Challenges and Choices: A Multidistrict Analysis of Statewide Mandated Democratic Engagement

Abstract

This article seeks to deepen our understanding of the nature and quality of democratic participation in educational reform by examining the first-year implementation of California’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) mandating civic engagement in district decision-making. Drawing on democratic theory, empirical literature, and data from 10 districts, we find that even when district leaders committed to involving stakeholders in decision-making, achieving this vision was often constrained by power imbalances, deeply engrained institutional habits, and limited capacity. We also find that climates of trust, support from external organizations, and homogeneity appeared to provide the foundation for deeper, broader democratic engagement in a few cases. The article concludes with implications for policy, practice, and future research.

Social Media and the Quest for Democracy

“…One filter for understanding our lived experience is through the form, quality, scope, depth, meaning, and application of democracy. Marsh and Hall (2018) provide an important backdrop to this discussion, outlining some of the dimensions of (and contrasting) participatory and representative democracy. Their theorization hypothesizes that participatory democracy requires a maximum number of participants who share equally in the decisionmaking process and sharing governance, whereas representative democracy seeks to limit participation by vesting power in the hands of a "minority of well-informed leaders who represent constituents' interests" (pp.…”

“…We conclude by suggesting that it may also be helpful to explore these models, in the backdrop of Marsh and Hall's (2018) work and others that have sought to describe, define, and nuance the meaning of democracy in relation to education. It would also be fundamental to problematize engagement with social media and citizen participation, accepting and seeking contextualization, adaptation, and enhancement to the aforementioned models in order to better evaluate the changing ways of interacting with others, with politics, with social movements, with news/ information and with societal change.…”

Toward a Framework for Public Accountability in Education Reform

“…. even when district leaders embrace the notion of broad and/or deep community engagement, achieving this vision may be challenging, if not elusive” (Marsh & Hall, 2018, pp. 274–275).…”

A Framework for Rethinking Educational Leadership in the Margins: Implications for Social Justice Leadership Preparation

“…However, any course could be re-envisioned with an expanded conception of leadership in mind. For instance, a course on school finance could explore approaches to engaging in participatory budgeting that involve students, parents, and the community (Marsh & Hall, 2017). A course on instructional leadership could consider how an expanded understanding of leadership could potentially enrich curriculum, connecting it to existing Community Cultural Wealth (Yosso, 2005), specifically in communities of color and undervalued communities.…”