Join the Board

The eight years I've served on the Board have been so rewarding. We're a diverse group of people with different backgrounds, views, and party affiliations who at every turn come together to do what's right for students.

The Nation’s Report Card is the one uniform assessment across the country, and it really shines a light on how the students are doing; it serves such a vital purpose. The reality is that students have not been working at the same achievement levels as they were before, and achievement gaps between groups of students have been exacerbated.

The 2024 assessment for reading and math, to be released early next year, will show us whether or not there's been an adequate response to the 2022 results. After I step down Sept. 30, I'll be rooting for the entire team and the whole country, and I will be using the 2024 data to inform decision making and drive improvements in my state and community.

It's truly been an honor to serve. I urge anyone interested in joining the Board to throw their hat in the ring. You'll find the work meaningful, make lasting professional relationships, and gain a deeper understanding of education in America—something that has served me well as a legislator.

Being a member and serving on the National Assessment Governing Board is an example of how different viewpoints, experiences, and backgrounds can come together for the common good as we set policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). We may be divided on some issues in our country but we all can agree the progress of our students’ achievement is just as important as any other national security policy.

We all join to serve and one benefit of serving on NAGB is the access to diverse invaluable insight from people who represent a multitude of roles, regions, and stakeholders. Many voices are being heard. This exposure gives me credibility speaking on education in my circles, confidence that I can be a positive influence and resources I can contact.

As a business leader, I see how NAEP results are not measures of the student or teacher – they’re about the systems they operate in.  Those data are important to help us evaluate what we’re doing, especially in the early grades, and make decisions that can better prepare today’s students to be tomorrow’s workforce. It’s important that board members have a system-approach when discussing issues. In industry, like other sectors, employees want their children in an achieving school system. We see the tie between the quality of education and our economy, and the importance of maintaining high standards for the U.S.

You may learn about this nationally recognized board and wrongly assume you don’t fit in. You do. Your perspective is as valuable as anyone else’s regarding strategic visioning at the system level. Know your voice represent a constituency across our great nation. If your passion is increasing the achievement progress of all students, you have a place on this Board.

Any policies and practices designed to improve student achievement should be informed by data. The Nation’s Report Card is a vital source of data that can ultimately drive progress for our kids. It’s the only nationally representative measure of K-12 student academic progress over time that allows you to compare performance across states and urban districts. So educators and policymakers can look at other systems with similar demographics that are outperforming them in certain areas and engage with those leaders to find best practices they can then use in improvement efforts.

Serving on the Board has allowed me to step back from my daily work and gain a deeper view that’s been invaluable to me as a dedicated educator. Having a national understanding of where we are academically helps me better understand my own state, even my own school. I’ve been able to come back to my school district from a Board meeting and discuss data and related issues on a national scale, and how those lessons learned can help us adjust efforts when need be.

When you’re working on the Governing Board, you work with others to define the foundation that allows you to see the big picture, not just your own local piece of the puzzle. You can become part of a force that works to ensure data become actionable and help ensure our students will be prepared to be tomorrow’s leaders.