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Advocacy

NSBC’s Priorities

Advocacy for Choice

Local Decision Making

To promote accountability and fiscal responsibility, NSBC advocates for the enactment of state laws that grant all elected officials the right to opt out of state association dues through a majority vote. This legislative change would empower elected representatives to exercise their autonomy in deciding whether to participate in these associations, ensuring that taxpayer dollars are not automatically allocated to membership dues. By allowing officials to choose their involvement based on the interests of their constituents rather than a mandated obligation, we can ensure a more transparent and responsive governance structure that prioritizes the needs and preferences of the public. The importance of this issue is clearly emphasized in Florida model legislation 617.221.Membership associations.— (1) As used in this section, the term “membership association” means a not-for-profit corporation, including a department or division of such corporation, the majority of whose board members are constitutional officers who, pursuant to s. 1001.32(2), operate, control, and supervise public entities that receive annual state appropriations through a statutorily defined formulaic allocation that is funded and prescribed annually in the General Appropriations Act or the substantive bill implementing the annual appropriations act. The term does not include a labor organization as defined in s. 447.02 or an entity funded through the Justice Administrative Commission. (2) Dues paid to a membership association which are paid with public funds shall be assessed for each elected or appointed public officer and may be paid to a membership association. If a public officer elects not to join the membership association, the dues assessed to that public officer may not be paid to the membership association. History.—s. 1, ch. 2016-237.

Holding K-12 Publishers Accountable

Assessment of Priorities: Comparing and Distinguishing Between NSBA and NSBC

The National School Boards Association (NSBA) emphasizes centralized control, social justice, a one-size-fits-all model, and increased funding for public education only, while the National School Boards Coalition (NSBC) focuses on limited government, educational choice, local decision-making, accountability, and the importance of parental involvement. These differing priorities reflect contrasting philosophies regarding governance, funding, and the role of parents in education.

Funds and Decision-Making Authority

NSBA – Supports the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) in retaining centralized government control over educational funding, viewing the Department of Education as a vital partner in accomplishing that objective.
NSBC – Defends limited government and opposes federal control, advocates for local decision-making, and the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE)

Social Justice and Equity

NSBA – Advocates for social justice, diversity, and equity as essential issues that hinder students from achieving academic success. They promote the allocation of financial resources and dedicated learning time for students to prioritize this goal
NSBC – Believes social justice, DEI, and CRT are misallocated resources, wasting students’ time, and creating a polarized learning environment, and emphasizes better use of resources for mastering the three R’s: Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic; unbiased science, and American History.

Funding Advocacy

NSBA – Strongly advocates for increased funding, asserting that underfunding negatively affects students’ academic progress.
NSBC – Understands challenges in student success are due to failed budget priorities and time management rather than a lack of funding.

ESAs and Vouchers

NSBA – Vocal opposition to Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) and school vouchers, arguing that tax dollars should support public schools only.
NSBC – Supports educational choice, including parents’ rights to select charter schools, private schools, or homeschooling options.

Parental Rights

NSBA—Does not prioritize parents’ rights, especially regarding participation in board meetings, school choice outside of public schools, and curriculum transparency, while supporting practices that limit parental engagement.
NSBC – Considers parents to be the primary decision-makers in their children’s education and emphasizes the need for school boards to respect parental authority and be transparent.

Accountability of Publishers

NSBA – Does not emphasize the importance of holding publishing companies accountable for the content of their curriculum. Instead, it politicizes public schools to educate students about issues such as injustice, privilege, and other polarizing topics.
NSBC- Advocates for accountability among curriculum publishers regarding bias in educational materials and calls for congressional investigations into their political group affiliations.

Parental Involvement

NSBA—The actions are counterintuitive to policies that enhance parental involvement and transparency regarding curriculum access. They prioritize sidestepping the parents’ ability to be involved in decisions by putting minor-aged students’ privacy over parental access to basic information such as gender identity, sexual orientation, and related services.
NSBC- Promotes active parental involvement policies to reinforce parents as primary decision-makers in their children’s education.