Chapter 30: School Board Control of the Curriculum: Democracy or Censorship?

Local school boards are said by some researchers, and are seen by some members of the public, as the last level of governance practicing the democratic ideal, while others see school boards as outdated and as comprising an unnecessary level of government. And some see school boards in the worst possible light as inhibitors in the march of educational rights for all children (Ehrensal & First, 2008). But whatever view one holds of local school boards, the power of these boards over the curriculum remains undisputed. Though guided and sometimes mandated by state and federal statutes, our local school boards do control our children’s freedom to access the “marketplace of ideas” (Keyishian v. Board of Regents, 1967). The role of local school boards and the relationship of the school board to the curriculum is explored in this chapter.