Take Back the Schools

Americans must start the march toward change, nationalists should start with the schools.

Nationalists have a long history of fixating on winning the highest echelons of political power. If only a nationalist could capture a governor’s mansion, the White House or even a seat in the senate then massive change could be made overnight! This sentiment is healthy, as nationalists strive for change and to rescue the country from the grasp of neoliberal mania. We often produce content for these potential contenders! However, these nationalist sentiments also overlook many of the smaller offices in the country which can effect change. One of the most significant features of the American political system is the series of boards of education (school boards) which blanket the country.

The jurisdiction of school boards range significantly in size, from the intermediate districts which run just one specialized school, to boards which run school systems for cities the size of Chicago, all the way up to the state boards of education which oversee the education system within their respective states.

While dreaming of winning a governor’s mansion may indeed be glorious, and a seat in the senate may offer a sense of prestige, it is in the departments of education across the US where the battles for the future of American children are being fought, and nationalists have a change to act as a dark-horse by riding into the fray.

In ten states: Alabama, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Texas, and Utah either all or a majority of members of the state board of education are elected by the public. While in Wisconsin there is no state board of education, but the state’s chief education officer is publicly elected in the same manner as a governor or secretary of state. In numerous other states, such as California or North Carolina, the state’s chief education officer is elected, but the school board is appointed by the governor. Many other variations on this mixed model exist, but for nationalist purposes the all-elected boards and executive positions are the ideal target.

In every state the local boards of education, which determine what books may be in a library or punishments are best for students, are elected by the local population. This model persists across the Union regardless of how the state-level Department of Education is run. In addition to these local boards being elected they are also funded locally with relatively little Federal interference. The Federal government has a long history of using its budgetary power to influence states, such as it does with transportation budgets (27% of transit funding comes from the Federal government). But, education budgets are shielded from this influence and offer state and local lawmakers the opportunity to dissent from agendas set by institutions in D.C.

All-told, state and local tax bases provide 89% of the funding for American education. More than $795 billion in public funding was allocated to the school sytems of America in 2021, a budget roughly equivalent in size to that of Medicaid’s entire suite of programs. Federal funding for education in 2021 totalled just $85 billion and went overwhelmingly to programs meant to deal with "disparate impacts” (racial minority programs) and to fill gaps for at risk students.

By targetting local and state boards of education in the eleven aforementioned states, nationalist policymakers could effect not only local but national change. Texas has long had an undue, though now declining, influence on the nation’s textbooks both in standards and in content. A coalition of eleven states with nationalist and natinoalist education administrations could radically shift the direction of educational content and material for all of America’s students and begin pushing back against the anti-American forces which have come to dominate the education system.

In some states a push to take control of the education system would also open up the possibility of reining in the out of control university system. In Michigan, Colorado, Nebraska, and Nevada the governing boards of public universities (such as the internationally renowned University of Michigan) are publicly elected.

And while enacting change at the state and university level would be monumental, most of the policy work is going to take place at the local, community, level. According to the Michigan Association of School Boards the areas of responsibility for local boards include: Goal setting, policy, hiring and evaluating superintendents, budgeting, decisions on curriculums (and accompanying materials), decisions regarding staffing, and the use and construction of facilities for students and the district.

The National School Boards Assocation goes even further, stating: “Most school board members are elected by people in their community to represent their values, views, and desires for the public schools in their district. As selected leaders in their community, they consistently communicate with the public to keep community members abreast of challenges, ideas, and progress.”

This quote is useful in that it serves as an acknowledgement of the power of local school boards within American communities. Americans seeking to effect change would have every opportunity on the nation’s school boards.

There are more than 81,000 school board seats across the United States, most of which carry 4-5 year terms in the major states. Most importantly for nationalists seeking to run is that the cost of running for school-board is not especially prohibitive. While modern senate races now regularly cost more than $15.7 million per candidate per campaign, and House races are averaging $2 million per candidate, the average cost of a school board run is less than $5,000. Only in 13% of races did a school board candidate spent more than $5,000. Nationalist and pro-American patriots looking to make change in their states and communities have an immense opportunity in the form of boards of education.