Scott R. Levy: How School Boards Can Strengthen Our Democracy

Scott R. Levy: How School Boards Can Strengthen Our Democracy

From MindShift Podcast by KQED

February 10, 2026 · 28 min

About this episode

Scott R. Levy discusses the importance of school boards in strengthening democracy and civic engagement.

In this episode KQED’s Marlena Jackson-Retondo speaks with Scott R. Levy, adjunct lecturer at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and a former school board member, about why school boards matter more than ever. Levy’s new book, Why School Boards Matter: Reclaiming the Heart of American Education and Democracy, explains how school boards function, how their power has shifted over time and how school boards can serve as a rare space for civic engagement and democratic participation.

People in this episode

Host: Marlena Jackson-Retondo

Guest: Scott R. Levy

Topics covered

  • school boards
  • democracy
  • civic engagement
  • education
  • parenting

Keywords

  • school boards
  • democracy
  • civic engagement
  • education
  • Scott R. Levy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Harvard’s Graduate School of Education

Books & works: Why School Boards Matter: Reclaiming the Heart of American Education and Democracy

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