This September in Chicago, NSBA’s Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE) held its 55th annual conference. All our convenings at NSBA are amazing, of course, but CUBE is special to me. When I served as the school board president of a large urban district, I appreciated the space CUBE created for me to gather with other board members who were experiencing similar issues and concerns. It is a unique platform that allows us to engage in critical conversations, exchange ideas, and explore innovative solutions for the challenges that urban school districts face.

I served as the chair of the CUBE steering committee, and I was hired at NSBA to be the director of the program. This year in Chicago was my first CUBE conference as executive director and CEO. With a 36% increase in attendance from last year, the sold-out conference was a huge success. Forty states were represented, with a third of the attendees coming from nonmember states.

The CUBE conference was a success because we refuse to give up on what we know is right. We are unapologetic about that. I was heartened to see the commitment, energy, and dedication of all the attendees. One of the most powerful aspects of the conference is the sense of camaraderie and shared purpose that permeates the event. It's an opportunity to connect with colleagues who face similar challenges, exchange ideas, and draw inspiration from the success stories and innovations of others. The bonds formed at CUBE extend beyond the conference, resulting in ongoing collaborations that benefit our nation's students.

Every board member deserves this opportunity to network. I'm proud that this winter NSBA is expanding our Rural Education Initiative to offer leaders in rural districts convenings focused on exploring the shared and distinct issues they face in their districts. The first is our Virtual Rural Education Summit on Dec. 13 and then the Rural Education Summit on April 5 in conjunction with our annual conference in New Orleans.

One of CUBE’s goals is to highlight the evolving strategies that school leaders are implementing to address the unique educational challenges in the nation's urban centers. We do this throughout the year in CUBE’s section of ASBJ. We also featured successful programs at the conference, where district leaders could discuss what did and did not work for them and then answer questions from colleagues.

The 2023 CUBE Conference was a testament to the collective commitment of urban school districts to provide the best possible education for our students. It reminded us that while we face unique challenges, we are united in our mission to create equitable, inclusive, and innovative learning environments. I am excited about the opportunities for collaboration, advocacy, and innovation that lie ahead, and I am grateful for the extraordinary work being done by our member states and their school board members.

During one of the evening events, I spoke with a board member who, before the conference, had intended to retire from board service. However, he told me, the conference had energized him so much that it persuaded him to stay on his board. “I’ve got a renewed sense of purpose and I’m going to keep going,” he said.

That board member was just one example of the renewal stories I heard from board members during the conference. Those stories reminded me of what our association is experiencing right now. Our 83-year history has brought us to where we are now. NSBA is resilient. We’ve been through a lot, but we are not going anywhere.