Volunteer

Membership in the National Association of Elementary School Principals helps principals connect with peers and grow their leadership potential.

As a volunteer you will:

Forge connections with colleagues and peers

Share your expertise and leverage the expertise of others.

Enhance your leadership skills

Click on the tabs below to find out volunteer opportunities such as serving on NAESP’s Board of Directors, working with your state affiliate, or contributing to NAESP’s editorial advisory board. Whether you’re new to the profession or have been active for years, we invite you to engage with NAESP.

Advisers

The Professional Learning Advisory Council (PLAC) is composed of volunteers who contribute time and creative energy to enable the NAESP organization to gain feedback and understanding from active members regarding the relevant needs of Pre-K-8 school leaders. Volunteers will find the experience to be personally and professionally rewarding knowing they are making worthwhile contributions to expand leadership and powerfully impact student and adult learning.  This opportunity is reserved for NAESP members only. For more information, contact Honor Fede.

To keep NAESP’s publications at the forefront of education issues and trends, the Association has established a group of editorial advisers. This group assists NAESP by:

Suggesting themes and articles for Principal and other publications;

  • Writing articles and one book review per year;
  • Contributing to conference news; and
  • Providing honest feedback on publications and other NAESP services.

Editorial advisers are asked to make a three-year commitment. Being an editorial adviser takes a limited amount of time each month, and all advisers are recognized in the masthead of Principal. All applicants must currently be members of NAESP.

Apply Now

The federal relations coordinator works with NAESP to inform the national policy and advocacy agenda, and serves as the state ambassador to advance the national agenda in federal, state, and local education reform discussions.

Learn More

Panels

The National Panel on the Principalship is a dedicated group of school leaders NAESP reaches out regularly for feedback on relevant topics in school leadership and/or potential use in NAESP publications and resources. It’s your opportunity to share best practices with your peers.

Apply Now

Leadership and Governance

NAESP’s Officers and Board of Directors lead the Association by establishing goals and priorities, provide fiscal oversight, and make all policy decisions. Their leadership and influence on issues of policy and practice aim to keep our nation’s schools on track and headed in the right direction.

  • NAESP Officers serve the first year as Vice President, the second year as President-Elect, and the third year as President.
  • The Election for Vice President will be held March 12-22, 2024.
  • For more information on how to apply and other questions, contact Jennifer Shannon.

  • Serve a three-year term of office
  • Determine your Zone eligibility based on your region
  • For more information on how to apply and other questions, contact Jennifer Shannon.

State Leaders

NAESP maintains relationships with state affiliate organizations, in some cases, offering joint membership in both the state and national organization. Review the list of state organizations here, and review state/national engagement roles below.

NAESP State Representatives serve as liaisons between NAESP and their state associations. In addition to coordinating NAESP membership campaigns within their respective states, the NAESP State Reps deliver regular NAESP updates to the state associations’ Executive Directors, Board of Directors, and key staff. Current NAESP State Representatives and their information can be found here. For more information, contact Jackie McGrail.

Individuals who perform communications duties for state affiliate organizations are invited to join the State Editors group. The State Editors community serves a critical role of sharing information, resources, and best practices. The group meets virtually, and at NAESP’s annual conference and National Leaders Conference. For more information, contact Kaylen Tucker.

Committees

The Membership Committee plays a very important leadership role in helping NAESP to make significant and meaningful advances in our efforts to grow and deliver a highly valued member experience. The work of the Membership Committee will help us anticipate and meet the emerging needs of elementary and middle-level principals nationwide. The Membership Committee’s guidance can help strengthen NAESP’s value proposition to members and identify programs and services that will help members succeed at every stage in their career.

If you are interested in serving on the Membership Committee, please contact your zone director.

Key Documents:

The Nominating Committee is intended to assure NAESP members of three essential elements: nomination of the best qualified on-line principals and assistant principals as candidates, representation of minorities among the officers of the Association, and a fair and open nomination process. The Nominating Committee serves as a selection committee to ensure there are at least (2) candidates for Vice President.

If you are interested in serving on the Nominating Committee, please contact your zone director.

Key Documents:

The National Association for Elementary School Principals’ Platform serves as the statement of beliefs for the Association and its membership of elementary and middle-level principals. NAESP’s advocacy staff works to shape Congress’ and the U.S. Department of Education’s policies based on the belief statements included in the platform document. The Resolutions Committee meets annually to update the resolutions that make up the NAESP Platform and initiate new resolutions to accurately reflect the realities of the principalship. The proposed resolutions and changes are presented to the NAESP Board of Directors for approval at their March board meeting.

If you are interested in serving on the Resolutions Committee, please contact your zone director.

Key Documents: