Framing “The Letter”: Media Influence on the National School Boards Association’s Equity-Oriented Policies and Practices

• In Event: Perspectives on School Board Power and Political Activism

Abstract

This study investigates the media's role in shaping public narratives surrounding the National School Boards Association's (NSBA) controversial letter to the Biden Administration. The NSBA sought federal support and protection against community threats aimed at district leaders. Many of the media's discursive strategies and misinterpretations contributed to a public backlash that resulted in NSBA’s declining member participation and organizational challenges. Employing qualitative methods, critical race theory, and critical discourse analysis, this study identifies three key discursive strategies used by the media: war-like metaphors, misrepresentations of domestic terrorism, and mischaracterizations of parents. This paper explores how these strategies influenced the NSBA's equity-oriented policies and practices. Understanding these dynamics can help promote equitable policymaking and counter misinformation in educational discourse.

Authors

• Jami Carmichael, Arizona State University

• Jasmine Pham, University of Toronto - OISE

• Carrie Sampson, Arizona State University

• Ruth María López, University of Arizona