The Washington State School Directors’ Association is a member-driven organization that supports the school district leadership team—school board members and superintendents—in preparing all children to be responsible citizens and to lead productive, satisfying lives. Our mission is to equip local education leaders with the skills and resources they need to effectively govern their districts and promote student achievement.
WSSDA is made up of all 1,477 school board members from Washington state’s 295 public school districts. The districts they lead serve more than one million students, have a combined annual budget of $6 billion and employ nearly 100,000 people.
WSSDA is:
- A respected, trusted advocate for public education and student achievement at the local, state and federal levels;
- A leader in promoting effective governance by school directors through professional development and leadership programs, policy briefings, strategic planning services, and legal research; and
- A comprehensive network through which school board members learn from each other, keep abreast of policy and legal developments in education, and share successful practices and innovative ideas.
WSSDA was founded in 1922. At the request of school board members, the state Legislature established WSSDA as a state governmental association in 1947. This law provides automatic membership to all school boards in the state and authorizes the association to be self-governed through a Delegate Assembly and a Board of Directors made up of member-elected officers and regional representatives.