NYSSBA's Annual Convention & Education Expo
Call for Presentations Is Now Closed!

The New York State School Boards Association is pleased to announce its Call for Presentations for NYSSBA’s Annual Convention & Education Expo, which will be held in-person at the Buffalo Convention Center from Oct. 22-24, 2026. This event, which historically attracts 1,500 participants, provides a platform for board members, superintendents and other education stakeholders to exchange ideas, network and learn from each other’s experiences. The theme for this year is Conversation. Connection. Community.

NYSSBA is looking for proposals which highlight the successes of implementation, as well as honest discussion about challenges and how they are overcome. Interactive sessions that invite collaboration and actively involve participants in the learning process will be given preference. The deadline for submission of presentation proposals is Monday, March 23, 2026.

WHO SHOULD SUBMIT

NYSSBA encourages all submissions, particularly from members, including BOCES, small city, large city and rural school districts.

AUDIENCE

• All levels of board service – newly elected to veteran board members
• Board Officers - Presidents and Vice Presidents
• Superintendents and other administrators in NYS P-12 public education

SUBMISSION OPTIONS

OPTION ONE
For school board members, superintendents, school administrators and subject matter experts, submissions for a 60-minute presentation (40 minutes of content and 20 minutes of Q&A) with content related to one of the following tracks is encouraged:

• Finance & Facilities
• Governance & Leadership
• Innovative Tech Approaches
• School Safety & Wellness
• Stakeholder & Community Engagement

*All presenters must be paid convention registrants, and those representing a school district must be from a district that is a current NYSSBA member in good standing through the 2026 calendar year. Submitting a proposal signifies willingness and availability to offer the presentation at any time on Thursday, Oct. 22 – Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026.

OPTION TWO
For exhibitors and sponsors, submissions for a 20-minute presentation on one solution to a need in K-12 education is encouraged in our new “Solution in 20” track. Product pitches or sales presentations will not be accepted.

*Presenter(s) company must be a paid exhibitor in the Education Expo prior to proposal being reviewed. Submitting a proposal signifies willingness and availability to offer the presentation at any time on Thursday, Oct. 22 or Friday, Oct. 23, 2026.

OPTION THREE
For school board presidents and superintendents looking to present at our Pre-Con Board Officers Academy, scheduled on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026:

• Topics: Effective Board Leadership & Building Strong Relationships with the Superintendent
• Contact Mark Snyder, Senior Leadership Development Manager, at mark.snyder@nyssba.org to submit your proposal.

PROPOSAL OUTLINE

• Title- 12 words max
• Description- 50 words max
• Synopsis- 400 words max (include elements of engagement)
• 3 Learning Objectives

HOW PROPOSALS WILL BE REVIEWED

Each submission will be evaluated using a Likert scale to measure agreement based on the following five criteria:

1. Overall quality
2. Relevance specific to school board member audience
3. Ability to inspire action or provide a solution
4. Originality
5. Interactive program design

We receive several hundred submissions each year, so please understand this is a difficult and highly selective process. Only one submission per author will be sent to the review committee for consideration.

DECISION DEADLINE

All notification of accepted or declined proposals will be done via email - please be sure the email address provided is correct. If you do not receive an email by Friday, May 15, 2026, please contact Jennifer Kearney at jennifer.kearney@nyssba.org. Submissions to the “Solutions in 20” track should contact Melina Breig at melina.breig@nyssba.org.