Top 10 Education Questions for Elected Officials

Elected officials are responsible for many important decisions that impact public education. Below are the top 10 questions you can ask to learn where they stand on critical issues that impact all public schools.

  • What are your top priorities for improving public education?
  • What will you do to improve the quality of public schools?
  • What is your plan to provide adequate funding for all public schools?
  • How will you support the goal of high achievement for every student?How will you engage the community, and help schools engage the community, to improve our public schools?
  • What do you believe schools should do to better prepare students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in higher education, work and life?
  • What do you believe are the best ways to evaluate school and student performance?
  • What is your position on the federal No Child Left Behind Act?
  • How would you help schools recruit and retain highly qualified teachers?
  • What resources and services, beyond academics, do you believe schools and the community should provide to support student well-being and achievement?

How to Use These Questions

How can you use and get answers to these and other questions? There are a number of ways to communicate with elected officials and candidates to learn where they stand on important social issues like public education. Here are just a few:

  • Attend a public meeting. Bring these and other questions to a local debate, forum or town hall meeting where elected officials and candidates are present.
  • Send a letter or email. Elected officials want to hear from their constituents, and mail is still one of the most popular ways to make your voice heard. Use these questions as the basis of a letter to your elected official and encourage others to do the same. Save a copy for yourself and follow-up with a phone call.
  • Write your paper. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, and ask to include these questions in interviews with elected officials and candidates. Thank your paper for covering the critical issues, like public education, that the community cares about.
  • Use the Web. Many elected officials and candidates have official web sites that post information about their priorities and allow constituents to submit inquiries via mail. Use these questions in an email to your elected officials and candidates.
  • Talk with your neighbors. Bring these questions to a community meeting or other public gathering. Discussions around these questions can help stimulate ongoing dialogue about what the community wants and expects from public schools.