.
They were meant to provide local control and to be insulated from political influence by having their elections off cycle and by being non-partisan. They are models of democratic process. They increase stakeholder and community engagement in schools by being directly accessible and offering greater independence from political influence. There has been criticism that there is low voter turnout for school board elections. The national average is 7% turnout. St. Louis is different. Our most recent school board election had a 30% voter turnout, the same percentage as voted for our mayor. Even though our school board is not governing the district, the voters are committed to the board. Elected school boards represent the entire community and serve as gateways for minorities to enter elected public service. Direct election ensures the public in public education. They are the most accountable form of governance to stakeholders.
Four key studies which showing a positive correlation between academic performance under elected boards were referenced. The ability of the board to work as a team with the superintendent and staff contributed to that success. Other factors were communication with all stakeholders and continuous training.
A conclusion of the 2010 Danforth Freeman committee’s report was repeated that there is no perfect or proven board model. The model that best reflects the values of your community should be implemented.
Task force members asked questions for about half an hour. During that time, former elected school board member Bill Monroe disrupted the meeting. He attacked SAB member Richard Gaines by name stating that Gaines was doing a disservice to the community by not allowing the audience to speak. Then he stormed out. Since time was allotted for the audience to speak, Monroe’s brief melodramatic interruption served no purpose other than to remind people about a deficiency of elected boards, sometimes demagogues like Monroe succeed in getting elected. But then the electorate corrects that mistake at the next opportunity. Monroe, after all , was the reason the state board of education terminated the transition planning discussion last year. He crashed a meeting forcing its abrupt cancellation. It would not be unreasonable to surmise that his behavior was scripted then and now to handicap the elected board. His many performances during public comments at SAB meetings over the years always seemed designed to embarrass the elected board. But he lost his re-election bid earlier this year. Democracy took care of the problem he presented.
Twenty-five audience members were able to address the task force. Each was allotted 3 minutes. Among them were retired SLPS teacher and Local 420 Vice President Byron Clemens, Twenty-second Ward Republican Committeeman Robert Vroman, Board of Education Member Donna Jones, Board of Education Member Dorothy Rohde Collins, Board of Education President Susan Jones, UMSL Professor of Education and former Board Of Education Member Rebecca Rogers, Daryl Smith, SLPS teacher Nick Metropolis, Fifteenth Ward Democrats Chairman Richard Buthod, Bill Reardon, Jessica Payne, Fifth Ward Committeeman Rasheen Aldridge, State Representative Michael Butler, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists former President Lew Moye, SLPS students Jane and John Gillespie, Board of Education Member Bill Haas, SLPS parent Katie Berry, State Representative Bruce Franks, Bill Gruhn, SLPS parent Megan Betts and SLPS parent Clara Holmes.
The speakers consistently expressed support for the return of the elected board of education to governance. Some of the highlights of their remarks were Donna Jones’ mention of the ambition of the business community to control the millions of dollars in the SLPS general operating budget and how money has not been spent wisely to renovate and resource our schools. She called it “stealing”. Dorothy Rohde Collins mentioned that our city is hurting because people’s voices are not being heard. “We need more democracy, not less.” Rebecca Rogers pointed out the accumulation of white privilege and white supremacy by denying the citizens the right to elect their school board.
Darryl Smith’s emphasis was on the importance of the children in the city and that the best way to help the children and hold the school board accountable was the elected board. Nick Metropolis spoke about modeling democracy for his students. High school teachers are trying to teach students about civic engagement. Richard Buthod said the disenfranchisement of the citizens of St. Louis was paternalistic. Bill Reardon questioned how we could call this a democracy id we don’t have the right to vote and elect our leaders. He also objected to asking the legislature to change the law about SLPS governance because they had taken our minimum wage increase away from the city and showed they did not have our best interests at heart. Rasheen Aldridge said that trying to take away our right to vote for our school board is beyond disrespectful. He further criticized the SAB for their disrespectful behavior at the October elected school board meeting.
Michael Butler said that the law is clear that since the district is fully accredited the elected board should be returned to governance. He asked whether if the citizens make their support for the elected board clear would the task force recommend the return of the elected board to governance. Richard Gaines combatively responded that the task force and SAB could not tell the state board what to do (which is laughable) and would not commit to what they would recommend. Lew Moye said we should not be debating giving up our right to vote. He was followed by a teacher named Evelyn who emphatically stated that you shouldn’t have the right to take my vote away. Glenda Thornton asked Gaines why there were no black parents on the task force.
Bill has erroneously stated that having served for 15 years, he was the longest serving board member since Dan Schafly when John Mahoney served for 24 years, reiterated the history that lef us to this moment, the repeated misinformation in the Post-Dispatch, Haas called it a canard that the excuses that have been put forth for the installation of the SAB, the unstable leadership and low academic achievement was caused by Mayor Slay’s slate and the financial problems were caused by the state. Haas continued that the appointed board is not the solution. They are the problem because test scores have been flat for the ten years they have been in power. Haas concluded that it is a disgrace.
