Tennessee School Board Association Leaving National School Board Association

The Tennessee School Board Association will not remain a member of the National School Board Association.

That is according to Upper Cumberland District Director and White County School Board Chair Jayson McDonald. McDonald said the state board voted unanimously to not renew membership.

“They were really focused on contentious efforts as far as critical race and different things that are going on in this country now,” McDonald said. “And their financial management and oversight, they were just really not spending their money wisely. We just thought it was best to step away.”

McDonald said the decision will have little to no effect to school boards in the Upper Cumberland. McDonald said only 2 of the 141 school boards of Tennessee participated in the councils NSBA provided.

“They were not focusing on the educational needs of the students across the country,” McDonald said. “We just felt like they were trying to divide their membership instead of putting those educational issues that should further the mission of all the state associations.”

McDonald said several members however did participate in the national convention in Washington D.C. McDonald said members of TSBA will still have that opportunity to speak to legislators.

“As a board, we can all go to Washington anytime we wanted to,” McDonald said. “We just didn’t need NSBA and pay those dues to go up there.”

McDonald said TSBA has its sights on another school board association now. McDonald said a southern region school board exists and has no membership cost. McDonald said not renewing the national membership saved the state board $50,000.