NSBA 2024-25 President Donald Hubler
Donald Hubler recalls his year serving as NSBA president, especially the opportunity to travel and attend many state association annual conferences, meeting with their administrators, state association boards, and local school board members. These exchanges helped confirm Hubler's belief in the importance of local, state, and national school governance structures to meet the needs of our students.
March 14, 2025
School board members share common beliefs
Serving as the 2024-25 president of National School Boards Association, I have had the opportunity to travel and attend many state association annual conferences, meeting with their administrators, their state association boards, and members of their local school boards. I found the commonality of those who choose to dedicate their time and energy and to help each child achieve their best educational outcome.
Board members are so varied—their careers, their life experiences, and their cultural and economic backgrounds—but their belief in the value of spending their energies to make a difference is the same.
When you sit down with board members from across the country, it only takes a few minutes to find that common thread: The willingness to dedicate your time to the students you serve is worth every effort. It’s worth personal time and resources to do something that will help make a difference in the lives of students and their communities.
The genius of a local, state, and national school board structure is seen in the very foundation of local school boards. Local school board members are elected to serve their community. Board members listen to the parents and guardians. They know their students and the strength and needs of their community. State school boards associations are structured to advance the efforts of the local school boards. They provide board member professional development and promote state initiatives so the local boards have the ability and resources to meet the needs within their community. The National School Boards Association works to ensure that the interests of member state associations are communicated in federal discussions, and it supports local school boards. NSBA is structured to bring together individual voices of local boards and their state associations to address the common needs to support public education across the U.S.
It’s been a privilege to attend state association annual conferences. At meal events, I sat with board members from across their state. I always felt welcomed and quickly got into a conversation about both successes and challenges within their districts. One board member shared that she decided to become a board member because of her career working with foster students. Another board member had a broad range of life experiences and was focused on supporting students’ exposure to technical curriculum. A third board member explained that her own children had significant challenges, and she chose to work to help all children.
My conference travels helped me to confirm my belief in the importance of local, state, and national school governance structures to meet the needs of our students. Local school board members are part of their community. They see their students, staff, parents, and guardians and listen to their concerns to ensure that the resources are available for their success.
Public education is facing a challenging time. Former President Jimmy Carter, during his inaugural address, quoted his high school teacher: “We must adjust to the changing times and still hold to unchanging principles.”
The common upcoming challenges will require us to stand firm in support of public education and local control of public schools.
Donald R. Hubler is NSBA’s 2024-25 president and a member of the Macomb Intermediate School District Board of Education, Clinton Township, Michigan.