Hijacked Education Policy: How Politics Drowns Out Students' Voices

In his new book "No Adult Left Behind: How Politics Hijacks Education Policy and Hurts Kids," Vladimir Kogan, a political science professor at The Ohio State University, argues that the main concerns of most adults who vote in local school board elections are not aligned with the academic needs of students. Kogan's research shows that parents are a distinct minority of those who vote for school boards, and their interests often diverge from those of students and their families.

Key Takeaways:

• Parents account for only 20-35% of voters in local school board elections, leaving a significant portion of the electorate without a direct stake in student achievement.
• Student achievement is not a primary concern for most voters in school board elections, with only small differences in election outcomes between districts with high and low student achievement.
• National partisan issues, such as the teaching of evolution and school prayer, increasingly dominate local school board discussions, leaving a void in local politics that was previously filled by local newspapers.
• Political controversies in local school districts can have a negative impact on student performance, particularly in mathematics, with a loss of 10 days of learning per school year.
• Controversies related to racial issues and teaching of evolution have a more pronounced negative impact on learning, with negative effects persisting for at least four years after the controversy occurs.
• Kogan recommends three reforms to improve schools: scheduling school board elections with higher-turnout elections, making student academic performance more visible to voters, and promoting school choice options for parents.

Statistics:

• 10 days of learning lost per school year due to political controversies in local school districts (Kogan's research)
• 20-35% of voters in local school board elections are parents (Kogan's research)
• Small differences in election outcomes between districts with high and low student achievement (Kogan's research)

Sources:

• Kogan, V. (Book author): "No Adult Left Behind: How Politics Hijacks Education Policy and Hurts Kids"
• Ohio State University - Columbus (Press release)
• Kogan, V. (Research)