Yesterday, voters in San Francisco and in Portland, Maine voted down propositions that would allow non-citizens with children to vote in School Board elections.

In San Francisco, the proposition’s main sponsor said its purpose was to increase parent involvement in schools.

I think it would be great if non-citizens would be able to vote in school board elections. I’m not a political genius, but I also know that in this political climate the idea is non-starter (it was also voted down in San Francisco in 2004).

I just wish that the wasted energy that had been spent on these two campaigns had, instead, been used to promote genuine parent engagement in schools.