Which students will be allowed to attend which schools? How will funding be distributed among and within schools? How are teachers hired and evaluated? Which textbooks will be used? Which subjects will be prioritized: computer science, STEM, performance arts, multimedia?

These are just some of the questions that determine the future of education in your community—and all of them are answered by your school board.

Yet too frequently things like school board elections are overlooked, when in reality their outcome can be a massively important determinant of your community’s future. Taking a moment to get to know your local school board candidates is an investment that will pay off for generations to come.

For University of California Davis senior Miguel Molina, “it’s not just about the national elections.” Miguel has chosen to spend his summer vacation advocating for school board members and education legislation in his hometown of Richmond, California, as an Action Network Fellow with Students for Education Reform (SFER) Action Network. Miguel’s decision to participate in the SFER Action Network fellowship is driven by his firm belief that his community’s future can be steered in the right direction by local politics.

In this video, see how Miguel and SFER Action Network are empowering Richmond residents to take part in the future of their community.

What’s Next?

• Check out the current campaigns that SFER is leading around the nation.
• Join your university's SFER chapter, or start your own to lead a movement serving the needs of all kids.
• See how parents in Indiana organized around the goal of creating better schools.