In this fifth and final episode, Karin Chenoweth and Kris Amundson talk with pollster Keith Frederick about how candidates can think about developing and communicating their message.

Almost every American supports the idea of educating all children to high standards in a safe and welcoming environment. So it's important to stand up to the minority who are using children as pawns to push a national agenda.

Look for our brief on “What Parents and the Public Think About Schools” for links to five national polls, including Keith Frederick’s.

In the fourth episode of a five-part package, Karin Chenoweth and Kris Amundson discuss the decisions school board candidates need to make when they organize their campaign and some of the things they need to weigh in those decisions.

In addition, Karin brings in the voices of school board members from around the country to talk about the kinds of campaigns they ran in order to win their races.

Fundraising is no one’s favorite part of running a campaign, but done right it helps enlist supporters to feel part of the effort to ensure that all children get a good education in a safe and welcoming environment.

Kris Amundson provides time-proven advice, and Karin Chenoweth brings in the voices of school board members from around the country talking about how they think about fundraising.

Kris Amundson talks through the nuts and bolts of filing for election, gathering petition signatures, and the importance of deadlines with Robert Brink, chair of the Virginia Board of Elections.

In conversation with Karin Chenoweth, Kris Amundson lists the six questions people should ask themselves before making the decision to run for school board, the most important being “what’s your why?”

Kris Amundson is a former member and chair of the Fairfax Virginia school board and a former member of the Virginia General Assembly. For many years she headed the National Association of State Boards of Education. So she has thought a great deal about school boards and brings all that expertise to this podcast.

Karin Chenoweth, founder of Democracy and Education, is a long-time reporter and education writer.