Reimer effectively identifies key concepts that apply to all types of school communities. From a superintendent’s perspective, I see this book being applicable in multiple ways. It could be used for personal reflection on the daily challenges of leading a school district. It also would be a great resource to use with school boards to help guide discussions and future planning.

School Administrator

As an involved private school parent and as a political science university professor, I found Dr. Reimer’s insightful and empirically-rich analysis of the democratic role and untapped potential of school boards to be a welcome addition to my school board library, filling a large gap in public policy literature.

Malcolm Bird, faculty member, University of Winnipeg, parent and school board member, St. Ignacious Church, Winnipeg, Canada

This book would have been a great resource to me during my 7 year tenure as a Parent Council President. I recommend it to parents and parent council volunteers so that they can understand how to work with the school board to achieve great things for their schools.

Audrey Wilson, St. James Assiniboia School Division, Winnipeg, Canada

This remarkable book should be required reading for prospective school board members, administrators, teachers, and (at the very least) the involved and interested parents. It is organized, thorough, clear, and concise, clearly pointing school board members to effective governance and appropriate action...Laura Reimer shows how the school board can significantly affect student achievement, and be instrumental in preparing them to become productive citizens. She points out that the school board must provide the resources the educators require for meeting desired goals.

Evelyn Hodel, former principal, Woodlake Union School District (CA)

As educational leaders, we want our divisions and schools to be high performing. For this to happen, school boards need to function as truly robust local governments. Dr. Reimer’s latest book will help school boards step up to the plate and take their leadership skills to the next level, so they can become even stronger champions of student and community success.

Kelly Barkman, superintendent/CEO