When conservatives discuss K-12 education, it can be tempting to cede public schools to their leftward drift and look to alternatives. And while Giving Ventures has featured some fantastic groups working in the school choice field, this episode is all about improving the public schools that educate 80% of our nation’s children.
Giving our kids the best public education possible means engaging on the ground and at the local level, especially in our school boards. This episode features two impressive groups working to effect change at the school-board level.
First, David Hoyt from School Boards for Academic Excellence describes his work equipping school board members to do their job effectively. SBAE has built an impressive network of state-based organizations and provides members with model policies, legal advice, and more.
Then, Aiden Buzzetti from 1776 Project Foundation tells the story of how 1776 Project PAC was formed to help elect conservatives to local school boards before spinning out a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation to arm board members with the policy expertise and know-how they need to reverse pandemic learning loss.
Equipping Board Members
School Boards for Academic Excellence, explains executive director David Hoyt, is “a nationwide network of state-based organizations” that aims “to reform policies and practices to improve educational outcomes for students.” The SBAE network offers an alternative to the School Boards Associations of the various states, which exist to help board members.
These groups offer professional development, training, insurance, and legal help implementing state laws, making them powerful forces in the education establishment and opponents of much-needed reforms. “They are writing model policy, they are providing legal help, and they are providing insurance and a whole host of other things, and training,” David summarizes. “And that would be fine if they were doing a good job of it. But you look at the outcomes in the education system, I think it’s hard to argue that they are.”
SBAE’s network gives school board members a reform-minded store of resources to draw on, including access to model policies, legal advice, and public relations support. SBAE equips board members with the skills and knowledge they need to fight for better academic outcomes for kids in the public school system—regardless of ideology.
“There is no ideology behind student success,” David remarks. “It is truly nonpartisan.” SBAE works with members across the political spectrum and helps them set and achieve goals to improve outcomes for students.
Hands-On Help
For the folks at 1776 Project Foundation, giving up on America’s public schools is not an option. “It’s inconceivable that we would cede this ground to ideological actors,” says Aiden Buzzetti, president of the foundation. The 1776 Project began as a political action committee formed to help conservative candidates get elected to local school boards where they can fight indoctrination and turn around declining academic outcomes.
But getting elected is only half the battle. When winning candidates would reach out to Aiden to ask, “What should I be focusing on now?” Aiden knew school board members needed further help and the 501(c)(3) foundation was born. “We want to make sure that we can provide hands-on resources for school board members that are interested in reforming public education,” Aiden tells Peter.
The 1776 Project Foundation’s work includes fellowships to support original research on public education reform, arming board members with the expertise they need to turn around pandemic learning loss. Resources include the foundation’s “First 100 Days” handbook that covers the basics of school boards for new members. 1776 Project Foundation also works with a legal center to take innovative education ideas from their research and create “tangible policies” for school board members to introduce.
