LEADERSHIP
Leadership Matters: Budgets, burnout, and the people behind the work
Burnout among educators, administrators, and the school board members responsible for making difficult decisions about the future of their schools is a critical issue that's often overlooked when making tough decisions about school district budgets, writes NSBA Executive Director and CEO Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs. Boards have a responsibility to be thoughtful stewards of public resources, and that also means asking whether the people responsible for carrying out district priorities have the capacity and support they need.
President's Perspective: Building Foundations for Every Student, School, and Community
Federal budget cuts and persistent funding shortfalls weigh heavily on public schools. When local school districts must cover unmet federal commitments, the financial burden falls on state budgets and local taxpayers. Local school board members see the human impact of these pressures firsthand, NSBA President Leonard Lockhart writes.
FEATURES
Growing Student Leaders (Subscription Only)
With districts facing a laundry list of challenges, from the rise of artificial intelligence to parental blowback over excessive screen time to legislative and policy upheaval at the state and federal levels, giving students a legitimate voice in how schools function is more critical than ever, writes Contributing Editor Glenn Cook.
A Promise to the Class of 2038
First grade is when children are developmentally most ready to learn to decode words, and it is the most cost-effective time for schools to identify a child who is falling behind in grade-level reading, writes contributor and literacy intervention expert Jessica Reid Sliwerski.
Public Microschools (Subscription Only)
Microschools, a relative newcomer to the education choice landscape, are now serving an estimated 2 million students, according to one study. Another study found that 1 in 3 parents either have a child enrolled or are actively interested in microschools and their smaller, more personalized learning environments, researchers Michael D. Toth and Michael A. Grego explain.
Go Green with the Magna Awards
Applying for the indoor air quality-focused Magna Award may seem complicated, but it doesn't have to be. Jill Buck, founder and CEO of the Go Green Initiative, and team offer a step-by-step how-to guide and valuable pro tips for putting together an award-worthy application.
Just Say Stop (Subscription Only)
Without a clear protocol for discontinuing ineffective initiatives, low-impact programs persist, staff capacity is stretched thin, and improvement efforts lose momentum. Veteran education leaders Terry Grier and Reid Whitaker propose a solution that empowers schools to identify what is not working so they can focus relentlessly on what does.
TRENDS
Book Review: Trusted –Trust Pillars, Trust Killers, and the Secret to Successful Schools (Subscription Only)
Author Jen Schwanke's book tackles an issue many in education today know all too well: trust is fragile and often missing. With authenticity, humility, and practical wisdom, she outlines what trust looks like, why it's so easily lost, and how school leaders can intentionally rebuild it, reviewer Abagail Smith says.
Q&A with National School Counselor of the Year Danielle Crankfield (Subscription Only)
Danielle Crankfield, the 2026 National School Counselor of the Year, serves 1,900 students at Crofton High School in Gambrills, Maryland. Since entering the profession in 2010, she has earned a reputation as a leader and advocate for equity and student mental health. Among other things, she spoke with ASBJ's Michelle Healy about the value students place on authenticity: "They will not talk to you and be open with you if you're giving them the representative version of yourself."
URBAN ADVOCATE
Protecting Student Achievement
The future of the nation's urban centers is being written in our classrooms today, and we must ensure those classrooms are places where excellence can flourish, writes Joel Rodriguez, Chair of NSBA's Council of Urban Boards of Education Steering Committee. To achieve this, we cannot ignore the physical condition of our schools or the unfair funding decisions by state and federal governments, he says.
Reading Is a Universal Mandate
Poor reading skills are not only a classroom failure; they are one of the clearest measures of whether a public education system delivers excellence for all its children, says literacy activist Kareem Weaver. The ability to read confidently and proficiently, he tells ASBJ's Michelle Healy, "is our greatest civil right."
SOUNDBOARD
Teacher Training is Key
Adopting High-Quality Instructional Materials is only the first step in preparing students for success in a rapidly changing world, writes NSBA's Jinghong Cai. Their success depends on whether teachers receive sustained, high-quality professional learning that enables them to use the materials effectively, she explains.
From Compliance to Empowerment (Subscription Only)
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting should be a place where students learn to reflect on their strengths, understand their challenges, communicate their needs, and practice making decisions about their future, writes contributor Lamont Harris. He explains that student-led IEP planning is critical for shifting the focus from simply reviewing services to helping students develop self-determination and self-awareness.
Prayer and Public Schools (Subscription Only)
Recently released guidance from the U.S. Department of Education provides assistance to public school districts by ensuring that their policies and practices do not interfere with First Amendment-protected prayer, writes contributor Brad Banasick, chair of NSBA's Council of School Attorneys Steering Committee. The guidance emphasizes that neutrality upholds the U.S. Constitution, and that, as such, school districts and officials must be neutral toward religion.
ONLINE ONLY
Activating District Talent Through Succession Planning
Succession planning activates talent in a school district by providing leadership opportunities at all levels. It has been shown to positively impact leadership tenure as well as human and social capital, write contributors Brian Sheehan, Marc Ferrara, and Carolyn Vanasse. They offer advice on how succession planning can be a productive and achievable process in your district.