Putting data first Education data, used well, can help school board members and everyone else who cares about public schools make good decisions — ones based not on the loudest voices or the latest theories, but on the facts about what students need and how they are currently doing. That was the focus of “Data Driven Decision-Making,” a Saturday session presented by two Illinois Association of School Board leaders that was created with the … Continue reading
In 2006, The National School Boards Association’s Board of Directors established the National Hispanic Caucus of School Board Members as a Council of NSBA to serve as a leader and advocate on issues of achievement for Latino children. The mission of the National Hispanic Caucus of School Board Members (NHC) is to promote the goals and vision of the National School Boards Association (NSBA) and to provide leadership and a foundation to school board members for student educational … Continue reading
I was disappointed with this presentation. It was more about input and process and absent any discussion about outcomes and raising student achievement: One of the first tasks of Robert Arias did when he accepted the superintendency in Bakersfield, Calif., was to work with the school board to align the board’s values and goals with the work of the central office and the school improvement plans at each campus. “Clarity precedes competence,” Arias told attendees at a Hispanic Caucus Breakout Session … Continue reading
I learned the most from this presentation. Mr. Gary Brochu (President, Berlin Board of Education) made the point that a school board meets about 72 hours a year and we should make the best use of that time: Sunday’s presentation, “Professional Governance Boards = Student Success,” was based on the idea that becoming a professionally functioning board of education is an essential precondition to a school district achieving sustainable student success. In this new culture, the … Continue reading
ATTENDED THIS SESSION AT THE NSBA Conference last week: A question that frequently arises among school members, new and seasoned is, “Can I be sued?” While there are no guarantees against a lawsuit being filed, it is important consider actions to take to limit school board exposure to potential liability. Most states provide indemnification to school board members for actions taken within the parameters of their school board responsibilities. However, at Monday’s session at National School Boards … Continue reading
BOARD VICE PRESIDENT HEATHER BENNETT is conducting the meeting and admits that the Board has been violating Utah’s Open meeting Act. BM 040913 MIN0305 Audio starts at about time index 1:20 This recording is the April 9, 2013, School Board Meeting discussing the March 5, 2013, Minute Meetings. The Part of the minutes that we are talking about is what was captured in the 03-05-13 meeting: I am asking that Policy … Continue reading