2023 Annual Report

2023

IMPACT REPORT WWW.SCHOOLBOARDPARTNERS.ORG

TABLE OF CONTENTS 01 ABOUT US

02 MESSAGE FROM OUR CO-CEOS AND CO-FOUNDERS

04 - 08 2023 IMPACT

09 EMPOWERED GOVERNANCE

10 OUR COLLECTIVE POWER

12 IN CLOSING

Mission

Vision

The mission of School Board Partners is to train, support, and re-elect anti-racist elected school board members across the country to lead with courage, competence, and impact.

We envision a future in which American school systems are governed by well-trained, diverse, elected leaders who leverage their power to liberate students of color and their families.

These leaders re-imagine policies, partnerships, and conditions so that dynamic systems of highquality schools emerge, improve, and endure.

About Us School Board Partners supports elected leaders through a competitive fellowship and teaches actionable skills through a national community of practice, mentorship, and policy support. School Board Partners helps our fellows develop their skills, knowledge, and mindset to dramatically improve outcomes for historically underserved students while building their capacity and supporting their self-care.

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES 1

Enhance Candidate, Fellow, Alumni Supports

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to maximize individual board member's capacity to disrupt racial inequities

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to support additional board members, share stories of impact, inform the field and generate revenue in support of SBP’s mission

Formalize Thought Leadership to shift the national narrative and community expectations about school boards

Deepen Work in Target Districts to create ‘proof points’ of sustained impact of effective school boards

Grow the Annual Conference

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Increase Earned Revenue to drive an operating model that will help sustain SBP in the long term and amplify our impact

REFLECTING ON 5 YEARS OF IMPACT Dear Friends and Partners,

At the conclusion of this great year for School Board Partners we launched Empowered Governance, a new governance framework and policy toolkit that includes the learnings and resources that we’ve built over the years. Since then, we’ve been engaging with new school board members from across the country and one of the frequent comments we hear is “I’ve been looking for something like this…” As we reflect on 5 years of service, comments like these remind us of why we started this organization.

When we founded School Board Partners in 2018, we were inspired by our own experiences as elected school board members who were looking for tools and support to be effective in the role.

We started out supporting 25 fellows with our first cohort, today our network is over 250 strong.

After 5 years of this work, we still get excited and inspired by the amazing leaders that we get to work with. We remain steadfast in our belief that the path to transformative change in public education is through strengthening the school board governance and passing better policies.

Beyond our codification work with Empowered Governance, 2023 was a year of expansion for SBP. We welcomed Cohort 5, our largest and most diverse cohort to date. We worked with our partners to develop more regional opportunities and a new fellowship for school board candidates who are women of color. We hosted our biggest Our Collective Power conference yet in New Orleans. We published additional thought leadership, updated our branding and launched a new website. We accomplished so much more and are excited to share it in this impact report.

We are most proud of the impact that our fellows and alumni are making in their districts. We are deeply honored to support such inspiring leaders who are working hard to realize meaningful change for students and families.

Looking ahead to 2024, we can’t be more excited about what is to come in the next chapter for School Board Partners. For a sneak peek at what’s ahead, check out our closing letter. Thank you for being a part of this journey and supporting our movement.

With warm regards,

Ethan Ashley & Carrie Douglass Ethan Ashley & Carrie Douglass Co-CEOs and Co-Founders School Board Partners 2

OUR TEAM

Ethan Ashley Co-CEO & Co-Founder

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Carrie Douglass Co-CEO & Co-Founder

Erica Freeman Chief Operating Officer

Gregory Hatcher Board President

Jonathan1 Klein Board Member

Marisa B. Pérez-Díaz Board Member

Jasmin Ramirez Director of Programs

Ed Williams Board Member

Christine Strickland Events Manager

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Carl Zaragoza Board Member

EXPANDING OUR REACH & IMPACT Over the past five years, we have trained

we have supported

250

33 school board candidates of our fellows to be President or 53 Vice president of their board

school board members and candidates

impacting over

Our coaching has helped Fellows write or pass

6,000,000

46

160

students

policies passed

policies writen

We are growing our national presence.

