CUBE FAQ
How are CUBE, the National Affiliate program (NA), and NSBA related?
CUBE is the urban arm of the National Affiliate program. Any local district that is a member of their state school boards association can become a National Affiliate and receive the benefit of having a voice on the national stage. There are added benefits of being a CUBE district because CUBE is tailored to address the needs of large districts that often face different challenges. If you are a CUBE district, you are also a National Affiliate district, and all of this is under the umbrella of NSBA.
What is the makeup of CUBE?
There are currently over 100 CUBE districts with an enrollment of nearly 8 million students from 35 different states and the Virgin Islands. The majority of CUBE districts serve communities with a core population of 100,000 or more. CUBE districts have a collective budget of $99 billion.
How is CUBE different than other organizations?
CUBE is the only entity that was created for urban school board members to share their ideas, frustrations, and successes. CUBE is an outlet for many school board members face the same challenges around the country and want to share their experiences as board members.
How is CUBE governed?
CUBE has a 16 member elected Steering Committee. The Steering Committee is made up of a regionally, ethnically, and gender balanced group of candidates that is nominated, slated for election, and finally voted on by the CUBE membership in attendance at the annual business meeting, which coincides with NSBA’s Annual Conference every spring.
How often does CUBE meet?
CUBE has four meetings per year. Two meetings are around other NSBA activities (Federal Relations Conference in February in Washington, DC and the NSBA Annual Conference each spring), while the other two are stand-alone meetings. Our Summer Issues Seminar focuses on a current challenge that districts are facing and the CUBE Annual Conference occurs in the fall where the CUBE Annual Award for School Board Excellence is given.
Other than meetings, how can I participate if?
There are many other ways to participate in CUBE activities. CUBE often calls for information from our districts to help with research or other publications where we rely on our ‘experts’ to tell us what’s happening in urban education around the country. There are other ways you can help and other leadership opportunities to take advantage of. We also hold periodic webinars to keep in touch and share information about critical issues, and we always want to know what topics you are facing and how we can help. The reality is -- if you are feeling pressure on an issue, there are probably a dozen other districts out there that have a similar challenge. The more we know at the national office, the more we can share with the other 100-plus districts in CUBE.