Mission Vision Goals

NSBA: The Premier Advocate for Public Education

NSBA represents state school boards associations and their more than 90,000 local school board members. We believe education is a civil right, and public education is America’s most vital institution.

Our Mission

To equip school board members with resources to advocate for each student in each community, in partnership with our members. Learn more about School Board Leadership and Local Governance. 

Our Vision

NSBA’s Vision: Each school board ensures that each student can reach their full potential through quality and equitable educational opportunities.

Strategic Plan

We continue to adapt as challenges facing public education and local school governance grow. Our strategic plan features a more assertive approach to advocacy in the legislative, legal, and public arenas in an effort to shape the debate about public education and to counter the efforts of those who endanger this vital institution. Read NSBA's Strategic Plan here.

Strategic Direction

Advocacy and member service establish a trajectory that will continue to define NSBA’s work in the coming years. This will involve: leading the national conversation about public education; confronting those who would seek to privatize or otherwise undermine the nation’s system of public schools; proposing legal and legislative measures to address educational equity, ensuring that all students everywhere have access to a great public education where they live; and providing the services and support state school boards associations need to enhance the effectiveness of local school boards. NSBA also recognizes it must continue to attract and retain highly competent staff in every area while maintaining a strong financial position to fulfill its mission.

Our Goals

Working with and through our state associations, NSBA has embraced a number of essential goals, in three major categories:

 

  1. Solidify NSBA's reputation as the leading advocate for public education in the legislative, legal, and public arenas.
    • Implementing efforts that enable NSBA to lead or have a significant influence on national debates on key public policy issues such as educational equity, excellence in education, school choice, the role of local school boards governance, school safety and closing the skills gap.
    • Taking a lead role in securing reauthorization and full funding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
    • Supporting efforts to ensure an accurate count for the 2020 Census.

  2. Ensure state associations receive exceptional value and service. Regularly reviewing service offerings for relevancy and alignment with mission. Providing timely and useful communications and resources to address emerging issues. Reviewing the governance calendar to promote effective decision-making while achieving cost efficiency.
    • Regularly reviewing service offerings for relevancy and alignment with mission.
    • Providing timely and useful communications and resources to address emerging issues.
    • Reviewing the governance calendar to promote effective decision-making while achieving cost efficiency.

  3. Establish financial stability in order to accomplish the strategic direction and goals enumerated above. Building reserves to equal recommended six months of operating expenses. Further diversifying revenues through new income streams and creating value-added services for members. Eliminating the defined benefit pension liability, based on a board-approved glidepath.
    • Building reserves to equal recommended six months of operating expenses.
    • Further diversifying revenues through new income streams and creating value-added services for members.
    • Eliminating the defined benefit pension liability, based on a board-approved glidepath.