SLPS parent Katie Berry expressed fatigue about Jefferson city’s overreach. “They’ve taken away our pay increase and women’s rights. I’m not ready to give them my schools too. These people are taking away my voice about the things that most impact me.” she said. Bruce Franks expressed support for the elected board. He said if it is not returned there will be issues oin our city and promised to protest for the children. SLPS parent Megan betts asked how much this process cost. Ricard gaines told her $75-80,000. He insisted that no one on stage was being paid. But he declined to tell her what the money was being spent on. He then went on to say that, “We, (meaning the task force and the SAB) don’t make decisions, we make recommendations. He told her that you can make recommendations yourselves”. While that may be technically true, the recommendation that the SAB sends to DESE will carry weight that our recommendations not have. Nevetheless, everyone who is concerned about the future governance of the SLPS, should endeavor to contact DESE Commissioner Vandeven and the state board of education to express your opinion. It is worth a try.
Dark energy makes the universe go round and dark money makes the world go round.
These are simply physical laws.
There is no use in resisting.
In some places….they do not even have to spend the money. They simply have powerful people eliminate the elections, and appoint whoever they want.
and isn’t it almost impossible to then get “appointees” out of office
Our extreme income inequality is a threat to democracy. Billionaires work behind the scenes to pull the strings of politicians, elections, even school board elections. Local communities should pass laws allowing only residents to contribute to school board elections, or they should cap the total amount that each candidate can spend. Otherwise, local communities lose the ability to run a fair election.
The article claims that unions oppose charters because they want to protect their ability to bargain collectively. While there may be some truth to this, there is much more than collective bargaining at stake. The article mentions the charters want to expand options for students. While this claim is always the first mentioned to the media, the article fails to explore the deeper motives of mass privatization, busting unions, segregation, suppression of democracy, and profit.
Another strategy used by privatizers is “dark money” that flows from 501cs to PACs. If 501cs are supposed to be non-political, they should be prohibited from sending their funds to political groups. This is another “work around” that defeats the intent of the law in the same way that “scholarships” are used to skirt the state voucher laws. Both practices should be illegal.
retired teacher for Secretary of Education! Love your comments … so smart and right on. Thank you.
Yes your comments are the truth. How to change, fix what is going on now?
Cross-posted at:
https://www.opednews.com/Quicklink/The-Economist-Dark-Money-in-Best_Web_OpEds-Billionaires_Dark-Money_Democracy_Diane-Ravitch-171113-293.html#comment679138
So, you don’t have kids in school, so why care?
Well, democracy depends on shared knowledge. http://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/periodicals/hirsch.pdf
When ALEC, and these guys determine what kids learn, it’s over. https://dianeravitch.net/2014/12/05/north-carolina-plans-to-adopt-koch-funded-social-studies-curriculum
Public education is the only way to income equality, so if ALL the citizens of this nation cannot go to schools that are well funded so they can learn, then the only ones who will have a chance a success are the scions of the wealthy. Moreover, YOU will pay the price for an uneducated population.
the truth about income equality last year…. and it is getting worse…because private schools do not accept ALL CHILDREN.
We need PUBLIC EDUCATION in order to have a nation where everyone can find work!
Happened here in Oakland. Now, the school budget is in a shambles, we are looking at school closures/consolidations, and the district is proposing cutting $15M this year, and another $11M the next. Terrible…
Since when is free speech a threat to democracy? There is a referendum coming up in Arizona, on the expansion of ESAs. A great deal of money, both pro and con, will be flowing into the state, from out of state interests. This is as it should be.
Would you be in favor of organizations from out-of-state, like teacher unions, being blocked from participating in the Arizona referendum?
Arizon has a teachers union
Your definition of “free speech” is tricky, & only 7y.o., & deserves a closer look. We can agree that the Citizens United decision qualifies unlimited spending by groups on political campaigns, including out-of-state money spent to influence the Arizona referendum on expanding ESA’s, as free speech. Those who wish to level the playing field for local school board candidates– whether by excluding outsiders from participating in local campaigns, or other measures– need to direct their energies toward campaign reform legislation. And elsewhere as well:
The C-U decision upheld requirements for public disclosure by sponsors of advertisements. However, ‘social-welfare’ PACS [501(c)4’s] are permitted to spend 50% of their $ on politics and do not (like other PACS) have to disclose donors. So you can end up e.g. with the ERNA PAC — hdqtrs NYC/DC, donors unknown, footing the entire bill for ‘Raising Colorado”s charter-championing school board candidates. That’s “dark money.” Those wishing to change the paradigm need to direct equal energy to legislation regarding the tax treatment & disclosure reqts for 501(c)4’s. As it stands now, they are a big old loophole.
What is needed in every state are campaign finance transparency laws. These should cover both school board elections and recall elections. The dark money is everywhere. Idaho’s largest district had a recall election in 2016. Actually it was more of an attempted takeover as four trustees were all accused of identical transgressions. Anonymous donations were encouraged. The Secretary of State said the Sunshine laws did not apply. What????
Dark money.Dark Days. Dark Future. How about a serious half time locker room speech to all the stakeholders wh have everything to lose with Dark Money winning. Come on unions come on PTAs, come on all the professional associations and come on students.
You all going to stand and watch the great experiment called public education come to an end as we’ve known it. Where’s the good ol school spirit! It’s one thing to lose but to go down without a fight. Shame on all.
I appreciate the sentiment, bill, but there’s no shame felt here from either myself or my colleagues. We’re actively involved in our union and doing all we can to make the public aware of what’s really happening in the “reform” movement.
Why would these big corporations and billionaires be interested in local school board elections? Here’s a podcast with an interesting take: