Utahns for Public Schools

• Home
• About UTPS
• Action Center
  • Candidates and offices
  • Candidate selection process
  • Voter information
  • Communicating with elected officials
  • Information about Utah state government
• Policy Center
  • Good Government and Good Policy Making
  • School Funding and Tax Policy
  • Focus on Class Size
  • Vouchers
• Join UTPS Community
• UTPS Blog
•  

Support Direct, Non-partisan Elections for School Boards

• Before 1992, candidates for local or state boards were elected directly by the people in non-partisan races.

• In 1992, the process for determining candidates for the State Board of Education was altered to establish regional committees that interviewed and narrowed the number of candidates to 3-5 who were recommended to the Governor.  The Governor placed two names on the ballot.  These regional committees included some educators, parents, community and business leaders.

• In 2002, the process for determining candidates for the State Board of Education was altered to establish one state committee, equally comprised of those who represent education and those who represent business and industry.  This is called the Nominating and Recruiting Committee.  Their process:

  •  Consider names of candidates who have filed and also recruit others to become candidates for the State Board.

  • Schedule and convene meetings and select three candidates to recommend to the Governor. 

  • The Governor selects the final two candidates to appear on the ballot.

Concerns about the current process:

• Some of these meetings have been under strong criticism for apparent block voting, violating open meetings law, forwarding on candidates who might not be commonly surmised to be the best candidate, eliminating some who may offer a divergent position than that of a political party, and eliminating incumbents who have had large majority votes by their constituents in years past.

• The process extinguishes the direct voice of the people in electing their representatives on the State Board from among all candidates.

• Lacking a direct voice in the election process, the people have a more limited voice.

• The process often neglects the voice of rural Utah as the Nominating and Recruiting Committee is most often comprised of citizens who live in urban areas of the state.

• The Nominating and Recruiting Committee has violated the Utah Open Meetings Act, with secret ballots in some meetings.  The minutes do not include who has voted for which candidate.

• Those from education who have served on the committee indicate that it is clear, in their minds, that the votes are skewed in the Committee and that some candidates that are forwarded on to the Governor are ill-equipped to lead the state’s education system.

What would be the best system?

A return to direct, non-partisan elections.  Candidates can file in their regions in Utah, and be sieved through a primary election in June just as candidates for local offices are screened.  Candidates can gain support and financial help from those who know, locally, what their qualifications are and how well they might serve.  Local citizens can best hold their candidates and seated members accountable. 

Why partisan politics is bad for the children in our public schools:

• Children do not come to school as Republicans or Democrats.  Neither should those who lead them.

• Board members must be free to make decisions in the best interests of school children, not along a political platform or position.

• Board members must be free from the pressure that may be exerted by state leaders in one or more political parties.

• The Utah Constitution gives the Utah State Board of Education the right and responsibility of governing public education.  This right does not belong to any political party or to the executive or legislative branch of government.  It belongs to a freely elected, non-partisan, non-sectarian State Board of Education.  Likewise, local boards of education have the local right and responsibility of governing their districts and schools.

• No one political party captures all of the issues in public education nor has all the remedies for its many challenges.  Public education should not be restricted by operating inside of the parameters of a political party or of its party leader(s).

• The Governor already has an enormous impact on public education in his budget process and in rich dialog and work with state and local board leaders, as well as in his decisions related to legislative bills.  The Legislature has an enormous impact on public education as it sets the annual budget and provides for revenue to schools, as well as the provision of state law.  Its influence is already enormous; why would Utahns want to give more power to the state’s central government via the political party in power?

• Partisan politics, even well-intended, tends to be uneven and subject to the whims of lawmakers.  Schools should not have to brace for new administrations or new majorities or new representatives each election cycle.  Children and teachers need continuity and stability, even as they work to innovate and improve. 

• Local leadership provides local accessibility to all of Utah’s citizens.  Let’s not have local board members become “beholden” to politicians; let’s keep them accountable to their neighbors and local communities.

• Of the 96% of school board members who are elected throughout the United States, 89% are elected in non-partisan elections.