Associations depend on the will of their members. This is what makes them associations. When association members declare dissatisfaction with the governing body, if not resolved, the leave. And so we see what's going on at the National School Board Association, ironically a body dedicated to ensuring that school boards throughout the US are strong and capable and play by the rules.
As best as I understand, the National Association, with the intent of reducing the chain of negative and harmful activity happening in school boards around the US, sought help from the US Justice Department. The National apparently did not believe that their local authorities were being helpful in protecting members of the school boards from verbal and physical threats. That non-members were indeed behaving in threatening ways turns out not to be a problem for some state associations and an appeal by the national compromises those who threaten's independence. I don't certainly know much about the dialog between the national and state association boards but the result has been some state associations leaving the national with the possible intent of forming a new association.
But whatever the reason, the composition and will of the members is what must be considered when an association takes action. This market-driven approach makes or breaks an association and in this case, is clearly more on the break than make side, right or wrong. This is of course why polling or focus groups or taking other steps fully understand member's needs and wants is essential. Take for example, the Boy Scouts USA. I would like to think that if the National had ever taken a "read" on the opinions and values of its members, it would not have let even one case of abuse by a leader gone unnoticed and without action. Shame on the board and staff for presuming or assuming it knew what was best for the membership. Look now at the cost they have to pay albeit no where near what would be more just if those boards and leaders were truly held accountable for their current and past misdeeds.
Alas, listening to members is the real story with the National School Board Association. The Association leadership, governing and paid, it appears, should have taken the time and made the effort to learn what was the will and then, only then, determined if and what and how to take action in the interest of the members. When all is politics, caution is the core missive.
Here's one AP report on the matter.
Mississippi School Boards Association leaving national group
By • 20 hours ago
JACKSON — The Mississippi School Boards Association is joining a handful of other states in breaking ties with the National School Board Association after the nonprofit sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking for federal support investigating harassment and threats of violence against school board members.
Mississippi School Boards’ leadership wrote this week in a letter explaining their decision that the National School Boards Association’s “inflammatory language and the request for federal agencies to intervene in our communities, was just one in a series of lapses in governance.”
“MSBA can no longer allow NSBA to speak for our association or our membership and can no longer see the value of continued membership,” the letter reads.
They said Mississippi will end its relationship with the National School Boards Association, a nonprofit representing U.S. school boards, on June 30, 2022, the end of the term for which the Mississippi School Boards Association has paid its dues to the national organization.
Mississippi will then work with school boards associations in other states to form a new organization that “will provide services to its member state school boards associations which are requested by and tailored to each member state school boards associations’ unique needs.”
So far, school board associations in Ohio, Montana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Missouri and Illinois have similarly voted to distance themselves from the national organization.
Local school boards across the country have become political battlegrounds over issues such as COVID-19 mask rules, the treatment of transgender students and how to teach the history of racism and slavery in America, The Associated Press has reported.
The National School Boards Association said these disputes were also leading to harassment and threats of violence against school board members.
On Sept. 29, the NSBA sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking his administration to investigate these threats, which officials said “could be the equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes” that could be prosecuted under anti-terrorism and anti-hate crime statutes.
According to AP reporting, the NSBA’s letter documents more than 20 instances of threats, harassment, disruption and acts of intimidation in California, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio and other states. It cites the September arrest of an Illinois man for aggravated battery and disorderly conduct for allegedly striking a school official at a meeting.
The letter received backlash from opponents like Mississippi Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, who said in a statement that the Biden administration and the National School Boards Association are attempting “silence dissent.”
The National School Boards Association has said it is not trying to stop parents from expressing their First Amendment rights, only to stop dangerous and threatening acts.
On Thursday, Wicker released a statement applauding the Mississippi School Boards Association decision, saying the national group’s statements should be met with “a forceful rebuke.”
“Parents have a basic right to shape the education of their children, and they are right to be upset by the divisive ideas and harmful policies being implemented in many classrooms across our country,” Wicker said.
The Mississippi School Boards Association said it will continue to work closely with other state school boards associations and remains “hopeful that following this period of substantial tumult for NSBA, we will find a new national organization ready and able to serve all its member states effectively.”