New Issue Brief: Teachers Unions’ Dominance Over School Board Elections

New York, NY – Attempts to increase parental influence in school board elections – whether led by parents or governors – have met media accusations of “politicizing” education and “nationalizing” local issues. In a new Manhattan Institute issue brief, adjunct fellow Michael Hartney argues that political influence in education is not new, and that a familiar group maintains dominant control: teachers’ unions.

Employing data from California, New York, and Florida, Hartney shows that unions’ influence over local school-board elections is as strong as ever, with union-endorsed candidates winning roughly 70 percent of all competitive races, and candidates’ chances of victory skyrocketing after union endorsements. Union dominance over school board elections has not only limited the implementation of federal and state education reforms, but also prevented school boards from mirroring the communities they represent.

To check the electoral influence of teachers’ unions, and promote a more pluralistic educational landscape, Hartney makes two recommendations:

• Move school board elections on-cycle: the data show that union dominance is greatest when school board elections do not line up with state and national elections, so aligning school board elections with the most prominent election cycles helps even the playing field.

• Make candidates’ political views clearer to voters: giving voters cues about school board candidates’ agendas and worldviews – perhaps including party affiliation – allows them to make more informed decisions and select candidates whose values align with theirs. Florida governor Ron DeSantis recently did this by endorsing 30 school board candidates in election primaries, and results indicated decreased union dominance.

The issue brief draws from Hartney’s recently-published book, How Policies Make Interest Groups: Governments, Unions, and American Education (University of Chicago Press).

Read the Full Issue Brief Here.