The Tensions of Technological Shifts on School Board Governance and Practice

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Abstract

Objective
In recent years, K-12 school boards have become critical sites for political struggle and public discourse on a range of issues (e.g., school closures, LGBTQ+ students’ rights) (Walsh, 2024). Advances in technology have increased public access to school board decision-making, a process that we argue has influenced school board organizational practices. Our paper examines how these changes play out in the everyday interactions of 10 school board members in the Western United States. We ask: How have technological advances, including social media, influenced organizational practices within school boards? What challenges, if any, have emerged, and how do school board members navigate those challenges?

Participatory models of democracy seek to maximize involvement of those affected by the decisions at hand (Dewey, 1927; Fung & Wright, 2001; Mueller, 2004; Pateman, 1975). Scholars have contended with the required conditions for a more participatory democracy as technological advances become widespread and change the ways in which communities engage with political leaders (Kahne et al., 2016; Nelson et al., 2017). The expansion of digital media opportunities (e.g., livestreaming on Twitch, TikTok campaigns) has made engagement in participatory politics more accessible, particularly for young people who have long been positioned at the margins of power (Kahne et al., 2016). In turn, these shifts have important implications for K-12 school board members, who are likely to experience such pressures as they develop education policies.

Methods & Data Sources
This paper draws its findings from a qualitative, multiple case study of 10 school board members in the Western United States during the 2023-2024 academic year. Data collection and analysis were iterative using meta-matrices and theory-based data displays to identify patterns across interviews, audio diaries, media reports, and board documents (Bush-Mecenas & Marsh, 2018; Miles & Huberman, 1994).

Preliminary Findings
All school board members detailed significant technological shifts in the structure of board meetings and how they engaged with constituents (e.g., virtual or hybrid meetings, virtual opportunities for public comment, increased interactions on Twitter/X, Facebook, TikTok). While board members explained that technology dramatically increased engagement, they also described emerging challenges. For example, a school board president, recognizing the sparsely attended in-person crowd, chose to direct his remarks by speaking directly to the camera and a perceived “future audience”. Another board member described how technology has changed how he conducts himself during meetings, explaining “I try not to speak extemporaneously in the moment, especially in the heat of passion. Because you don't want to say something that you're going to regret.” Another board member shared: “There was one [social media] post we did…we had a drag storytelling…and I got a call from our police chief asking to file a report of a death threat that I received on social media.” Collectively, these data suggest that K-12 school board members are on the front lines of technological shifts in participatory politics.

Significance
Our analysis foregrounds the need to consider this “new reality” for board members and develop strategies, guidelines, and policies that help board members navigate these interactions and realize the promise of a more participatory democracy.

Authors

• James C. Bridgeforth, University of Delaware

• Akunna Faith Uka, University of Southern California

• Amanda Lauren Pickett, University of Delaware

• Julie A. Marsh, University of Southern California

• Miguel Casar, University of Alabama

• Laura Steen Mulfinger, University of Southern California

• Jacob Alonso, University of Southern California