The Education Exchange Ep. 407 - Aug. 25, 2025 - Make School Boards Matter
Aug 25, 2025
Scott R. Levy, an Adjunct Lecturer at Harvard Graduate School of Education and author of 'Why School Boards Matter', discusses the pivotal role of school boards in today's educational landscape. He highlights their transformation from operational roles to governance entities, emphasizing community engagement amid declining enrollments. Levy also tackles the rise of homeschooling, the importance of local autonomy, and the need for transparency in educational policies. His insights delve into balancing state oversight with parental control, essential for fostering effective learning environments.
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Local Boards Deliver Organizational Capacity
- School boards can do organizational work state or federal bodies cannot, like managing initiatives and district culture.
- Scott Levy argues boards' proximity to communities enables context-sensitive decisions and superintendent oversight.
Governance vs. Management Is Crucial
- Boards should govern (set priorities, policies, budgets) while superintendents manage day-to-day operations.
- Levy says bad board goals or budgets will prevent districts from succeeding, just like any other organization's board failures.
Fix Poor Boards, Don’t Abolish Them
- Use transparency and elections to correct dysfunctional boards rather than abolishing them.
- Levy recommends board members pursue professional development and rely on networks to fill knowledge gaps.
