School Board School Press

A unique Cincinnati-based training program for potential school board members named 22 members to its fifth class, bringing its network of aspiring school board members to more than 100 members in Greater Cincinnati.

Elisa Hoffman founded School Board School in 2018 through a People’s Liberty/Haile Foundation fellowship. The program includes a mix of half- and full-day sessions, beginning this month and continuing about 20 times through a graduation in June.

The latest class of Cincinnati nonprofit School Board School will share insights and learnings in a session open to the public on Friday.

“It’s a great opportunity for the public to learn about some of the biggest issues facing students in our community, how our members plan to tackle these issues, as well as how we can all help,” said Elisa Hoffman, School Board School’s Executive Director.

Enhancing teacher diversity in Cincinnati Public Schools. Rethinking the district's dress code policy. These are some of the ideas put forth in the first-ever Education Policy Pitch Night hosted by School Board School and Co-hear. The event was an opportunity for everyday experts to bring forward their ideas to improve education in CPS.

As children across the region head back to school, the excitement of a new school year is mixed with questions of how the ongoing pandemic will affect them. School board members and superintendents have the difficult job of answering those questions, elevating the already important role these leaders play in our communities.

Social Venture Partners has chosen a dozen nonprofits to participate in the inaugural year of Project XLR8, the funder’s enhanced community impact and investment program.

Local campaign season is here. Between a competitive mayoral race and at least 18 people running for Cincinnati City Council, it’s going to be a busy and interesting season. But there’s another race on the ballot that doesn’t get the same attention as those others, even though it is just as vital to our community: school board.

Last month, records were set in Delaware. For the first time in decades, school districts across the state saw a significant increase in voter turnout for school board elections. Participation from the community doubled—and even tripled—compared to previous years.

In Texas, there are few requirements to run for a seat on your local school board. Candidates must be United States citizens, 18 years old by the start of their term, Texas residents for at least a year prior to the Feb. 12 filing deadline and residents of the district they seek to represent for a minimum six months. They also must be registered to vote in that district as of the filing deadline.

Beyond these minimum requirements, state law doesn’t stipulate what qualifications make for an effective trustee. But to have an impact, school board members should be informed, have a vision, and have certain motivations and dispositions, education leaders told El Paso Matters.

Elisa Hoffman is the Founder and Executive Director of School Board School. She is a parent, former teacher, and education advocate who has worked for over twenty years on issues of educational equity, including serving a four-year term on the Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education. She talks about how we need to train people in good governance before they run for office.

With the COVID-19 pandemic leading to virtual learning in many schools this fall, it is an unprecedented time to be serving on a local school board. Perhaps that is in part why a Cincinnati program focused on educating aspiring school board members is experiencing growing demand.

School Board School will host its second Impact Fair next week, providing an opportunity for community members interested in finding out how their skills and experiences can make a difference for children in Cincinnati to connect with representatives from local nonprofits, Cincinnati Public Schools, and campaign consultants.

In just over a year, the School Board School went from a dream to a fully functioning reality.

The Arthur & Toni Rembe Rock Social Innovation Award recognizes bold, new innovations that expand opportunities for students in low-income communities and address the root causes of educational inequity. Now in its eighth year, this annual competition brings together budding alumni and corps member entrepreneurs to compete for up to $100,000 in funding to develop social ventures that eliminate barriers to educational equity and excellence.

In 2016, Elisa Hoffman was three years into her four-year term with the Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) Board of Education when she noticed a “surge in people interested in running for public office.”

This year, a Haile Fellowship was awarded to Elisa Hoffman, who created School Board School to provide training and support for individuals considering running for and serving on area school boards.

"The idea behind School Board School was making sure that before you even sit down in that role, you know 'What is this role, and why do I want to serve my community?'" Hoffman explains. "And then, 'How do I even do it effectively?'"

People’s Liberty Haile Fellowships provide a year-long civic sabbatical and a $100,000 award for two highly-motivated Greater Cincinnati residents to implement a project that will improve life in our community.