Cape school board not impacted by Missouri School Boards Association's break from NSBA

The Missouri School Boards Association's (MSBA) recent disassociation from the National School Boards Association (NSBA) will have little to no effect on Cape Girardeau School District board, according to school board member Missy Phegley.

The MSBA recently left the NSBA after leaders found the NSBA "has demonstrated it does not currently align with MSBA's guiding principles of local governance."

The national association's president and executive director sent a letter to President Joe Biden last month asking for federal assistance to stop threats and acts of violence against public school boards and school children.

The NSBA equated acts against school boards and public school officials to domestic terrorism and hate crimes, though its board of directors has since apologized for the letter.

Phegley serves as a liaison between the Cape Girardeau School District Board of Education and MSBA. She said the MSBA provides board members extensive training upon election and professional development through their terms of service.

"I don't think the disassociation will have any impact on our school board," Phegley said.

In their letter, NSBA officials asked the federal government to prevent acts of violence against school boards through executive authority and intergovernmental task forces.

On Tuesday, Gov. Mike Parson applauded the MSBA's decision to pull from NSBA.

"In Missouri, we have strict laws to hold those accountable who harass or threaten school personnel," Parson said in a statement. "Our highly trained local law enforcement are more than capable of handling these situations and do not need the DOJ or FBI injecting federal bureaucracy into our local matters."

In a recent letter to MSBA members, MSBA executive director Melissa Randol wrote no school board member or educator should have to endure violence, but "attempting to address that issue with federal intervention should not be the first step in most cases."

"I agree with Melissa Randol of MSBA that no school board member or educator should have to endure threats or acts of intimidation for making difficult decisions," Phegley said. "I also agree that federal intervention should not be the first step in addressing these issues."

At Cape Girardeau School District's Monday night board meeting, board president Kyle McDonald mentioned MSBA's disassociation with NSBA, but had to pause as attendees interrupted with applause.

Recent Cape Girardeau school board meetings have often been packed with people -- some with family in the district, some not -- who come to voice their concerns on the district's COVID-19 policies.

Coupled with attacks against school board members and educators for approving policies for masks, school board members from across the country have also faced physical threats because of the false claims critical race theory is taught in class, NSBA officials wrote in their letter to the White House.

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One speaker, who said she was a grandmother of two children in the district, began her allowed three minutes of speech before the board by saying she was "not a domestic terrorist," referring to the NSBA's letter.

She then went on to question whether the Missouri Department of Education would use Canvas, an online learning system used by teachers in Cape Girardeau School District and several other districts nationwide, to "push down their favored ideologies such as CRT." Other speakers Monday night mirrored the same concern.

Phegley said she appreciates people's willingness to share their concerns and she's never received threats or experienced acts of violence because of her role on the school board.

"Hearing from a variety of perspectives also helps inform decision-making, while keeping the best interests of our students, faculty and staff in mind," Phegley said.