Iowans casting their ballot for school board this fall have a new resource to learn more about their candidates. The School Board Voter Guide was released today by a coalition of organizations that support strong public schools.
The site, SchoolBoardVoterGuide.org, describes candidates for strong public schools across the state as ‘Friends of Public Education’ and will be available to the general public. The site lists a handful of districts with plans to add more as the election nears.
“We know that decisions our school boards make impact the environment and educational experiences of thousands of students and education employees across the state,” said Mike Beranek, President of Iowa State Education Association. “Electing candidates who support our great public schools and will lead with the best interests of all our students and employees in mind is one of the most important votes we can cast this November. We support candidates who support strong, well-funded public schools and focus their leadership on the health and well-being of all our students and school employees.”
“Kids learn best when they feel safe,” said Connie Ryan, executive director of Interfaith Alliance of Iowa Action Fund. “Anyone elected to and serving on a school board must be focused on decisions that enable all students to thrive, that includes ensuring all feel safe and welcome at school. The extremism that we are seeing in districts across our state is alarming. Interfaith Alliance of Iowa Action Fund believes all voters must be educated on candidates’ positions and use their votes to ensure public schools remain strong.”
“With all the harm that has been done by the state legislature this year, it is imperative that LGBTQ Iowans and their allies vote in the 2023 school board races,” said Keenan Crow, Director of Policy and Advocacy at One Iowa Action. “School board members have a unique ability to limit the damage caused by these laws. They have the power to keep books on the shelves, inclusive curricula in the classroom, and DEI programs in their districts. We are proud to be a part of the coalition fighting to keep public education supporters in control of our public institutions, and we hope Iowans will join us in voting for robust, inclusive public schools where every student can feel safe and welcome regardless of who they are or where they come from.”
“Public schools are the heartbeat of our communities,” said Matt Sinovic, executive director of Progress Iowa. “When we elect a school board we expect that they will protect the freedom of every student to learn and have an honest education. That means providing every resource needed, and keeping partisan politics out of our classrooms and school board decisions. Extreme out of state groups like Moms for Liberty are trying to inject our schools with their agenda. Every Iowan deserves to know who the true friends of public education are when they cast their ballot this fall.”
SchoolBoardVoterGuide.org is a resource for Iowa voters to learn about candidates for school board. The guide is a collaborative project created by Iowa organizations that believe students thrive when public schools are strong and supported by our communities. Coalition partners include: Iowa State Education Association, Progress Iowa, Iowa Federation of Labor AFL-CIO, Interfaith Alliance of Iowa Action Fund, and One Iowa Action.
