Candidates for school board will face questions from both voters and the media. These questions are usually related to goals and issues facing the school district. You’ll want to be prepared for interview questions by your local newspaper, media, and voters.
Common Interview Questions for School Board Candidates
When answering interview questions, keep your answers simple and to the point. Make sure that you’ve prepared answers that are detailed enough to address the questions fully. Don’t stretch the truth or invent experiences. And always stay on topic.
Personal Motivation and Qualifications of Candidate
- Why are you running for the Board of Education?
- What unique educational challenges in our district do you plan to address?
- What particular experience or skills prepare you to serve as a board member?
- What donations, endorsements, or other support from outside groups have you received?
- How do you plan to maintain transparency and accountability regarding these influences?
- Are you running as a slate with other candidates?
- If so, how do your collective goals align with the needs of the district?
- Is there a specific issue that motivates you to serve on the school board?
- How do you plan to address this issue, whether it be the role of charter schools, teacher recruitment, or school funding challenges?
- What strategies do you have for recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers in our district?
- What is your position on [specific issue or policy]?
- How does this position align with the goals of enhancing educational quality and student outcomes in the district?
- How do you plan to measure and evaluate the success of your tenure on the board?
Innovation and Improvement
- What is your opinion on the current state of schools in the district?
- What is your stance on standardized testing and the integration of technology in education?
- What should the school district do to better prepare students for careers?
- How would you promote career and technical education opportunities?
- How do you plan to improve student achievement in the classroom?
- How do you plan to address challenges posed by technology, including cybersecurity and digital privacy, in our schools?
Core Responsibilities
- What issues do you believe are most important to the district?
- How do you plan to address the [issues] you’ve identified?
- As a school board member, what are your budget priorities?
- What strategies would you implement to address budget constraints and funding issues?
- Where would you look to make cuts or increase in the district budget?
- What specific strategies do you have for students with special needs or disabilities, and English language learners?
- How would you address the achievement gap between different groups of students?
- How do you plan to address student mental health, safety, and the achievement gap among different student populations?
- What measures would you propose to improve school attendance rates and reduce dropout rates?
- What measures would you implement to promote equity and inclusivity?
- What innovative methods or technologies would you promote in the schools to tackle them?
- How would you handle conflicts or disagreements among board members?
Community Engagement
- How have you been involved in the community?
- How do you plan to leverage this experience to engage parents and other community members in the educational process?
- How would you improve the board’s interaction with teachers and the public?
- What role do you believe the teachers’ union should play in our district’s education system?
- How do you plan to handle public criticism or pressure from interest groups?
- How would you encourage collaboration and partnerships between our schools, local businesses, and community organizations?
Be prepared to answer these types of questions. Look to your candidate statement or candidate bio for reference. You may be asked these questions for a newspaper and local media interviews, and even by voters on the campaign trail.