The Politicization of Local School Board Recalls

• In Event: School Districts in Precarious Times: The Extreme Politicization of School Board Governance and the Superintendency

Abstract

We explore one facet of what became a playbook of anti-equity efforts in school districts—school board recall attempts. This paper focuses on the vast number of recall attempts on school board-elected seats across the country in 2021, which quadrupled in comparison to other years. Our research questions are: What were the notable demographic and geographical patterns in recent school board recalls? What are the political dynamics inherent in these recall attempts that shape educational equity for all students?
We present the results of an exploratory case study (Yin, 2017), which include patterns related to the 2021 school board recall attempts. Using Ballotpedia, we identified a list of individual recall attempts and conducted a search of these board members. We then gathered data to identify the reason for each recall, the proponents, and opponents, and demographic and geographic information. Second, we present a firsthand account of one of the authors who experienced a school board recall. We analyzed this data and story through the lens of scholarship on recalls of elected officials (e.g., Matthewson et al., 2003; Qvortrup, 2020; Siegel et al., 2015) school boards (e.g., Alsbury, 2008; Author(s), 2019, 2021; Blissett & Alsbury, 2018; Collins, 2021; Howell, 2005; Meier & Juenke, 2005) and a critical policy analysis (CPA) framework (Author(s), 2019; Horsford et al., 2019) to help us identify the political roots, and rhetoric, and examine any potentially inequitable outcomes of these recalls.
Our findings show that in 2021, there were 237 elected school board member recall attempts among 92 school districts across 17 states, more than any year since 2006 (Ballotpedia, 2023) and likely ever. Of the 237 attempted recalls, 64% were due to decisions made of restrictions during the pandemic. Other recall attempts were connected to explicit anti-equitable stances related to Critical Race Theory, gender, and LGBTQ issues. Demographically, among the 195 board members whose racial backgrounds were disclosed, the majority were white/Anglo (83%), 62% identified as female, and many were members whose profession related to education (e.g., teacher, professor). Geographically, recall attempts of school board members occurred in 17 states, with California (62), Wisconsin (29), and Arizona (23) far exceeding the others. The firsthand account explores board members’ stances on COVID precautions and anti-racist policies that prompted the recall of three board members in a large, urban district in the U.S. West region. This account allows for a deeper dive into the rationale and impact of such recalls.
The overall pattern during this year of recalls was anyone who “espoused a political ideology” or who worked on racial justice initiatives was at risk of being recalled. The sharp increase in attempts to recall school board members in 2021 should spark a critical stopping point for anyone committed to democratic education and educational equity. These recalls highlight one major way that political conflict is showing up in our public schools and how these are likely to distract from the important work of advancing educational equity.

Authors

• Gabriela López, Stanford University

• Carrie Sampson, Arizona State University