In the landscape of American education, a critical yet often overlooked issue undermines the quality of schooling: the limited influence of students and parents in the governance of local schools. Vladimir Kogan, a political science professor at The Ohio State University, delves into this paradox in his recent book, No Adult Left Behind: How Politics Hijacks Education Policy and Hurts Kids. His work exposes how the democratic processes intended to serve educational interests often marginalize those directly impacted—the students and their families—resulting in policies and election outcomes increasingly detached from academic priorities.
Kogan’s research centers on the dynamic between voter composition in school board elections and educational outcomes. Through meticulous analysis across 11 states encompassing large and mid-sized districts, he discovered a consistent pattern: parents of school-aged children represent only about 20% to 35% of voters in these local elections. This minority status inherently shifts the decision-making power away from those who arguably have the most at stake. As a result, the priorities shaping school governance are often misaligned with student achievement and educational advancement.
This misalignment is reflected in the concerns and motivations of voters. Kogan finds that adults without children in school tend to prioritize partisan and ideological issues over scholastic performance. These concerns often mirror national political battles rather than the educational needs of local students. Over recent decades, this trend has been exacerbated by the decline of local journalism, traditionally the cornerstone of informed, community-specific political engagement. With local newspapers shrinking or disappearing, national cable news and social media increasingly set the agenda, focusing and intensifying divisive debates that reverberate into school policies and curricula.
The infiltration of national political conflict into local education is multifaceted. Controversies surrounding curriculum content—from the teaching of evolution to racial issues and the inclusion of specific literature in school libraries—have escalated, consuming time and resources that might otherwise be devoted to learning. Kogan’s empirical work quantifies the consequences: these political skirmishes contribute to declines in student performance on standardized state exams, particularly in mathematics, with the detriment equivalent to approximately ten lost days of schooling within an academic year. Moreover, these effects are not fleeting; they persist for at least four years following the controversies, indicating long-term disruptions to educational progress.
The entrenched focus on ideological battles thus detracts from the fundamental mission of schools—the effective education of children. Kogan argues that when political disputes dominate school governance, there is an implicit societal choice being made, often unwittingly, that de-emphasizes academic quality. This raises profound questions about the balance between democratic participation and effective educational policy, especially given that those most affected—students and parents—lack adequate representation in decision-making processes.
Confronting these challenges, Kogan advocates for a contentious yet potentially transformative proposition: a recalibration of governance structures to enhance the influence of parents and students, even if it partially diminishes the influence of other adult voters. He suggests that a degree of democratic dilution might be a necessary trade-off to rectify the prevailing imbalance that sidelines the core stakeholders in education. This idea challenges traditional notions of democracy by prioritizing outcome-based representation over universal electoral participation within this specific policy arena.
To operationalize this shift, Kogan proposes three key reforms. First, aligning school board elections with major electoral cycles, namely presidential and midterm elections, could dramatically increase voter turnout and the relative share of parent voters. These elections tend to draw more diverse and representative electorates, potentially amplifying those voices most invested in student success. The second reform involves reframing school evaluation metrics to emphasize academic growth rather than absolute achievement levels. By grading schools based on year-over-year improvement, voters would receive clearer signals about a school’s effectiveness in fostering learning, counteracting incentives to merely enroll high-achieving students.
The third reform centers on expanding well-designed school choice initiatives. While acknowledging the complexity and risks associated with school choice—such as selective enrollment and the marginalization of disadvantaged students—Kogan underscores the potential benefits when implemented with equity and rigor. Properly executed choice programs can stimulate competition, innovation, and overall improvements in educational quality that extend beyond the networks of participating families.
Underlying all these recommendations is a guiding principle Kogan emphasizes repeatedly: students’ academic outcomes must serve as the “North Star” in evaluating any policy or reform. Rather than succumbing to the immediacy of adult political preferences or cultural conflicts, education policy must be tethered to tangible improvements in what students learn and can accomplish. This aligns with a broader movement within education research that prioritizes evidence-based practices and measurable progress over ideological or partisan agendas.
Kogan’s analysis offers a sobering reflection on the current state of school governance in the United States and its impact on the nation’s future. The democratic system governing schools, though well-intentioned, currently fails to provide students and their families with adequate representation. This failure, combined with the encroachment of polarized national debates into local education, perpetuates suboptimal outcomes that affect millions of children. By proposing reforms that tactically shift power towards key stakeholders, Kogan challenges policymakers and communities to reconsider the very foundations of educational democracy.
In a time when educational inequities and political polarization run high, Kogan’s work is a clarion call for systemic change driven by empirical evidence and a focus on student welfare. His research underscores the urgency to move beyond entrenched conflicts and to reconstruct school governance in ways that truly prioritize learning. The decision to adjust democratic processes within schools may be uncomfortable, but the potential payoff—a more equitable, effective, and student-centered education system—is a goal worthy of such bold experimentation.
Ultimately, No Adult Left Behind emerges as a critical intervention in contemporary debates about education policy and governance. It forces educators, voters, and lawmakers to confront a paradox at the heart of democratic schooling: sometimes, protecting the interests of the future generation may require rethinking the rules that govern the present. As Kogan poignantly writes, the quality of education we provide reveals what we value most—and it is time to realign those values in favor of the children we aim to serve.
Subject of Research: Democracy and representation in local school governance; impact of political engagement on student academic outcomes.
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Web References:
- Vladimir Kogan’s faculty profile: https://polisci.osu.edu/people/kogan.18
- Book link: https://www.amazon.com/Adult-Left-Behind-Education-Comparative/dp/100960631X/
- DOI link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/9781009606349
References: Research and data referenced from Kogan’s studies on school board voter compositions and the effects of political controversies on student achievement, as detailed in the book No Adult Left Behind.
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Keywords: Education policy, school board elections, student achievement, political influence, parental representation, democracy in education, school choice, local governance, academic outcomes, partisan politics, education reform.