Our fellows and alumni represent districts in communities all across the country.

The SBP network is spread across

64

24 states

cities

Where do our fellows and alumni come from? Here are the top 5 states represented in 2023.

Fellowship

Our Collective Power

Cohort 5

AZ

CA

DE

attendees

GA IN

AZ

CA MN

DE CO

This year our work reached the following states for the first time: Delaware, Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi

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I am grateful to be part of the SBP family. This reaffirmed for me that my board service had a purpose if I can continue to help others!"

Each time I am at a SBP event I pinch myself because I can’t believe how lucky I am to be surrounded by such incredible folks that have so much wisdom to share. I am so thankful that you have chosen to invest in my growth as a board member!

I don’t feel alone anymore, I wish I had found out about SBP sooner.

I have learned so much leading me into my new role as board president. Thank you SBP the entire team!

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POLICY Policy work was a major focus for us in 2023. We invested in more and deeper supports for school board members looking to make an impact. On top of our professional development workshops, 50 fellows and alumni received one-on-one coaching for policy writing.

Cohort 5 BOY: Only 15% of cohort members have written a policy EOY: 55% of cohort members have written a policy

5 yr passing rate

29%

of policies written by fellows have been adopted by their board and are in action

CELEBRATING OUR POLICY WINS Kathryn York (C5) Water Valley School District Board Goals, Corporal Punishment Prohibition Millicent Rogers (C5) Durham Public Schools Black and Brown Student Achievement

Kathryn Haines (C4) Chesterfield County Public Schools

Board Compensation, Superintendent Evaluation Danielle Gonzales (C4) Albuquerque Public Schools Budget, Instructional Policy Overhaul, Conflict of Interest, Board Professional Development

Antonio Hernandez (C5) Antioch Unified School District Student Recognition

Jaguanana Lathan (C5) Antioch Unified School District Board Professional Development Keisha Nzewi (C4) Mt. Diablo Unified School District Anti-Racial Bullying Chinua Rhodes (C4) Sacramento Unified School District Transgender Day of Recognition Armando Montero (C4) Tempe Union High School District Board Goals, Governance Policy

Our fellows and alumni have drafted 50+ more policies this year.

We can’t wait for them to pass!

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STORIES OF SUCCESS Albuquerque Public Schools (NM) The district includes 176 schools and over 80,000 students. 80% of the district’s enrollment are students of color and 50% are students experiencing poverty.

Danielle Gonzales Cohort 4

Danielle has spearheaded numerous policy reforms with her tenacious leadership and by harnessing the support offered by SBP policy coaching. In April 2022, she gained board approval for a revamped board committee policy, establishing functional board subcommittees for the first time, including the creation of a policy committee which she then became Chair in 2023. She then successfully garnered board approval for a revised board policy development policy in July, bringing a more streamlined and transparent policy development approach to the Board and setting the stage for additional policy reforms yet to come. In January, Danielle led the Board’s involvement in an overhaul of the district’s instructional policies. She has continued leading the charge, successfully achieving additional policy reforms such as revising the board code of conduct and budget policy.

Danielle’s success as a policy leader for Albuquerque schools are a testament to the strength of her vision and leadership, and leaned heavily on the ongoing coaching, models and resources provided by SBP’s policy coach, Ben Kleban.

Antioch Unified School District (CA) The district includes 25 schools and serves nearly 16,000 students. 90% of the district’s enrollment are students of color and 44% are students experiencing poverty.

Dr. Jaguanana Lathan (“Dr. Jag”), Cohort 5

Dr. Jag and Antonio worked together to adopt the Empowered Governance model policy for Board Professional Development. The Board adopted the Board Professional Learning Policy in September 2023 without any modifications to the model policy. Included in the policy are required trainings for new board members in essential governance topics, along with a system for quality control that ensures those learning opportunities truly result in enhanced board capacity. The policy also sets minimum requirements for financial resources to be set aside for each board member to access continued professional development

Antonio Hernandez Cohort 5

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opportunities.

