Posted in Education, Uncategorized
Written by Jennifer Rainville, Education Policy Attorney at SC Appleseed
Things can be kind of overwhelming these days in the world of K-12 education. One question that I get asked a lot is how do I get engaged? What actions can I take to stand up for the things I care about and are important to me? The thing that I always tell folks is that you need to start local. While the federal government does impact you, most of the policies, laws, and decisions that are impacting you the most are happening right here in South Carolina, especially when it comes to education.
This blog provides a brief introduction to school boards and how you can get more involved in your local community and take action. South Carolina has local control, which means that important policies and decisions are being made by school boards that impact our teachers and students. School boards as a result are one of the easiest places that you can get involved and make a huge impact locally.
School Board Basics
Each school district is managed by the school board of trustees. Board members are elected in 68 of the 72 school districts in the state (others are appointed by legislative delegations or county boards). Most school boards have non-partisan elections. Only Lee and Horry County have partisan elections meaning that candidates must specify whether they are Republican or Democrat.
Most school districts meet twice a month on a designated day throughout the year. For example, the Richland One Board of Trustees usually meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month and most meetings begin at 7:00 p.m., whereas Charleston County School Board of Trustees meet on the second and fourth Monday of each month. If you want to know about your specific school district, you should check the district’s website. They are required to post when and where meetings will be held. They are also required to publish an agenda in advance of the meeting so that you will know what items that the school board will be discussing. Most school districts live stream their meetings (for example, here is Richland One’s live stream page), where you can tune in and also see past meetings.
There is the opportunity for any member of the public to provide public comment to the Board of Trustees. Giving public comment is a great way to let your school board members know about something that you are concerned about happening in the district. We’ll be discussing public comments in-depth on our next blog!
If public speaking is not your cup of tea, you should/could also reach out to your school board members individually. Keep in mind that school board members typically have full-time employment in addition to their roles as board members. Most board members like hearing from their constituents (the voters who elect them to their positions). I find that in today’s world most folks respond pretty well to email.
Now it’s Your Turn!
While it can be scary and overwhelming to go to a school board meeting and advocate for change, just remember that in the words of the Lorax, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” You got this! Go out and advocate for positive change in your communities. Help improve the educational outcomes for all children in this state. Just your presence at the meetings alone can help make a big difference, because together we are stronger.
Reach out to us at SC Appleseed if you have questions or have more inquiries about how to get started.
Further reading:
What is Title 1?
The Problem with Funding Private Schools with Public Dollars
What is IDEA?
