The National Rural Education Association (NREA) is proud to announce a new partnership with the Consortium of State School Boards Associations (COSSBA), a national alliance dedicated to strengthening state schools boards associations through collaborations, leadership, and federal advocacy.
This partnership reflects a shared commitment to ensuring rural schools have a stronger voice in education policy discussions. Together, with the NREA’s expertise in rural education and COSSBA’s advocacy network and federal efforts, both organizations will work to elevate the issues affecting rural schools, students, educators, and communities.
“Meaningful change occurs when organizations unite around a common purpose. The Consortium of State School Boards Associations (COSSBA) is honored to partner with the National Rural Education Association to strengthen relationships, share expertise, and advocate for the unique needs of rural schools, said Executive Director Dr. Kathy McFarland. “Together, we can help ensure that every student, regardless of where they live, has access to high-quality educational opportunities.”
Through this collaboration, NREA and COSSBA can share advocacy resources, promote important policy updates, and strengthen connections between rural education leaders and schools board associations across the country. They will help ensure that the unique challenges and opportunities facing rural schools remain part of the national conversation.
“Partnerships like this help build a network of like-minded advocates in the rural education space,” said Dr. Melissa Sadorf, NREA Executive Director. “We are excited to join hands with COSSBA to expand advocacy for our membership and for theirs.”
NREA is committed to building strategic partnerships that advance its missions of supporting rural educators, students, and communities. By working alongside organizations like COSSBA, NREA continues to expand opportunities for collaborations and advocacy for rural schools nationwide.
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The National Rural Education Association (NREA) was originally founded as the Department of Rural Education in 1907. It is the oldest established national organization in the United States. As the trusted voice for rural education, the NREA advocates for every rural learner, educator, and community. The NREA envisions strong rural schools and communities where education is the catalyst for resilience, opportunity and success.
COSSBA is a nationwide alliance that serves state school boards associations by delivering comprehensive training, nonpartisan federal advocacy and support necessary to achieve excellence in local school governance and high-quality public education in local communities. COSSBA serves 27 state associations representing 7,500 local school boards, 52,000 school board members and over 27 million K-12 students.