REGIONAL SUPPORTS In addition to our national fellowship, we have continued to work with partners to develop regional supports in Kansas City, Indianapolis, and Denver.

This year, we partnered with the Wayfinder Foundation to create a new fellowship for Women of Color who are interested in running for school board. We supported 33 women in their journey.

100%

reported a better understanding of what it takes to run for school board

4 out of 5

participants on the 2023 ballot won their school board races

Thank you to our regional partners:

5 women

plan to run in 2024

CANDIDATE SUPPORT:

Women of Color School Board Fellowship The fellowship was an opportunity to provide me with the skills and knowledge I need to serve effectively on a school board. I learned about the school board process and how to advocate for policies that improve student outcomes. They taught me that education never ends and to be a great leader, it helps to have mentors making current positive changes. I look forward to continuing this relationship with these orgs in the future.

- Laura

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EMPOWERED GOVERNANCE After 5 years of closely working with school board members across the country, we leaned on this experience to develop a new governance framework and comprehensive policy toolkit to empower school boards to action.

The Empowered Governance Toolkit is a policy-centered governance model offers a more accountable, powerbalanced, and equity-focused approach to the work of school boards. It provides a guiding framework, 35+ model policies, case studies, research, and practices that board members and superintendents can start using today to implement positive change for students.

In November, we released the first four policies for free. We are excited to have worked with our partners who are experts in the field to develop such impactful tools.

Superintendent Evaluation Climate Action Student Voice on Boards Equitable Budgeting

Click or scan to access the toolkit

NEW IN 2024!

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Membership Services

Coaching and Consulting Support

We are accepting applicants to the waitlist for our new membership program. Members will gain access to resources and services that maximize impact such as: the complete Empowered Governance Toolkit, access to a national community of school board members, invitations to exclusive events, discounts, individualized coaching, and more.

We now offer hands-on consulting to support school boards through the work of making change happen. To facilitate that process, board members and superintendents may need coaching and consulting support.

Our deliverable-based approach is tailored to the unique needs of each school board and results in board approval of a high quality policy or procedural document (e.g. Board Goals, Model Framework for Superintendent Evaluation, or Governance Model).

Our Collective Power 160

attendees

72

districts represented

90.6

NPS Score

81% increase in attendance from last year 90% of attendees were school board members 30% serve in a board leadership role

2.1M students represented 33% of districts represented had 2+ members of the same board in attendance

75% of attendees rated their overall experience as 10 Increased the number of sessions, networking, and self-care opportunities

OCP24: SAVE THE DATE They say everything is bigger in Texas, so you know we have some great things in store for Our Collective Power. We can’t wait to reconnect or make new connections with you. Look for more updates and announcements in 2024.

July 12 - 14, 2024

San Antonio , Texas Marriott Rivercenter on the River Walk

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PIC COLLAGE

Hear from OCP attendees: “I learned more in 1 day than I have in 7 years!”

“The network building done and to be done with you all is inspiring. You all are sending me back home, ready to double down and dig in because our babies deserve everything and they deserve it NOW. Thank you OCP.” “My spirit was fed, my soul was filled, my mind was stimulated, my heart is full, and my political will was challenged. The perfect foundation for MORE.” “The networking is beyond anything I have seen in my life.

Love connecting with like minded folks and dreaming about how we can do better for kids.“ “I hope our communities are ready to see Our Collective Power in Action!”

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Scan QR Code to watch video recap of OCP!

IN CLOSING SBP’s Multifaceted Impact Aims to be the Catalyst to Transform Education As we draw the curtain on another impactful year, we find ourselves reflecting on the journey that has brought us to this pivotal moment. The pages of our latest Impact Report bear witness to the transformative strides we have taken in the realms of ecosystem field building and research, as well as the direct impact on leadership development of school board members through individual and whole board support. It is with great pride and anticipation that we share our collective achievements and look forward to the compelling initiatives that lie ahead.

