Courier: Op-Ed from Kyrstin Schuette, SBIP Founder

Read on the Courier website >>

Excerpt:

But here’s the hopeful truth: when voters are given real choices and accurate information, they consistently reject extremism. Recent data shows that progressive school board candidates are winning at high rates across red, blue, and purple communities because the values they champion aren’t partisan. They’re American.

Polling confirms this reality. Despite extremist claims, 76% of parents support the schools their children attend. Large majorities of voters across party lines have favorable opinions of librarians, oppose book bans, and disagree with efforts to restrict what can be taught in schools.

The disconnect isn’t between public opinion and our values—it’s between public opinion and who shows up to vote in school board elections.

School board races depend on  neighbors talking to neighbors, volunteers knocking on doors, and citizens making their voices heard in their own communities. They reward authentic connection to local concerns rather than partisan manipulation. These elections cannot be gerrymandered away.

Kyrstin Schuette is a campaign veteran and the founder and executive director of the School Board Integrity Project, a Minnesota-based nonprofit organization with a presence in 38 states including Georgia, dedicated to recruiting, training, and electing school board members across the country.