Many state boards of education put equity at the center of their missions. This piece highlights the work of our Leading for Equity and Excellence Program (LEEP) and how it has coached state boards to be equity leaders.
State board members should act early and often to articulate their board’s vital role in achieving excellence and equity for all students.
Governors and state boards can make real advances in education policy when they work together, with the governor articulating broad goals for education and the state board developing the policy infrastructure to support those goals.
Board members can work with the media to help communicate important decisions to stakeholders and build public trust.
Successful engagement creates a sense of buy-in and shared ownership of the state’s vision and strategic plan for education.
How state boards can avoid conflicts of interest and the appearance of such conflicts.
The interests of students are usually best served when state legislatures and state boards view education policymaking as a shared responsibility.
As they advocate for a quality education for every child, state boards have four key roles.