In many states, January is School Board Appreciation Month. Other states hold their celebrations at different times of the year. Regardless of when your state has its annual appreciation, it is vitally important to take the time to recognize these hard-working, mostly volunteer public school servants.
As the first NSBA executive director with experience as a school board member, I want to take a moment to say a couple of words that school board members rarely hear: THANK YOU!
Thank you for passing the school budgets that provide the funding to hire teachers, buy tablets and other connected devices, heat our schools, and more. Thank you for tackling the tough questions in partnership with parents and community members. Thank you for holding the superintendents and the districts accountable for ensuring that ALL students are learning and receiving the support they need if they are struggling.
The mission of the National School Boards Association is to give school board members the tools, resources, and network to help all children learn the skills they need to succeed in whatever post-high school path they choose. With members spread across 45 states, the Virgin Islands, and Canada, NSBA is the only national organization representing school boards. Our members are in large urban areas, suburban school districts, the most rural remote areas in the U.S., and everywhere in-between.
In the coming weeks, NSBA will hold a variety of convenings to help school board members build out their professional learning networks. Representatives from ALL school districts from across the U.S. can attend all NSBA Signature Events, including:
- Equity Symposium, Jan. 27, in Washington, D.C., provides a forum for school board members, public school advocates, and community leaders to examine and discuss the strategies, current trends, research, and best practices around equity in our nation’s public K-12 schools.
- Advocacy Institute, Jan. 28-30, in Washington, D.C., invites education leaders to explore and discuss the latest developments in key education policy and legislation, champion the interests of public K-12 students, advocate for education priorities and federal policies, and network with colleagues from across the country.
- The NSBA 2024 Annual Conference and Exposition, April 6-8, in New Orleans, is one of the few places school board members can receive the training necessary to address the instructional needs of students and to improve the efficiency of district operations. NSBA 2024 offers world-class programming, inspirational keynotes, top education solution providers, and plentiful networking opportunities.
If you’re a school member or an education leader, I hope to see you at these events. But no matter who you are or what role you hold, I hope you’ll take a moment to thank a school board member for their service and dedication to our public schools and the students they serve. To make it a little easier for you, NSBA has created some graphics below that you can share in an email or on social media.
Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs is Executive Director and CEO of the National School Boards Association.
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