Relational trust and the Politics of Evidence Use: School boards navigate policymaking and equity during and after the pandemic

ABSTRACT

This article examines how school boards in New Jersey navigated the pandemic, which also coincided with the national trauma and reactions related to the George Floyd murder and subsequent backlash. The politicization of issues during that first year foreshadowed profound changes in the world of many school boards in New Jersey over the ensuing three years. These changes have dramatically affected relational trust in school districts and the use of evidence in educational policymaking.

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Notes

This article is written in my capacity as a private citizen and not in my capacity as a Board of Education member. It is not reflective of my Board or its individual members and solely represents my own personal opinions.