School Boards for Academic Excellence (SBAE)

Activities

Founded in 2023, School Boards for Academic Excellence (SBAE) claims to advocate for improving academic excellence in schools across the U.S. through the use of America’s school boards. SBAE is a capacity building nonprofit organization and a network of state-based school board associations and resource centers. This network, called Network Partners, is ensured support, resources, and knowledge sharing through partnership with SBAE. ²

School Boards for Academic Excellence (SBAE) claims that school board members have been discouraged by the education establishment from advancing meaningful reform to schools, resulting in significantly diminished academic achievement and increased administrative bloat. SBAE supports school board members’ authority to direct and be responsible for the educational policies and practices in their district’s schools, including academic achievement, student proficiency, curriculum, and transparency with parents. ²

For its Network Partners, SBAE claims to provide analysis of developments and trends in K-12 education to improve student outcomes; resources and tools, including policies, actionable models, and best practices to develop and grow impactful organizations; and access to the organizational experience of like-minded school board associations, researchers, commentators, and analysts focused on educational reform and restoring quality education in the U.S. ²

Financials

While School Boards for Academic Excellence is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a nonprofit organization, SBAE had no publicly available tax returns in the ProPublica database as of December 2024. ³

Staff

David Hoyt is the executive director of School Boards for Academic Excellence. Hoyt formerly worked as executive director of development at the Heartland Institute, director of development at both Young Americans for Liberty and America’s Future Foundation, and regional development officer at Americans for Prosperity. Hoyt is a co-founder of Cornerstone Classical Academy in Jacksonville, Florida and a 2023 appointee to the Florida Historical Commission. ⁴

Jon Russell is the director of network engagement at SBAE. Russell formerly worked as chief of staff for Spotsylvania County Public Schools, senior advisor to the Virginia Department of Education, and director of local government affairs for the American Legislative Exchange Council. ⁵

Board of Directors

Amy O. Cooke is the chair of the board of SBAE and the retired CEO of the John Locke Foundation. Cooke is the founder of EastxWest Strategies, a public policy consulting firm, and chair of the board of Always On Energy Research. Cooke formerly worked as publisher of Carolina Journal and executive vice president of the Independence Institute. ⁶

Ward Cassidy is a former Republican member of the Kansas House of Representatives, where he served as vice chair of the Education committee, chair of the Education Budget committee, and as a member of the Appropriations committee. ⁷

Lance Christensen is vice president of education policy and government affairs at the California Policy Center. Christensen formerly worked as a legislative consultant in the California State Senate, chief of staff and senior policy advisor to former State Senator John Moorlach (R-CA), and director of the Reason Foundation’s Pension Reform Project. ⁸