Dear School Board Members and Administrators,
At this time of the year, we are reminded that leadership is not measured by titles or applause, but by service - by the steady, often unseen work of showing up for others, day after day.
Across Missouri, school board members do just that. You listen. You lead. You carry the responsibility of making decisions not for yourselves, but for children you may never meet - and for futures you may never fully see.
This year has asked much of you. It has tested patience, resilience, and resolve. And still, you have chosen collaboration over conflict, community over convenience, and hope over cynicism. That choice matters.
Public education remains one of our nation’s most enduring promises - a promise that opportunity should never depend on a ZIP code, a last name, or the circumstances of a child’s birth. And that promise is protected, strengthened, and carried forward by local leaders like you.
On behalf of the Missouri School Boards’ Association, thank you for your service, your integrity, and your belief in what’s possible when
communities come together for kids.
May this Christmas and holiday season bring moments of rest, joy, and
renewal. And may the year ahead find us continuing this work - together - with purpose, courage, and grace.
Merry Christmas, and warm wishes for the New Year.
Melissa Randol
Executive Director & CEO
Missouri School Boards’ Association
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