MONTGOMERY, AL – State Board Member Stephanie Bell (District 3) has been chosen to serve on a national panel to make policy recommendations on federal education legislation. Mrs. Bell will serve on the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) Governmental Affairs Committee (GAC). Mrs. Bell, a member of the Alabama State Board of Education since 1995, also served on the GAC in 2009.
“We want to ensure Alabama has a seat at the education policy table and for the interests of our schoolchildren to be well-represented,” said Bell. “I believe my years on Alabama's board and my previous experience with the Governmental Affairs Committee prepare me to contribute to the important work of this national panel.”
The Governmental Affairs Committee is responsible for developing federal policy recommendations and communicating with Congress and federal officials about the education reform priorities of state boards of education. The GAC helps state board members understand, influence and plan for federal education policies. In its efforts to affect national education policymaking, NASBE works to ensure that it represents the views of its members to the executive and legislative branches of the federal government, as well as to associations representing governors, state legislators, school administrators, principals, local school boards, teachers, and parents.
“This is a time of great flux in American public education. The Administration is advancing its plans for education reform, the wheels have been set in motion for the approval of common standards in most states, and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act will likely come up for renewal in 2010, with broad changes made to the existing law that will directly impact the states,” said NASBE Executive Director Brenda Welburn. “The Governmental Affairs Committee amplifies NASBE’s collective voice to members of Congress and the U.S. Department of Education. We look forward to the input and guidance the GAC will deliver to NASBE and state boards as these processes move forward.”
As a member of the 20-member national panel, Bell will meet throughout the year with other state education leaders, national policymakers, federal lawmakers and education reform experts to share their state’s experiences and perspective, analyze federal education initiatives, promote state board of education priorities, and serve as a state education resource to congressional offices and staff.
The National Association of State Boards of Education represents America’s state and territorial boards of education. NASBE exists to strengthen State Boards as the preeminent educational policymaking bodies for citizens and students. For more, visit www.nasbe.org.
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