Amid all the controversies facing our nation, political frustration turns towards the most locally elected officials.

It might not surprise us, but it should concern us. School Boards are under a lot more pressure, nationally and locally, because of their unique position and sometimes because of their own behavior. They shoulder the burden of setting policy and enforcing regulations AND they are situated within reach of every local voter.

We can all be frustrated with something we don’t agree with at the State and National level, but when the controversies are debated and managed in our local schools, those who serve as elected representatives are within shouting distance. And this year, more people are shouting and more board members are finding themselves subject to recall efforts.

According to Ballotpedia, a national non-profit and non-partisan encyclopedia that covers federal, state and local politics, elections and public policy, the number of total recall efforts has increase from 29 in 2020 to 84 in 2021. Furthermore, the total number of officials targeted grew from 64 to 215! And while most of these efforts in the past have failed, there’s no predicting the future when voters turn out in 2022 elections. Even when they aren’t successful, when they make it onto the ballot, they cost the Districts money.

Take San Francisco USD as our local example. Three of the current Board members are now officially up for a recall election, a special election effort scheduled for Feb. 15, 2022 that will cost the District about $8 million. Unfortunately, as is often the case, the recall election robs attention away from teaching and learning and pits some against others. It also sets up a temporary placement of new Board members through some sort of non-elected appointment process.

At TRiGroup, Inc. we approach this topic with reverence for the largely non-partisan, volunteer nature of the work on the part of school board members who very often, don’t hold other political aspirations and want to genuinely help students and their community. We also recognize that nobody’s perfect and sometimes Board members can behave badly. This increase in recall activity does bring to light how prepared school leaders need to be when navigating the contentious waters of politics.

We offer executive leadership coaching and mentoring and can help Superintendents, Assistant Superintendents, and others prepare for and respond to school board and community politics. First and foremost, we encourage you to keep a strong and consistent message that students come first and Board agendas should reflect this principle, through intentional design and careful attention to what’s working well inside the classrooms.

For more articles on this topic:

• SF GATE: The SF School Board recall election is approved, has an official date. by Joshua Bote, Oct. 18, 2021
• The 74: Skyrocketing School Board Recalls Offer Window into Year of Bitter Education Politics, by Kevin Mahnken, Nov. 1, 2021
• National School Boards Association (NSBA): NSBA Asks for Federal Assistance to Stop Threats and Acts of Violence Against Public Education Leaders, by Alexandria, Va. Sept. 30, 2021