Report Release: Fulfilling Promises: What America’s School Boards Actually Need to Succeed
February 19, 2025
Fulfilling Promises: What America’s School Boards Actually Need to Succeed
School Board Partners (SBP) Releases Groundbreaking Report on the Future of Effective School Board Governance
NEW ORLEANS (Feb. 19, 2025) — In communities across America, school boards play a pivotal role in shaping the future of education. Yet, a new report from School Board Partners reveals that many of these boards are under-trained, under-resourced, and undervalued—challenges that perpetuate systemic inequities and hinder student success on school boards across the nation. Titled Fulfilling Promises: What America’s School Boards Actually Need to Succeed, this report provides a bold roadmap for transforming school boards into engines of high-quality education for all students.
Building on its 2022 report, Empty Seats at Powerful Tables: The State of School Boards in America, this new publication speaks directly to school board members, policymakers, and advocates. From newly elected members to seasoned leaders, Fulfilling Promises provides actionable steps to navigate obstacles and improve governance.
The report finds that far too often, school boards sustain or deepen disparities that disproportionately harm students of color and marginalized communities. Historically, many school boards have enacted policies that entrenched segregation, hoarded resources, and restricted opportunities, leaving students in underfunded districts with fewer chances to succeed.
This report highlights a stark reality: many school boards lack the training, resources, and representation needed to dismantle barriers to success. While the report addresses concerns, it also offers hope for a path forward. With the right tools, school boards can overhaul these unjust policies and drive systemic change. Fulfilling Promises provides actionable steps to navigate obstacles and improve governance.
"The report is a roadmap filled with stories, data points, and examples of ways to revolutionize how we govern our schools. This report is the guide for those ready to confront uncomfortable truths and do the hard work of change,” said Ethan Ashley, CEO and Co-founder of School Board Partners. “It challenges us to reflect on the policies and practices that have upheld disparities for decades while inspiring us to take bold, transformative action. Read it, share it, and most importantly, act on it—the future of our children, our communities, and our nation demands nothing less."
The report emphasizes that transformation begins with ensuring school boards represent their communities. By electing leaders with lived experience and strong ties to their districts, boards can better address systemic barriers and promote fairness. However, representation alone is not enough. The report outlines actionable solutions for tackling three major challenges:
Lack of representative boards and insufficient pathways to counteract disparities
Unclear and inconsistent procedures, processes, roles, and responsibilities
Inadequate ongoing training, support, and compensation
The publication, developed in collaboration with Columbia University’s Center for Public Research and Leadership, draws on extensive research, including over 50 interviews and surveys of current and former school board members. The findings reveal boards' challenges and offer solutions to build systems that prioritize all students.
“Fulfilling Promises is a call to action,” said Ashley. “If school boards were instrumental in creating systemic barriers, they can be just as instrumental in dismantling them. This roadmap provides the tools to transform governance and deliver on the promise of a high-quality education for every student.”
Read the Full Report
Fulfilling Promises: What America’s School Boards Actually Need to Succeed is available for download here.
For interviews, additional information, or to learn how to support this initiative, please contact Aprill O. Turner aprill@aprilloturnercommunications.biz, or (646) 244-4917.
About School Board Partners
School Board Partners is a nonprofit organization focused on transforming education in America by supporting, connecting and re-electing representative, student-focused school board members across the country to lead with courage, competence, and impact. For more information, please visit https://schoolboardpartners.org.
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