State Government Affairs
Education Policy Groups 101: National Policymaker Networks to Know If You Care About Education Policy
October 22, 2026 | Brian Peterson
Education policymakers are preparing for another busy year focused on state AI education policy, student mental health, school choice, and budget challenges, with national organizations playing a central role in shaping these debates. The Education Commission of the States, created in 1965 and based in Denver, serves all 50 states and territories by helping education leaders develop policy on topics ranging from early childhood education to workforce development. The National School Boards Association reaches more than 80,000 school board members across 13,000 school districts, advocating for public education and school board governance with combined buying power exceeding $400 billion. The Consortium of State School Boards Associations, founded in 2022, has grown to 27 member states and focuses on collaboration among state associations, networking for board members, and federal advocacy on local control of public education. ExcelinEd supports state leaders in pursuing student-centered policy on educational quality and innovation, bringing together more than 1,000 state and national leaders at its annual National Summit on Education.
