>> THANK YOU.
>> IN THE NAME OF PARENTAL
RIGHTS, REPUBLICANS PUSHED WAY
DOWN THE BALLOT IN THE SPRING
ELECTION WORKING TO ELECT
CONSERVATIVES WHO DISFAVOR
THINGS LIKE MASKING FOR COVID
AND DISCUSSION OF RACE AND
GENDER IN THE CLASSROOM.
REBECCA KLEEFISCH ENDORSED 48
SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES.
SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS ARE
FOIBLOFFICIALLY NONPARTISAN.
UW-OSHKOSH PROFESSOR MICHAEL
FORD JOINS US NOW.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST ARGUMENT FOR
WHY SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS
SHOULD BE NONPARTISAN?
>> YEAH.
BY FAR, IT'S ABOUT
EFFECTIVENESS.
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR STATE AND
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, IT'S BASED
ON THE STRUCTURE OF
PARTISANSHIP.
THAT'S HOW WE DETERMINE
COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS, WHO IS
THE SPEAKER.
ONE OF THE BIG STRENGTHS OF
LOCAL NONPARTISAN RACES IS WE'RE
NOT DEPENDENT ON HAVING THAT
PARTISAN CONFLICT.
WHEN YOU DO INTRODUCE THAT
CONFLICT, IT CREATES STRUCTURAL
COALITIONS THAT AUTOMATICALLY
DERAIL THE GOVERNANCE PROCESS
BEFORE IT CAN BEGIN.
>> WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO OUR
CULTURE WARS BLEEDING INTO LOCAL
GOVERNMENT?
>> YEAH.
IT'S REALLY UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE
IT'S TOTALLY DIVORCED FROM
WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON IN THE
CLASSROOM.
I THINK WE SAW THIS WITH THE
DEBATE OVER CRITICAL RACE
THEORY.
THE GOP PICKED UP ON THIS AS A
WAY TO SCORE POLITICAL POINTS
AND REENGAGE SUBURBAN VOTERS.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S
DIVORCED FROM THE REALITY OF
WHAT GOES ON IN SCHOOL
DISTRICTS.
>> SO YOU SPOKE TO IT A LITTLE
BIT, BUT HOW DOES PARTISAN
CONFLICT KIND OF HURT THE WORK
OF SCHOOL BOARDS AND THE
CHILDREN IN CLASSROOMS?
>> YEAH.
WELL, DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IS
BUILT ON THIS IDEA OF CONFLICT.
SO CONFLICT IS GOOD.
EVEN POLITICS IS OKAY AT THE
LOCAL LEVEL.
BUT IT BECOMES A PROBLEM WHEN
IT'S DIVORCED FROM ACTUAL POLICY
OR TASKS AND IT BECOMES STRICTLY
ABOUT WHAT SIDE ARE YOU ON.
AND WHERE THAT'S REALLY DAMAGING
IS IT PREVENTS SCHOOL BOARDS
FROM BEING RESPONSIVE TO THE
PUBLIC THAT THEY SERVE AND
ULTIMATELY THOSE POLICIES THEY
CREATE AND THE WAY THEY MANAGE
THE SUPERINTENDENT, THAT IMPACTS
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE CLASSROOM
AND WE'RE NOT ADDRESSING REAL
ISSUES.
>> TRUE ENOUGH.
AS TO THE ELECTION RESULTS IN
SCHOOL BOARD RACES ACROSS THE
STATE, THE EFFORT TO INSTALL
REBECCA KLEEFISCH-ENDORSED
CANDIDATES IN MILWAUKEE SUBURBS,
BUT RESULTS WERE MIXED IN OTHER
PARTS OF THE STATE.
WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT THE
EFFECTIVENESS?
>> I DON'T THINK IT'S VERY
EFFECTIVE.
LOCAL ELECTIONS HAVE A LAW OF
DIMINISHING RETURNS WITH
SPENDING.
THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH YOU CAN DO.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE BALANCE OF
THOSE RESULTS, CONSERVATIVES
TENDED TO DO WELL IN
CONSERVATIVE AREAS AND LIBERAL
DID WELL IN LIBERAL AREAS.
THE TAKE-AWAY WAS SUBURBAN
MILWAUKEE SHOWING THERE IS SOME
ANGLE THERE FOR TRYING TO
REATTRACT THOSE VOTERS WHO MAY
HAVE BEEN MORE CONSERVATIVE BUT
TURNED OFF BY DONALD TRUMP BACK
TO THE GOP FOLD.
>> SO YOU SAY THE EVIDE EFFORT O
REINFORCE THEIR BASE AHEAD OF
THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS.
DID THAT WORK?
>> I THINK IT DID.
I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SEE
BROAD APPEALS TO PARENTAL
FREEDOM, MESSAGES ABOUT MASKING
AND CRITICAL RACE THEORY DIDN'T
RESONATE, BUT THIS PLAYS TO THE
GOP BASE.
>> IS THIS THE FIRST TIME WE
HAVE SEEN THIS KIND OF THING,
GOING DOWN-BALLOT AS WE
DESCRIBED IT?
>> THIS IS UNIQUELY INTENSE.
THERE ARE OTHER TIMES IN
WISCONSIN, CERTAINLY AFTER ACT
10 A LOT OF DEMOCRATIC
INVOLVEMENT IN LOCAL RACES AND
WHEN COMMON CORE WAS A DEBATE
10, 15 YEARS AGO WE SAW A LITTLE
BIT OF THIS.
CERTAINLY THE INTENSITY RIGHT
NOW IS UNIQUE.
>> WAS IT JUST REPUBLICANS THIS
TIME WHO TOOK THIS TACK OR DID
DEMOCRATS ALSO POLITICIZE SCHOOL
BOARD RACES?
>> DEMOCRATS ABSOLUTELY DID.
THE NUMBERS WERE NOT AS LARGE
FOR THE DEMOCRATS, BUT CERTAINLY
THEY DID PUSH THEIR AGENDA.
AND I THINK PART OF THIS IS
FRUSTRATION WITH THEIR INABILITY
TO MAKE GAINS AT THE STATE
LEVEL.
>> SO WHAT SHOULD PARENTS KNOW
ABOUT THESE KINDS OF POLITICAL
EFFORTS AROUND SCHOOL BOARDS?
>> WELL, I THINK IT'S SO
IMPORTANT FOR PARENTS TO EDUCATE
THEMSELVES IN WHAT'S ACTUALLY
GOING ON IN THEIR KIDS' SCHOOLS,
IN THE CLASSROOM.
>> ALL RIGHT.
PROFESSOR MICHAEL FORD FROM
OSHKOSH, THANKS VERY MUCH.