Tiffany Jackson, Incoming AASB Executive Director
It is my pleasure to have been given the opportunity to serve as the Association of Alaska School Boards’ next Executive Director. As I look forward to and prepare for the future, I’ve paused to reflect on what has brought me to today and on how AASB has been a part of my life for quite some time.
In 2007, I was first elected to the school board. I remember attending my first school board meeting and feeling overwhelmed with all the information. Day 2 of being a school board member was spent attending my first Association of Alaska School Boards annual conference. I remember thinking there was so much to learn, and not understanding how my remote school district fit into this larger organization. I had so many questions, and my fellow Aleutians East Borough School District school board members and the AASB staff were so wonderful, giving me advice and helping me find my way.
In 2009, I was asked if I had ever considered running for the AASB Board of Directors – I hadn’t. To me, the Board of Directors was this group of super experienced school board members, who knew way more than I did about governance. A seed was planted, though, and in 2010, the Aleutians East Borough School District Board of Education voted to support me running for the AASB Board of Directors. I can clearly remember interviewing with the nominations committee. Rich Mauer was chairing the committee, and graciously answered so many of my questions regarding what it actually meant to serve on the AASB Board of Directors.
Becoming a Director for AASB changed my life. Public education has always been important to me, more so since having three children, all of whom have either gone through the public school system or are currently in the public school system. Serving on the AASB Board of Directors opened my eyes to the importance of having engaged local school board members molding the shape of public education in Alaska, and the country.
It’s an important job, serving on the school board, and it’s not easy. When I first ran, I knew there were meetings and workshops that I’d have to prepare for and attend. I did not, however, have a full comprehension of all the roles school board members play. As school board members, we advocate for our students locally, at a state level, and nationally so we can provide them with the best possible education. We hire the Superintendent to lead the district. We develop and monitor strategic plans to help guide our administration and the district. We adopt and modify policy to develop guidelines for the district. We evaluate ourselves, and the Superintendent, and identify how we might improve the job we’re doing and better serve our students. We adopt curriculum for our students, identifying what they should learn and by when. We evaluate student achievement data to identify where we’re efficient and where we could improve. All this, and more! School board members often volunteer their time locally for their schools, take personal time off from work to participate in professional development and advocacy efforts, and support their students by being one of their biggest cheerleaders in the community!
I’ve been blessed to work with some amazing public education advocates in my time with AASB. I worked with Carl Rose, Joseph Reeves, and Norm Wooten as Executive Directors of AASB when I was on the board. Each of these individuals taught me important lessons about how to be a better board member and a better advocate for students. I’ve served with many amazing school board members in the 12 years I was on the board, and one always gets into trouble when you start naming people, but there are individuals who were always available to take my call or text when I had questions about school board service: Hillary Smith, Michael Swain, Katie Oliver, Kristi Swett, and Pete Hoepfner. Thank you!
In 2021, I joined the AASB staff as the Director of Membership Services. It was a little scary. Yes, I had 12 years of knowledge and experience from being a school board member, but would that translate to being effective in helping AASB move forward with its mission to advocate for children and youth by assisting school boards in providing quality public education, focused on student achievement, through effective local governance? Turns out, it did translate. With the support of Timi Tullis, former Associate Executive Director and dear friend, I had found my professional home. The staff, the Board of Directors, our membership school districts, and most importantly, our students have made coming to work every day something I look forward to.
I’ve so enjoyed getting to know school board members from across the state as I’ve traveled to your districts to do superintendent searches, board self-evaluations, superintendent evaluations, strategic planning, board retreats and more. I’ve seen parts of Alaska I never would have seen had it not been for this work. Probably my favorite part of this work was my involvement with the June Nelson Memorial Scholarship program. Calling students who had been selected to let them know they won a scholarship was always so inspiring, as I got a glimpse of what the selection committee saw in each student’s application during those phone calls.
With me this whole time during my tenure with AASB has been Lon Garrison. He was on the Board of Directors when I joined, and served as President a few years before I did. I have a clear memory of approaching Lon and asking him what serving as President involved, always wanting to know what the commitment looked like before expressing my interest. Lon has been a steady presence throughout my time with AASB, first on the Board, then as the Director of Membership Service, and finally as the Executive Director. I’ve appreciated his leadership in each of these roles, and smile as I ponder the thought that I always seem to be “filling Lon’s shoes,” so to speak. I wish him well as he retires, and hope he finds joy in having more time to do all of his favorite things.
Which brings me to today – preparing to transition to the role of Executive Director of the Association of Alaska School Boards. I want to thank the Board of Directors for having faith in me to lead this organization with their guidance and support. Having strong, engaged leadership makes my job easier. I look forward to working with the membership districts as I settle into the role. AASB is here to support districts as they focus on providing quality public education, through support phone calls and emails, board workshops, grant partnerships, and more. We have an amazing staff, and I’m thrilled to work with everyone in this new role.
Finally, thank you to the families, school board members, superintendents, executive administrators, partners, and public education advocates who participate in and advocate for public education. Our students depend on you and what you do to help build their futures. My hope is that AASB can be a partner in this work with you.
Sincerely,
Tiffany Jackson