School boards shape society through systems of education. They choose who leads the system and how educators are selected to lead classrooms. They approve the allocation of millions of dollars every year. As leaders, the school board determines how their community defines the values, resources, and belief systems that together form the democratic mosaic of our times. Embedded within this knowledge are timeless foundations that have carried us from the origins of school boards to our current systems; these are the keys to community engagement, and these are the keys to empowered and strong school systems.

This book is about the remarkable and unique purpose of school boards. It is not a book about abolition, or drastic reform. It explains clearly that school boards were established as part of the foundation for a strong democratic society and encourages everyone involved with school systems to guard that foundation. School boards embody the most immediate principles of democracy. This is an exciting book, appropriate for our times, focused on the powerful leadership necessary in the school board, and the potential to deliver ever-improving results through consistent and deliberate governance.