Taking Action With Your School Board: A “How To” for Educational Advocacy

by Laurel Powell •

As attacks on LGBTQ+ students mount, school board advocacy becomes all the more important. HRCF’s new guide helps parents, community members, and students figure it out.

WASHINGTON — Today, The Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRCF)’s Welcoming Schools Program, in conjunction with the School Board Integrity Project, is announcing a “how-to” guide on effectively advocating with local school boards for change. As many state and national leaders work to tear down protections for LGBTQ+ people, including LGBTQ+ youth, “School Boards Matter: A Guide to Effectively Advocating at the School Board Level”, walks advocates through the process of lobbying their school boards for crucial policies that ensure all students can learn in a safe and welcoming environment.

“School Boards Matter” guides readers through what school boards are, how they operate, and what their jurisdiction covers. It also includes worksheets for identifying school board members and how to give testimony to a board. 

Educators, other youth-serving professionals, and parents have always been the most important voices speaking out for young people - but sometimes it’s hard to know where to even begin. We know that school boards will make the difference in coming years, and this guide’s whole purpose is to move concerned parents and community members to take action. The effects of a school system that does not support our LGBTQ+ youth is dangerous, full stop. With this new guide we hope that parents and loved ones will feel empowered to stand up for LGBTQ+ youth in their lives.

Cheryl Greene, Senior Director of Welcoming Schools

According to a survey conducted by the Trevor Project, 43% of LGBTQ+ young people ages 13-17 reported attending a school with at least one anti-LGBTQ+ policy in place. Additionally, LGBTQ+ youth who reported attending a school with at least one anti-LGBTQ+ policy reported higher rates of anti-LGBTQ+ bullying compared to their peers at schools with no anti-LGBTQ+ policies — for example, the percentages of youth that were physically attacked because people thought they were LGBTQ+ was 62% at schools with at least one anti-LGBTQ+ policy, versus the 38% at those with no anti-LGBTQ+ policy.

School boards are on the frontlines of the fight to safeguard the rights and dignity of all students, especially our LGBTQ youth. They are not just mechanisms of governance—they are the last line of defense for democracy and the first line of protection for students to learn, grow, and express themselves authentically. Now, more than ever, we must unite within our local communities to ensure that our schools remain places of inclusivity, safety, and respect where every student belongs, regardless of their identity.

Krystin Schuette, Founder and Director of the School Board Integrity Project

The full guide is available here. You can find more information about the HRC Foundation’s Welcoming Schools Program at www.welcomingschools.org

The Human Rights Campaign reports on news, events and resources of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation that are of interest to the general public and further our common mission to support the LGBTQ+ community.

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