Extremism is threatening public education.
It’s up to us to stand up for the right of all children to learn.
Photo by Allison Shelley, courtesy of Creative Commons
Democracy and Education helps school board candidates and their supporters protect our public schools and stand up for democracy.
To help candidates win
this fight, we provide:
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No jargon. No education-ese. Just straightforward information on a range of topics, from reading instruction to school finance, with links to learn more.
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“So, You Want to Run for School Board?” Our five-part podcast covers the basics, from your message and organization to where to place your lawn signs.
Our "Democracy and Education” podcast highlights communities where people like you are standing up to anti-education extremists.
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Our archives document the extremist assault on public education and help you learn more about school boards, candidates, and communities that have successfully faced down the threat.
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Check out our state-by-state primer on how to run for school board—where to file and how to find out what laws to follow.
For more detailed training guides on all aspects of a campaign, join us! It’s easy—just fill out the form on the Connect page.
Our only requirement is that you support public education and democracy, and we have a wonderful array of political viewpoints among our members.
Also, if you’re in need of a web site that won’t break your budget, we can put you in touch with a friendly web designer.
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We’re not alone in this fight - other organizations are working hard and developing resources to support progressive school board candidates. We’ll help put you in touch with the best of the bunch.
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Our ranks include school board candidates, board members, subject-matter experts, and volunteers from around the country. We keep in touch with a members-only forum and monthly strategy calls. Join us.
From School Board Candidates and Board Members:
Democracy and Education provided clarity, community, and practical insight at a time when public education is under coordinated attack. Learning alongside others facing similar challenges—and hearing how they’ve successfully responded in their own communities—was both validating and motivating. The mentoring helped turn shared concern into collective action.
Bobby Omari, Chino Valley, California
“Democracy and Education played an important role supporting my successful school board campaign by connecting me with high-quality, values-aligned campaign resources. Through their network, I was able to partner with Markers of Democracy, whose postcard writing program helped me communicate directly and effectively with voters. Their commitment to strengthening local democracy through practical support for public education candidates makes a real difference on the ground.”
Carl Bryan, school board member, Kenosha Wisconsin
“Democracy and Education gave our team an invaluable outlet to collaborate with leaders about hostile politics in school communities. It was a strength and comfort to connect with thought partners who understood our political climate. But we were offered more than partnerships; Karin introduced our team to Markers for Democracy, who sent thousands of postcards to voters in our district. We are thankful for Democracy and Education for their work in stabilizing school boards across the country.”
The Francis Howell Forward Team, Saint Charles County, MO
"I can't thank you enough for helping me out. Your podcast and website were the first resources I dove into, and they gave me both confidence and led to talking points that I think really resonated with my voters, in addition to just being full of information that will help Evansville public schools. "
Ryan Jayne, school board member, Evansville, Wisconsin
"I remember how happy I was to find you- there were so many options for far right candidates and not much for moderate pro-public education candidates. The podcast was especially valuable for helping us develop campaign strategies. We had never run a political campaign before and we were hesitant to rely on the local Democrats because the school board is a nonpartisan office."
Jackie Kennedy, school board member, Lansing, Kansas
