It’s election season in New York. Not for the president, Congress, state office, or city, but for New York’s school boards, aka Community and Municipal Education Councils (CECs).
How do I know it’s election season? Because of the smears and attacks going on in social media at a small group of parents who run for the uncompensated, long and largely thankless task of sitting in a CEC. If you spend too much time on social media, you might think there are clear battle lines based on competing ideologies, but the truth is that most parents in the nation’s largest school system want the same thing: a great school education safe where his child is happy and learning. As advocates for education, we want it for all children.
But CEC elections have turned bad and this year (voting takes place from April 21 to May 9) is particularly bad. Ugly and often anonymous attacks on candidates have increased. First-time candidates are shocked and horrified to see their names on the “Do Not Vote” lists. Veteran advocates are facing insulting posters with their faces plastered outside their children’s elementary schools. The DOE fields complaints daily about violations of campaign guidelines because parents are going after their “political opponents,” hoping they’ll pounce on them because they like the wrong social media post. Even more insidiously, candidates use “surrogates” who are not running for council office to do their dirty work for them, so as not to breach these guidelines.
Why this vitriol? For those unfamiliar (including the 98% of eligible parents who didn’t vote in the last election), these tips were created as a bone thrown to parents when then-Mayor Mike Bloomberg took control of the public school system, as a way to abolish. widespread corruption in existing school boards. Until the last election cycle, only PTA officials could vote for councilors. In an effort to make elections more democratic, the Legislature amended the law governing CECs to allow all parents to vote.
CECs are like school councils, but in reality there are key differences: only public school parents are eligible to hold the majority of seats. CECs have no control over budgets. They cannot vote to hire or fire anyone. They don’t set policies. In short, they are only advisory, except for approving zone lines. Zoning is a not insignificant “power”. Nor is it to advise. Council members have a voice and a foot in the door with the real policy makers greater than the average constituent. Perspective, however, is necessary.
Most have no idea how limited the role of a CEC member is. Having served in one for 10 years, I do. This is why the absolutely rabid public attacks on volunteer parents by other parents are so perplexing. The current political climate is so polarized that it should come as no surprise that it has affected such a hyperlocal election. I hate politics but I love advocating for education. Is it naive to think that the second could exist without the first? At least not the gross kind?
Clearly, I believe in the role and value of boards of education, or I would not have volunteered for so long. Parents are the main players in the education system and deserve a significant seat at the decision-making table. Rather than actual authority, influence can be a useful defense. But lies and character assassinations do not belong in board of education elections where unpaid parents volunteer considerable time with very little return.
Of course, it would be unrealistic to assume that parents would agree on policies and/or solutions. However, as parents, isn’t it realistic to expect other parents to behave the way we would guide our children, without personal attacks or insults? We should act in the same way and set examples. Going high instead of low.
Student council elections have more respect for their candidates and the process that many have exhibited this year. Perhaps they should focus on their strengths rather than their opponents’ perceived weaknesses. The Department of Education is perennially struggling to find candidates to run for the Councils; some boards do not have enough candidates to fill all the seats. With this behavior, is it any wonder?
I have three family rules that I have explained to my children since they could understand: 1. Tell the truth. 2. Be kind. 3. Take care of each other. Perhaps, instead of an endless barrage of indecipherable and toothless campaign “guidelines,” the DOE should set these rules in stone. Because if you fail at any of them, you probably shouldn’t be an advocate for our children.
Alexander is a Queens Public School parent, 4-term CEC member and current CEC 30 candidate.
