The governing of public schools in many communities is nearing total collapse.

From coast to coast, border to border, local school boards are fighting over matters ranging from painting over Works Progress Administration murals to deciding whether to follow the science on COVID-19 or yield to the loudest voices. There are fights over curricula, toilets, racial issues such as renaming schools, masks, vaccinations and police presence on campuses.

Many of these matters have torn communities apart and led to angry confrontations, even violence, and property destruction.

In a number of communities, people have resigned from school boards or declared they will not run for office due to the intensity of the issues that divide communities. Meanwhile, problems such as student performance, teacher pay and working conditions, and student learning loss during the pandemic remain on the sidelines.

In few states are board members are required to have any training before they assume responsibility for what may be billions of dollars in spending, thousands of jobs, and the futures of, collectively, 50 million students whose interests they are supposed to represent.

With this in mind, here are a number of actions that every state, every school board, can take to improve the governance of our public schools:

  • Require newly elected board members to undergo an orientation session on key issues as a precondition for being sworn into office. Be certain it is done by experts, not advocates.
  • Adopt and enforce a code of conduct expressly crafted for and by the board
  • Adopt a conflict-of-interest policy.
  • Create the position of parliamentarian, who is not a board member and can ensure that rules, procedures and the code of conduct are followed.
  • Identify the most critical education issues facing the community, and have the board focus on those issues.
  • Move board elections to a date that will enhance voter turnout.
  • Hold community forums prior to elections and require candidates to participate. Have them run by a professional moderator.
  • Establish reasonable term limits so there are opportunities for all parts of the community to be represented.
  • Consider having a board that is composed of elected members as well as members appointed by the highest elected official in that jurisdiction.

Read the full article about improving America's school boards during a crisis by Christopher T. Cross at The 74.