Annual Conference Celebrates Service and Excellence
By Norm Wooten, AASB Executive Director
It’s that time of the year again leading up to the AASB Annual Conference. This is the premier event for Alaska’s school board members. Three days of professional development on a myriad of topics designed to make you a better board member. And of course, the ultimate goal is to enable you to better serve the students in your district.
You will have a chance to participate in the Delegate Assembly and review resolutions, as well as offer new resolutions. This is one of your most important duties during the conference. Your work is to approve a body of resolutions that direct the board of directors and staff in advocating the Association’s position at both the state and federal levels. The AASB office frequently receives calls from legislators and legislative staff asking for support and testimony on a variety of legislation. Our first reaction is to go to the resolutions packet. Only the resolutions provide authority for AASB’s support. The membership, through the Delegate Assembly, directs our efforts. It’s important for your voice to be heard during the resolutions debate process.
All districts have received information on the AASB board elections. This is an unusual year for board elections. For a variety of reasons, there are eight seats up for elections. If you’ve ever considered serving on the board of directors, you might want to consider completing the paperwork and forwarding your application through your local board. On Thursday prior to the Annual Conference, the Nominations Committee will review all applications and interview the candidates. They will then forward a recommended slate for consideration to the Delegate Assembly. Even if you are not selected for the slate, there is a provision for running from the floor.
The Board has three on-site meetings each year. The first is the post-conference meeting on Monday following the Annual Conference. The second is in conjunction with the second Fly-In in March or April, and the third is the summer meeting in July. Board members are assigned four to five districts to serve as a liaison between those districts and the board. Additionally, each board member serves on several other committees. Serving on the AASB Board is a great opportunity to have a say in the governance of the Association and in effect make a difference throughout the entire state. Not only is it a personal growth opportunity for you it is also a great honor for your district. I encourage you to consider running for the board of directors. You need to submit your paperwork as soon as possible. If you have questions contact me at nwooten@nullaasb.org.
Each district has also has been sent information on AASB’s two awards. The first is an individual award, the Carl Rose Governance Award (formally called School Board Member of the Year). If you know of a deserving school board member on your board or another board consider nominating them for this award. They are recognized at the conference, receive an engraved plaque, and their name is placed on a permanent display in the AASB office. This is a great way to recognize a hard-working school board member who is making a difference in the lives of students through the best practice of board governance.
The second award is the School Board of the Year. Take a look at the criteria and consider self-nominating your board or another board for this honor. AASB is dedicated to promoting good governance, and we need to recognize boards who are modeling good governance. An awards committee will review all applications the day prior to the Annual Conference and select a recipient for both the Carl Rose Governance and the School Board of the Year.
I look forward to seeing each of you at the conference. When you see me, please stop and talk. I’m interested in what your district is doing and look forward to hearing your story.
Nomination Forms
Carl Rose Governance Award (School Board Member of the Year)
Deadline for Submissions: October 15, 2019
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