New School Board Members
Welcome to the Association of Alaska School Boards!
At AASB, we realize that people most often come to a position on the School Board as concerned citizens who want to make a difference. We also know that there is very little in anyone’s previous experiences that fully prepares them for serving as a public official and a constructive member of a governing Board.
Our goal is to welcome you to the world of public service and get you started on the road to effective governance!
Making the Most of Your First Term
Every year, AASB provides training specifically for new board members. Topics will include Board Standards, Building a Relationship with the Superintendent, Working with Your Board, Meetings, Communication, School Finance and Laws, and Community Engagement.
Ready, Set, Govern! Workshop
Ready, Set, Govern! is a day-and-a-half pre-conference workshop held every November in conjunction with AASB’s Annual Conference. Topics covered at this workshop include:
- Meeting conduct and parliamentary procedure
- Understanding board policy
- the Alaska Open Meetings Act
- School Law and School Finance
Alaska School Board Handbook
The Alaska School Board handbook was developed with new board members in mind. It’s been designed to give you a handy reference that breaks down many of your responsibilities into more “bite-sized” pieces.
Making the Most of Your First Term: What New School Board Members Want to Know
The First-Term Board Member Webinar Series has been created to provide a free online opportunity for board members in their first term of service to hear from experienced board members or content experts on a range of topics. Ten one-hour webinars are hosted from January through May and provide an opportunity to delve into more detail on subjects that were introduced in Ready, Set, Govern! at the Annual Conference. Each webinar is recorded and posted to this website for any member to access. Featured experts on the webinars include school attorneys, school business officials, experienced superintendents, and veteran board members.
The list below provides a syllabus for the topics covered each year, as well as a link to pages containing more detailed information.
Resources for New School Board Members
- Helpful Hints for New Members
- Department of Education
- Jurassic Parliament (Parliamentary procedure)