School Board School increases enrollment for Class 3

School Board School announced its largest class to date, with twenty-nine participants joining Class 3.

“We didn’t know what to expect this year, given the uncertainty of COVID-19,” explained Executive Director and former Cincinnati Public Schools board member Elisa Hoffman. “But we are thrilled to announce our largest class yet. What we heard from our applicants is that they want to be part of a network of informed education advocates at this critical time, as we are returning to school amidst a pandemic and with attention directed at the need to eradicate the racial injustices built into our systems.”

School Board School’s six-month program equips a diverse network of education advocates and aspiring school board members with the knowledge and network to create significant and sustainable change in their school system. The twenty-nine participants comprising Class 3 represent the geographic diversity of our region, hailing from twenty-one neighborhoods: thirteen Cincinnati neighborhoods, three people from northern Kentucky, and five people from surrounding suburbs. Transitioning to a virtual platform also allowed School Board School to welcome participants from outside Greater Cincinnati, with classmates from Washington, DC, Houston, and New Jersey.

Class 3 participants range in age from their twenties to their fifties. More than 60% are people of color, almost a quarter of the class are immigrants or the children of immigrants, and a little over half are parents.

Many participants are experienced in education, including five current teachers, a principal, a district administrator, and a district data coach. Class 3 has participants working in a variety of fields including at Cincinnati City Hall, in IT at Western & Southern, and as a business analyst at a marketing technology company.

Hoffman added, “We are also very excited to welcome three healthcare professionals to Class 3 who will bring important knowledge and expertise as we navigate education during COVID-19.”

“While our participants are diverse in many ways,”Hoffman said, “they are all committed to learning from each other, our facilitators, and the virtual field trip experiences during School Board School in order to be Ready to Serve as effective school board members and education advocates.”

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