2026 is an election year for the DeKalb Board of Education, with BOE districts 2, 4, and 6 up for election.
I am hoping for highly competitive races for all seats, but especially district 4, the board seat I currently hold. This district includes most of the Tucker cluster, most of the Lakeside cluster, and a slice of the Cross Keys cluster. According to the last census, district 4 also has the highest percentage of Spanish-speaking residents of any BOE district. I will elaborate on my choice to step down (I made the decision in 2022) and share my suggestions for anyone contemplating running. For now, I want to encourage citizens to consider taking on this critically important job.
Jim McMahan held the district 4 seat before I did. He was a big believer in sustainable leadership. I met with him before I decided to run for office and he shared the pros and cons of the position. Once I was elected, he met with me regularly to ensure I was as prepared as possible. I would like to continue that tradition. My hope is that many passionate education advocates will qualify for this seat. I will meet with anyone who would like to run and answer questions you may have. Once someone new is elected, I will do everything in my power to ensure a seamless transition. I have always said I am dedicated to stability at the top--that includes my position.
So, save the dates! Qualifying happens the week of March 2-6, 2026--that is only two months away! The election will occur on May 19th, 2026. Right now is the time to decide. Please let me know how I can help.
Who Should Run for DeKalb Board of Education?
Someone ethical.
I was raised in rural Oklahoma where "your word is your bond." If you know me, you have probably warned me that some of my positive attributes (seeing the cup as half-full, believing change is possible, following the rules, expecting people to adhere to a shared mission) can also be deficits (being shocked by behind-the-scenes maneuvering, being unable to see clearly through "rose-colored glasses," not understanding that leaders might prioritize their own power over a collective goal, assuming others are honest/trustworthy/principled). Whoever holds this seat should be ethical, but also fully aware that others may have a different agenda. I have pushed for this board to uphold our ethics since my very first board meeting and it has made a difference. If my only legacy is that this board operates in a more ethical manner, I consider that a win. The person who takes this seat in 2027 will surely encounter ethical breaches, but I can guarantee they will not be as pervasive and will not be accepted as the norm.
Someone adaptable.
In 2014, when DeKalb had been through five superintendents in 10 years, I wrote an opinion piece stating that stability was the most critical issue facing DCSD. When I won this seat in 2018, I was hopeful that I would work with Superintendent Steve Green for my entire term. That didn't happen. When announcing my 2022 campaign, I touted the benefits of longterm, stable leadership with Superintendent Cheryl Watson Harris. By the time I was reelected, she was gone. In 2025, after two years of a positive trajectory with a superintendent expected to lead for years, the rug was pulled out from under us. Progress can and has occurred despite the instability, but it is so much harder than it should be. Everything from long-range planning to policy review to teacher support to accountability suffers with instability at the top. I am not proud that we are again grappling with a leadership change. I am proud of how the Board of Education has handled the recent upheaval. All seven of us adapted quickly. We prioritized our shared vision and chose a phenomenal interim leader. Ethical concepts of board governance, such as equal access to information, transparency in decision-making, respecting the board's collective authority, and communicating respectfully are apparent for the first time in years (perhaps decades). When a governance team is high-functioning, ethical, and adaptable, stability can prevail in the face of leadership turnover.
Someone passionate about public education.
Someone passionate about public education.
My entire adult life I have either worked in schools or advocated for schools, but the person holding this seat doesn't need employment experience in schools. Passion for public education is a prerequisite, but a school board works best when members come from a variety of backgrounds. I am a big-picture thinker with an education/mental health background, but I work best on a team with leaders who are lawyers or accountants or flight attendants or policy wonks who love detail and approach problems differently. The important factor is the steadfast belief that public education builds strong communities, levels the playing field, provides critical skills, and drives economic growth.
Someone willing to question.
School boards are responsible for the policy, the budget, and the superintendent. That's basically it. Board members rely on their one employee, the superintendent, to hire experts (such as internal chiefs or external contractors/consultants) and manage the school district. The board then holds the superintendent accountable for student outcomes. A board member may not have prior experience monitoring subgroup academic progress, overseeing $2 billion budgets, or bringing outdated policies into compliance. However, a board member must be willing to seek clarity inside or outside the district. As a new board member, I wasn't getting clear internal answers as to why our annual audit was years behind schedule or why the board's own audit committee was not meeting. I set up my own meetings with local auditors and the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts. It took years, but these efforts led to dramatic improvements in our annual audit process and a re-imagined, functioning board audit committee. The person holding this seat should be prepared to ask questions, find resources and use them.
Someone with a district-wide view.
Often, leaders decide to run for public office because of a specific issue related to their neighborhood, school, or area. Commitment to constituents is important for most elected positions: state representatives, senators, county commissioners, city council members, etc.. However, according to Georgia law (OCGA 20-2-49) school board members are elected to focus on the academic achievement of ALL students. Fortunately, when I was elected, I had a head start on this. I had been a district-wide advocate (and sometimes a statewide lobbyist) for all children. Between the district-wide representation and the fact that the superintendent is the board's only employee, constituents sometimes feel frustrated that board members cannot single-handedly solve problems or make improvements at a specific school. Weathering the frustration helps a board member develop a thick skin. The person holding this seat should be willing to take the heat and stay committed to all students.
Someone patient.
This one is still hard for me. No single board member has the authority to direct staff, make decisions, or act on behalf of the district. The power of a Board of Education rests solely in the collective body--not with individual members. I can list 20 incredible ideas I brought to this board in 2019--none of which have come to fruition. However, encouraging fellow board members to think outside the box, question the status quo, and be open to national best practice can make a difference. Over the last seven years, I have constantly encouraged awareness of meeting efficiency, strategic priorities, literacy, and mental health. These nudges have yielded baby steps in the right direction. Patience is a virtue and I am still working on it.
I encourage you to contact me if you are interested in running for BOE. I also hope to have a Board District 4 or DCSD-wide Q&A session regarding what it takes to run for a BOE seat. .
allyson@allysongevertz.com