It was surprising to see national politics being injected into a local school board race. And the fallout is a reminder that we don’t need to turn every election into a culture war battle.
The two Omaha citizens who will eventually be elected to join four others on Westside’s board may never have to weigh in on the merits of critical race theory, an academic construct that has little to do with day-to-day education in K-12 schools.
They’re running for the school board to set broad policy to govern Westside’s staff and student body. To approve budgets and tax rates. To decide whether to ask voters to approve a bond issue. To select a superintendent.
Shoehorning manufactured controversies that were stirred up at the national level into the local management of school districts is unnecessary and wrong. It’s not helpful to bring to local schools the vitriol that infests national politics.
And it risks causing good people to decide “who needs this” when it comes to serving in public office.
As one Westside High senior wrote in a recent Public Pulse letter, creating partisan drama detracts from providing students with more learning resources, opportunities and technology.
