Miami-Dade County School Board Vice Chair Dr. Steve Gallon III was unanimously elected Chair of the National Steering Committee of the Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE) at its annual business meeting held virtually on Thursday, April 1, 2021. After considering his nomination and his service as Vice Chair over the past year, Dr. Gallon was elected, without opposition, by school board members representing regions from around the country.

Dr. Gallon, who has served as a teacher, principal, district administrator, and Superintendent of Schools was first elected to the National Steering Committee of the Council of Urban Boards of Education on April 7, 2018, in San Antonio, Texas, becoming the first Miami-Dade School Board member to be elected this committee in more than a decade. In addition to Chair, he will continue to serve his term representing the southern region of the United States.

For more than 50 years, CUBE has been at the forefront of helping urban school districts strive for excellence. Established in 1967 by the National School Board Association’s (NSBA) Board of Directors, CUBE is a national membership organization guided by Steering Committee members who represent a diverse group of urban school board members dedicated to the needs of children in urban centers and who provide guidance and leadership to carry out the vision of the organization.

CUBE’s mission is to create opportunities for urban school board leaders to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to be effective policymakers and advocates for equity and excellence in public education. CUBE currently represents over 100 urban school districts in 32 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Its member districts educate nearly eight million students in almost 12,000 schools with a collective budget of $99 billion. 

CUBE helps urban school board leaders find solutions to challenges at the local level and seeks to improve their policy-making effectiveness. CUBE creates a forum for urban school board members to share innovative practices through seminars, conferences, legislative advocacy, research projects, professional networking opportunities, specialized publications, and local governance and policy assistance.

“I am deeply humbled and honored to have been unanimously elected by my peers as the new Chair of the CUBE Steering Committee and am moved by their confidence and support. Having spent over three decades in public education, and in roles ranging from teacher, assistant principal, and principal, to district administrator, superintendent, and elected School Board Member in Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the nation's 4th largest school district, I look forward to our collective and continued work of advocating for educational equity, enlightenment, and empowerment for under voiced and underserved student populations across the nation. As we enter into new, uncharted waters of a post-COVID-19 educational reality, we must become even more deliberate, intentional, strategic, and unapologetic in our articulation and actions regarding addressing the increased needs and challenges of educating poor, Black, and Hispanic students in our nation's schools. My life's personal journey and professional work have prepared me for such a time as this." 

To learn more about Dr. Gallon’s work as a School Board Member for Miami-Dade County Public Schools, click here: http://district1.dadeschools.net/.