The Practice of Boardsmanship

Posted on

By Lon Garrison

AASB School Improvement Coordinator

Isn’t it true that nearly everything we become accomplished at we’ve had to work for? Yes, some folks seem to more easily become adept at certain skills but in the end, if we really wish to do well, it requires some dedication to practice and work. Good boardsmanship is something you learn and practice and continually develop. It’s roots come from a keen sense of respect and responsibility. Today, perhaps more than ever, we need good boardsmanship to get our work done and to show how good governance can be effective in affecting student achievement and building trust with our stakeholders. Most importantly, our children depend upon it.

The mission of the Association of Alaska School Boards is to advocate for children and youth by assisting school boards in providing quality public education, focused on student achievement, through effective local governance.

At AASB we offer a wide variety of opportunities for board members to educate themselves and to practice good boardsmanship. Let me review some of the options for you and your board to consider.

First-term Board Member Webinar Series (Link: First-term webinars)

A series of 8 webinars are offered beginning in January and running through May (usually 2 per month). These are presentations and discussions of topics important to your understanding of your role as a board member. They are usually hosted by an AASB staff member and either an accomplished school board member from around the state or an “expert” on the topic being covered. The webinars are free, take place during the lunch hour and last approximately 50 minutes. Each one is recorded and posted on the AASB website for future reference. Here are the topics we cover:

  • The Role of the Board
  • Board Standards
  • The Superintendent – Building a Relationship
  • Meetings
  • Working with the Board
  • School Finance
  • Working with the Community
  • School Law

On-site Board Development Workshops (Link: Board Development)

AASB staff can visit your district to provide customized board development. One of the most common and impactful exercises we facilitate while on site is a board self-evaluation. It is one of the few times board members have the opportunity to discuss with there fellow members how well the board is working and what challenges need to be addressed. It is the time for honest, open and forthright conversations. In addition, we often review and discuss the board’s bylaws. Other topics may include but are not limited to roles and responsibilities, budget process and oversight, strategic planning, parliamentary procedure, conducting effective meetings, etc. Find out more about our on-site custom board workshops by visiting our website at Ask AASB

AASB also has staff specifically specializing in community engagement, social-emotional learning, and cultural responsiveness. These professionals are part of our Alaska Initiative for Community Engagement (Alaska ICE).

AASB Conferences and Academies

AASB offers 4 boardsmanship academies for board members, each one focusing on various portions of our board development curriculum.

  • Fall Academy (late September), alternates location between Anchorage and Fairbanks, is 2 days in length and covers topics such as curriculum, personnel, community engagement, etc.
  • Equity in Education and Winter Academy (mid-December), hosted in Anchorage, this 2-day academy uses one day to focus on issues such as negotiations, policy, budgeting, advocacy, etc. and one day dedicated solely to topics associated with educational equity.
  • Leadership Academy and Legislative Fly-in (Early February) this is always held in Juneau and is the start of our advocacy work with the state legislature. The first day is an academy dedicated to board leadership such as leading change, parliamentary procedure, advocacy training, etc. The second day is used to orient board members to current legislative issues, the process and to prepare for legislative office visits the next two days.
  • Spring Academy and Legislative Fly-in (late-March) this is always held in Juneau and is the second opportunity for our advocacy work with the state legislature. The first day is an academy dedicated to various board topics such as CTE, collaboration, board standards, assessments, etc. The second day is used to orient board members to current legislative issues, the process and to prepare for legislative office visits the next two days.
  • Annual Conference (early November) this is always held in Anchorage and is the largest, most comprehensive conference offered. The main conference is 3 days in length (Friday through Sunday) and features a keynote address on Friday and Saturday. There are multiple concurrent sessions on nearly every topic important to school boards. AASB business meetings and our adoption of resolution process occur at this conference. There is a pre-conference day (Thursday) which provides specific training for new board members (Board Room Boot Camp) or the Experienced Members Academy. That day, important committee work of the association also occurs such as resolutions, nominations for the AASB board of directors, awards and budget committee.

In recognition of all of this work a board member may undertake, we have the Carl Rose Boardsmanship Awards Program. This program tracks each board member’s attendance and participation in each of the board development opportunities including those outside AASB such as the NSBA national conference.

There are three levels of boardsmanship that are recognized, Basic, Excellence, and Master. Each year at the Annual Conference Awards banquet on Saturday night, boardsmanship awards are presented to members attaining any of these three levels. In addition, the membership recognizes an outstanding school board member from all nominations submitted from across the state with the Carl Rose Governance Award. Also recognized is the school board of the year. These awards are highly regarded recognition of a board member’s commitment to the practice of excellent boardsmanship.

It is only through this conscious practice and learning that board members across Alaska can hope to achieve our association mission:

The mission of the Association of Alaska School Boards is to advocate for children and youth by assisting school boards in providing quality public education, focused on student achievement, through effective local governance.

# # #

 

,