A publication of the Association of California School Administrators

Mission critical: Safeguarding democracy through public education

How school boards and superintendents can lead with purpose in a divided time

By James R. Brown | September | October 2025

As board members and superintendents, most of us have participated in crafting district mission statements. But we’ve spent less time thinking about what I call our “mission critical” work.

That phrase was introduced to me years ago by a colleague in the private sector. When I asked him what it meant, he responded, “It’s the work that, if I don’t do it well, I don’t work here anymore.”

Over time, I came to realize that everyone in a school system has mission critical responsibilities — tasks that are essential to achieving the district’s goals. And if we don’t do that work well, we’re not serving our students, our communities, or the democratic values public education was designed to uphold. Doing this work well requires not just commitment, but clarity — clarity about what we’re doing, why it matters, and how to do it with excellence.

To understand our mission critical work as trustees and superintendents, we need to step back and recognize the bigger picture: We are part of one of the most important institutions ever designed to make democracy work — public education.

Public education in the United States has its roots in the democratization era of the 1830s. Unlike private education, which often serves specific populations, public education was created to bring together students from diverse economic, social, religious, and (eventually) racial and ethnic backgrounds. Its purpose? To promote literacy, informed dialogue, and civic responsibility. In short, it was meant to develop citizens capable of sustaining a democracy.

In contrast, public education in totalitarian regimes often serves to reinforce the values and control of the ruling class. Just look at Nazi Germany under Hitler, Stalin’s Soviet Union, or present-day North Korea under Kim Jong Un. In such places, education supports indoctrination, not civic engagement.

Democracies thrive — or falter — based on how informed and engaged their citizens are. Can they consider alternative views? Can they participate constructively in public discourse? Will they take action, like voting, to shape their society? At times, our public education system has fallen short of these ideals, but that does not diminish their importance.

As trustees and superintendents, we have not just a role, but a gift — the opportunity to serve as stewards of democracy. That means our mission critical work includes making our commitment to democratic values visible, actionable, and understood throughout the system. We must ensure that everyone who works with us — classified and certificated employees alike — knows how their daily work supports the district’s mission and contributes to the health of our democracy.

The public judges our schools not only by test scores and graduation rates but by how we, as leaders, behave. Our board meetings, school visits, and community interactions must reflect the conduct and values we hope to instill in our students. We should continually ask: Is our behavior modeling what we want to see in our classrooms, staff rooms, and community forums?

Public education is more than a service — it’s an information network that fosters the knowledge, skills, and values essential for constructive civic dialogue. Today, this mission is under threat. Algorithm-driven social media platforms often pull people into echo chambers, eroding civil discourse and pushing us toward polarization. When disagreement turns into dehumanization, democracy is at risk.

As trustees and superintendents, we are the caretakers of this network. We must not forget that responsibility — or worse, act in ways that undercut it. When we diminish others with whom we disagree or exclude groups from meaningful dialogue, we harm the very system we’re entrusted to strengthen.

To stay mission critical, here are a few guiding principles:

Align mission statements with democratic purpose. Make sure your district’s mission clearly states the role of public education in cultivating knowledgeable, thoughtful, and ethical citizens — and then live by that mission. Define and communicate mission critical roles. Every employee, from classroom teacher to maintenance staff, should understand how their work supports student learning and the larger goals of the district. Help them define their own mission critical responsibilities and pursue excellence.

The public judges our schools not only by test scores and graduation rates but by how we, as leaders, behave.

Promote democratic values in school culture. Civility, inclusion, and respect should be visible in every part of the school experience — classrooms, extracurriculars, and community interactions. When we exclude, ignore, or disrespect others, we erode democratic norms.

Model the values we teach. People watch what we do more than what we say. At board meetings, school events, and public functions, we must embody the behaviors — listening, curiosity, respect — we want others to emulate.

Be fully present. When we’re in conversation, let’s listen deeply. Put down the phone. Make eye contact. Show people they matter.

Stay curious. Encourage intellectual openness in yourself and your students. Certainty can be the enemy of truth. Democracy thrives when people are willing to explore new ideas and perspectives.

Lead with integrity. Schools must model moral leadership. That includes amplifying diverse voices, supporting those in need, and making sure all groups are represented in key conversations.

Stay close to teaching and learning. Leadership doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Visit classrooms. Talk to students and teachers. Ensure the systems and environments we build support learning and growth.

See families as clients, not captives. With more schooling options available, families are making choices. Public education must be a first choice — not a fallback — because of its excellence and values.

In the end, our mission critical work is to ensure that students from all walks of life acquire the wisdom and values needed to sustain a vibrant democracy — and that we, as leaders, demonstrate those same values in our work. As Yuval Harai wrote in Nexus, “In a large polity, it is a crucial role of the education system and media to inform people about things they have never faced themselves. If there is no education system or media platform to perform this role, no meaningful, large-scale conversations can take place.” The task of building and sustaining that education system falls in large ways to us as trustees and superintendents. The future of our democracy, our communities, and our country depends directly on the mission critical work we do. And we should never lose sight of that.

James R. (Jim) Brown is an emeritus partner with Leadership Associates and has served as a superintendent for the Glendale, Palo Alto, and Lompoc unified school districts, as well as for Cambria Union Elementary and Coast Union High school districts.