Last week, Southeast Michigan’s own Don Hubler, former SEMCOG Chairperson, Vice President of the Macomb Intermediate School District (MISD) Board of Education, and past President and current member of the Board of the Directors at the Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB), was elected President of the National School Boards Association (NSBA).
While the resume is impressive, it is Don’s tireless commitment to students and public education that need to be celebrated. Don is the most staunch advocate for students that I know.
Like many school board members, he got involved in his local school district because he wanted to help the community. He joined the Parents Advisory Group for the L’Anse Creuse School District in Macomb County and helped to pass a $220 million bond program for school improvements. He was able to use his professional background to engage the community to do this since his role as the Water Department Superintendent and later Director of Public Works for the City of St Clair Shores required communicating and promoting community efforts. Soon after, Don ran for and was elected to the L’Anse Creuse School District Board of Education. In 2013, he was elected to the MISD board.
Photo: SEMCOG Officers, July 2022. Don Hubler with fellow officers Oakland County Commissioner Gwen Markham; Wayne County Treasurer Eric Sabree; City of Port Huron Mayor Pauline Repp; City of Mount Clemens Mayor Laura Kropp; and Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett.
Leading SEMCOG Education Efforts
I’ve known Don for more than a decade. He has been active in SEMCOG the entire time. We worked closely on just about every education initiative in that time, but he has been just as involved in many other regional planning issues ranging from transportation to environment. He served on the SEMCOG Executive Committee for many years representing education interests before being appointed SEMCOG Chairperson from 2019-21, which meant he led on many different regional issues.
He also has a deep respect for data and has been an advocate for data-driven decisions at SEMCOG and the other organizations he has been active in. Don co-chaired the SEMCOG/MAC Education Reform Task Force with David Hecker, former President of the AFT-Michigan. This resulted in a report Providing Quality Education for All Students: A Comprehensive Approach. This included recommendations for increasing investment, access, and equity in education; supporting regional growth; and preparing students for the transition to post-secondary education and careers. He feels that a well-educated population is an asset that will help prepare individuals for the inevitable changes resulting from state and regional demographic and economic trends.
Photo: Don Hubler presenting on SEMCOG data with SEMCOG Demographic Coordinator Sirisha Uppalapati and Manager of Economic and Community Vitality Naheed Huq.
Transferring his Passion and Skills to the National Stage
The NSBA is a federation of state associations of school boards. It brings together board members across America to share best practices and ideas, provide training and support to local school board members on many different issues including curriculum, finances, and staffing. It helps to make the public education system stronger by helping school districts address challenges. It also looks for opportunities to influence national policy decisions and take advantage of opportunities by working with the federal government on issues impacting students and the classroom. The NSBA Board includes councils representing different student populations including the Hispanic Council and urban schools. Black school boards and American Indian and Alaskan Native Council which helps to ensure policies reflect the needs of all students.
Major Challenges in Education
Don feels that the major challenges in public education are teacher shortages, equitable funding, and attendance and absenteeism. He is proud of Macomb ISD’s Grow Your Own Teachers initiative which helps to support a pipeline of future teachers. In Macomb, this has resulted in 25 additional special education teachers. These programs ensure the availability of highly trained teachers which helps improve student outcomes. Don would like to see all states develop these programs by funding collaborative programs. In terms of absenteeism, Macomb ISD is working with local transportation agencies to address transportation barriers and access to school.
Personal Goals as NSBA President
Don’s priority for his year as president of NSBA is full funding of IDEA. This would bring $15,000 to every classroom. Federal funding has continued to decline every year and is currently only funded at 13% of this amount. As a result, every school district has to make up the difference to meet federal mandates related to teacher pay, mental health, and career development.
Support for teacher development is another of his priorities. He feels that the State of Michigan has done a lot of good work in developing and retaining teachers compared to other states and would like to see other states provide more support to grow interest and support for teachers in training.
As he works with school boards across the country, he wants to ensure that all boards understand that their fundamental goal is to expand opportunities for all children so they can benefit from opportunities provided by education.
Photo: Don Hubler was recognized for his role in supporting public education by former SEMCOG Chairperson Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett.
What do his peers say about him?
When asked, what he thinks his peers say about him, Don said they would probably say: “What you see is what you get!” I asked some of his education peers at SEMCOG what they thought.
Mary Blackmon, Wayne Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA), says, “Don is an exemplary leader par excellence, stimulating and engaging with a strong heart that cares about students.”
Dale DeSloover, Monroe County Intermediate School District, says, “I wish I had the energy, compassion, and drive that Don has…he has a full-time commitment to school boards at the local, state, and national level.”
Diana Morton McKnight, Washtenaw Community College, says, “Don is a leader and a problem solver. He brings out the best in people by giving them confidence, guiding them, and supporting them. He has been a leader since I met him ten years ago and continues to be the sort of person you can always reach out to. NO one is going to be disappointed in his leadership at the NSBA.”
There is no doubt that Don is a leader and ready to take his passion, determination, and experience from the local, regional, and state level to the national level to change the way we think about teaching, preparing students for the future, and supporting school districts and boards to help create an environment that lets all students thrive.
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