Introduction

Advocacy Focused on the Interests of Children: "MTSBA will lead advocacy efforts on behalf of our membership to ensure that Montana’s system of public education is focused on high student achievement, full development of the potential of all children, and development of the whole child through a system of education that includes music and the arts, healthy habits and early childhood education."

From the Montana School Boards Association's Strategic Plan, Core Values, Last Affirmed March 2007.

Goal Area 1: Legislative Advocacy: Statement of Intended Outcome, Three to Five Years: MTSBA has refined its process for developing advocacy positions to more completely describe the range of opinions among its members. School finance laws are brought into compliance with constitutional responsibilities without denigrating constitutional supervision and control by elected trustees.

From the Montana School Boards Association's Strategic Plan, Goal Areas, Last Affirmed March 2007.

MTSBA is an effective advocate for school boards within the educational community. The Association's legislative agenda is set by the membership at the Montana Conference of Educational Leadership each year.

MTSBA maintains a constant vigilance to support or oppose actions by governmental agencies and individuals that impact the interests of public education through its work with the Legislature, other state and federal policy makers and news media. MTSBA takes an advocacy role before such agencies and boards as the Office of Public Instruction, Board of Public Education, Public Licensing Boards, Department of Labor and Industry and many more. MTSBA supports membership efforts to influence state educational policy and testifies before the Legislature, Congress, administrative and regulatory agencies on issues affecting public education.

MTSBA actively participates on many committees having control or influence over particular aspects of public school management. MTSBA constantly monitors administrative rules and policy changes affecting public education and provides timely and accurate reporting and updates to its members on all legislative and regulatory issues.