Our Vision and Work
Check out our Statement of Values to see what it means to be an LP School Board Member!
School boards represent the community’s voice in public education, providing governance and shared knowledge of the community’s resources and needs. School board members are the policymakers closest to students in our public education system, working to ensure the mental, emotional, and physical safety young people need to thrive in school and beyond.
As school boards across the country face rising threats and backlash, Local Progress is working to organize school board members around a multi-issue policy agenda and create a community of practice for progressive local leaders
School Board Steering Committee
As a membership organization, we believe our work is most impactful when it is informed and guided by members. Bringing a diverse range of expertise and local experience, our School Board Steering Committee advises and shapes our work in this area:
RAAHEELA AHMED
Former School Board Member
Prince George’s County Public Schools, MD
LYNN BOSWELL
Austin Independent School District, TX
JESSICA BUENO
Phoenix Elementary School District, AZ
XILONIN CRUZ-GONZALEZ
Former School Board Member
Azusa Unified School District, CA
ASHLEY ESPOSITO
Baltimore Public Schools, MD
EMILY FIGDOR
Portland Public Schools, ME
JILLY GOKALGANDHI
Milwaukee Public Schools, WI
DR. TARECE JOHNSON, EdD
Gwinnett County Public Schools, GA
DR. KELLY KENT, PhD
Local Progress Board Member
Culver City Unified School District, CA
JENNIFER MECOZZI
Buffalo Public Schools, NY
A'DORIAN MURRAY-THOMAS
Essex County Board, NJ
JASMIN RAMIREZ
Roaring Fork Schools, CO
MEGAN SWEET
Former School Board Member Alameda Unified School District, CA
JEN WESTMORELAND
Hopkins Public Schools, MN
CHARLIE WILSON
Former School Board Member Worthington Schools, OH
Resources
Policy Memo
Taking the High Road to Cleaner Air for Kids and Communities
Policy memo on how to use high-road procurement policy to clean our air and create good jobs with electric vehicles.
Case Studies
Embedding Equity Into the Student Experience in Culver City Public Schools, CA
Blogs And Featured News
- News Article ▹
School Board Members Are Organizing to Build a Multi-Racial Democracy
More than 40 school board members from 16 states across the country gathered in Baltimore for two days of strategy, peer learning, community building, and leadership development at our first-ever school board convening. Check out the highlights here!
- School Boards
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LP School Board Download 📚 | New steering committee members, removing SROs, attacks on DEI, & more! | April 2024
Time for our school board newsletter. This month, we’re sharing the latest news and resources around the fight to remove police from schools, DEI debates, and advocating for strong, equitable public schools across the country.
- Public Safety, School Boards
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Minnesota Local Leaders Send Strong Message to State Leadership: Prone Restraints have NO Place in Schools
The LPMN Organizing Committee sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy and Governor Tim Walz today urging them to oppose HF 3489 / SF 3534, which would repeal the ban prohibiting school-based law enforcement from using prone restraints on students.
- School Boards
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LP School Board Download 📚 | States’ voucher push, honest education, an important staff update | February 2024
Check out our newsletter about all things school board! This month, we’re sharing the latest news and resources around defending LGBTQ+ rights, fighting voucher expansion, and advocating for strong, equitable public schools across the country.
