But as those members passed new measures giving money to charters and hired a new superintendent, a backlash grew. Critics accused the board of secrecy and of trying to turn the 86,500-student district into a petri dish for conservative educational ideas. Board meetings turned into shouting matches. Upset parents spliced the live-streamed meeting video — an innovation of the new board — into outrage highlight reels. ...

In September of last year, thousands of students walked out of school when [Julie] Williams [one of three conservatives] proposed shifting the focus of the Advanced Placement United States history course toward patriotism and away from “civil disorder” and “social strife.” It was a moment when festering disputes among parents, students, teachers and the board leapt into the national news. Even though the curriculum was never changed, many voters around the district say they are still upset.