When I was first elected to my county school board, Superintendent Mike DeVault told me that “the only people to make a difference are the people that show up.”

As school board members, many of us began our involvement with schools by choosing to show up, whether at a PTA meeting, participating in an advisory committee, or attending a school board meeting.

Once elected, we attend our district’s football games and other athletic events, high school graduations, and the many other events and activities that our districts host for our students, parents, and community members.

We continue to show up because we know our presence matters. It’s tangible evidence of our engagement, our buy-in, and our commitment to a better and brighter future for our students and communities.

We often hear about the transformative impact of storytelling. Whether it’s a student sharing a life-changing experience associated with a particular program or a teacher recounting the joy of a student’s personal achievement or academic breakthrough, these stories have the power to captivate hearts, inspire action, and drive change.

Believe me, it works. For over 10 years in my home state of Michigan, our educational community has been telling our stories to our legislature, governors, and business community in support of the need for additional targeted educational funding. Last year, all that hard work and sharing of our stories resulted in a bipartisan budget that represents the highest state educational investment in Michigan’s history.

For those of us that have chosen to serve as school board members, these stories resonate within us. They serve as reminders of why we started on this journey in the first place — why we chose to dedicate our precious time, energy, and passion to the noble cause of education for all children.

Let’s look at the future of the National School Boards Association. For more than 80 years, NSBA has been a stalwart advocate for local control in education.

NSBA was an instrumental supporter during the long fight to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act. The law includes language directly taken from NSBA requiring that local school boards be involved in legislative discussions on how to best serve their community.

As we look forward to the future, we see the challenges ahead. We see the issues coming before the U.S. Supreme Court as it begins to rewrite historical decisions. We see a divided Congress that continues to struggle to address funding issues.

From advocating for full funding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to addressing historical equity gaps in our schools, NSBA stands at the leading edge of the fight for educational equity and excellence.

NSBA isn’t just an organization. It’s a community of passionate advocates, visionary leaders, dedicated educators, and parents who chose to become involved, who believe in the transformative power of education.

Together, we will continue to champion the cause of public education, working tirelessly to ensure that each student has access to a high-quality and equitable education that prepares them for success in the 21st century.

It is through your leadership, your passion, and your commitment that NSBA will continue to advance the cause of public education and build a brighter future for all the generations to come.

It’s not about winning or losing: It’s about showing up. And we know that there’s no better place to show up and make that difference than on your local school board, with your state association, and together, as members of the National School Boards Association.

(This column is adapted from Donald Hubler’s 2024 Annual Conference remarks.)