Multifaceted Approach to Impact SBP’s commitment to effecting change in education has been underpinned by our multifaceted strategy, strategically addressing both the macro and micro dimensions of impact. This multifaceted strategy has never been tried in the past, and we believe it is the difference maker. This is because in the grand tapestry of educational reform, we recognize the significance of school boards. Simply put, elected school boards have an outsized effect on policy decisions impacting students, yet receive undersized attention from those focusing on changing outcomes for kids. Understanding this truth, we are fostering ecosystems and building fields that can support school boards to set the right policy, leadership and budget environments for key research based investments from direct service providers to thrive and improve student outcomes, experiences, access and environments.

To do this, we have invested in producing field building first-of-its-kind research that calls for the cultivation of a robust school board ecosystem, both locally and nationally. Our research makes the case for partners and philanthropic organizations who have ignored school boards to engage and invest in order to make long term systemic change. We have also taken a practical approach and worked to support the development of city and regional ecosystems for school boards to advance effective governance with strategic partnerships.

Simultaneously, our dedication to the direct development of diverse and representative transformative leaders serves as a catalyst for immediate change, amplifying the efficacy of our endeavors. Recognizing the crucial role school board members play in creating the right educational environments for strategic investments to thrive, we have built best in class training and support services to develop them into effective governance leaders. We have also built a new governance model- Empowered Governance- that allows us to provide comprehensive support to the whole school board and superintendent.

With this comprehensive approach to impact, we plan to attack many of the field challenges, gaps and opportunities that we are seeing around the country.

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Heavy Lifting: A Commitment to Action In the coming year, our resolve to address systemic challenges head-on will propel us into uncharted territories. We acknowledge the need to confront the politicization that has permeated boards in many urban cities, including Denver, Oakland, and Chicago to name a few, understanding that these challenges demand not only strategic planning but the tenacity to engage in the heavy lifting required for lasting impact. We are also committing to working closer with Superintendents and Superintendent support organizations, as we recognize the imperative for school boards and Superintendents to be aligned and rowing together on these efforts.

Finally, we are committing to deeply exploring and leveraging technology and generative-AI, not as silver bullets, but as necessary and powerful tools for expanding and scaling our reach and impact.

Empowering Authorizers: Redefining Authority A key focus of our upcoming initiatives will be to ensure that school board members, as authorizers, comprehend and wield their authority effectively. By offering tailored programs and resources, we aim to equip these leaders with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the complex landscape of education governance to allow for successful autonomous school settings.

Thought Leadership: Pioneering New Horizons In the spirit of continuous innovation, we are excited to unveil a groundbreaking research paper that will serve as a beacon for local advocacy partners and states. This research will not only identify barriers to entry into school board seats but also present actionable insights on how to dismantle these obstacles. Moreover, our thought leadership will extend to policy partnerships, aiming to set the conditions necessary to address critical issues such as low literacy and math rates.

A Beacon of Hope: Turning the Tide of Failure As we embark on this transformative journey, we want to emphasize that we are a beacon of hope in a sector often clouded by challenges. Our work represents not just a commitment but a viable solution, one that can turn the tide of failure in education into a sea of success. Through collaborative efforts, strategic initiatives, and an unwavering belief in the power of transformative leadership, we stand poised to reshape the narrative of education.

In closing, we extend our deepest gratitude to all our partners, stakeholders, and supporters who have been instrumental in our shared successes. Together, we look forward to a future where education is not merely a system but a force that propels individuals and communities toward prosperity.

In Community, Ethan Ashley & Carrie Douglass

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“It was affirming to be in rooms with other elected people who are doing this work for the right reasons; to know that, as hard as this work is, I have mentorship and support.”

Thank you to our funders whose support helps us realize this impact.

Connect with us online

schoolboardpartners.org