ASBA Annual Highlights focuses on enhancing and expanding services to members in 2020
In a year unlike no other, ASBA stepped up, stepped out, adjusted, overcame and adapted, not only maintaining service to our members, but also enhancing and expanding them. Click video to hear the message from ASBA’s Executive Director, Dr. Sheila Harrison-Williams.
View the Annual Highlights document to learn what services expanded including how ASBA published its first Board President’s Handbook, developed a model superintendent evaluation tool, developed nine policy advisories, introduced a customizable public relations plan for introducing a new superintendent to staff and community, created a new “Leading for Equity Workbook” and virtual training plus 36 other webinars and much more.
HNAIC membership is now free, meet new officers and region directors needed

Officers were elected at the HNAIC Annual Business Meeting, which was held on Dec. 2, 2020.
Congratulations to the following:
- President – Eva Carillo Dong, Sunnyside USD
- Vice President – Native American: Juan Buendia, Baboquivari USD
- Vice President – Hispanic: Cesar Aguilar, Balsz ESD
- Treasurer – Devin Del Palacio, Tolleson UHSD
- Secretary – Candy Lupe, Whiteriver USD
- Immediate Past-President, Desiree Fowler, Page USD
Caucus members voted unanimously to set annual membership dues at $0. Effective immediately, no annual membership fee will be charged to new or returning members. However, individuals who wish to be part of the caucus will need to complete a membership form annually. The form is available here.
As we have seen with the pandemic, there are many issues that we must discuss if we are to address the systemic challenges that we encounter as we try to move our school district’s goals forward. Until we confront these systemic challenges, it will be difficult to address the needs of our students.
Fortunately, many districts are making great strides in addressing some of these challenges, and one of the goals for the caucus is to make sure their successes are shared. Please let us know via HNAIC@azsba.org of any innovative practices that your districts have implemented that have improved the outcomes of our students.
There is a lot of work to be done, and it will be beneficial if we have assistance from school board members from throughout the state. If you would like to join the caucus as a region director, please reach out to us at HNAIC@azsba.org. The regions are as follows:
- Region I – Maricopa County
- Region II – Pima County
- Region III – Apache, Coconino, Navajo, and Yavapai Counties
- Region IV – La Paz, Mohave, and Yuma Counties
- Region V – Gila and Pinal Counties
- Region VI – Cochise, Greenlee, Graham , and Santa Cruz Counties
The expectation of regional directors is to be actively involved with the caucus, attend all its regular meetings, and attend monthly meetings of the caucus executive committee (officers and regional directors).
ASBA rolls out a public relations plan to help districts introduce a new superintendent to community

Bringing in a new superintendent can be overwhelming. ASBA is providing a NEW SERVICE that is included in our superintendent search package! Also, if you missed last month’s webinar on “How to Introduce New District and School Leadership to the Community,” view it now and download the presentation.
When you choose ASBA, we give you the resources to help introduce your new superintendent to the community! Interested in using ASBA as your search firm? Please learn more here.
New two-year program created for newly elected board members starting 2021

ASBA has created a two-year program that will provide an opportunity for newly elected and appointed board members to connect with one another through a number of different activities.
“Journey 2021-2022” will include new members only Lunch and Learn webinars, stories from school board service videos delivered to their email inbox and Let’s Connect events at specific conferences sponsored by ASBA throughout the year.
View the 2021-22 events and lunch and learn webinars.
New superintendent searches in Buckeye UHSD and Bowie USD are coming soon!

ASBA is excited to conduct superintendent searches for member districts. Currently we have openings available for: Baboquivari USD and St. John USD. Openings in Buckeye UHSD and Bowie USD are coming soon!
More information on these two positions will be available on ASBA website under Executive Search. For questions or additional information, please contact Katie Link at klink@azsba.org.
Sunnyside USD board member, Eva Carrillo Dong wins $100 for member survey
Congrats to Eva Carillo Dong, Sunnyside USD for being the lucky winner of $100 for participating in the ASBA Membership Survey. Thank you to all survey participants. Additional information about the ASBA survey results will be released to all members in January 2021.
What lower than expected Enrollment Stabilization Grant funding means for schools

Arizona public schools share what they are doing to deal with the lower-than-expected amount of Enrollment Stabilization Grants that they learned about in letters they received just last week. In June 2020, Gov. Doug Ducey…….Read full article here.
Superintendent salary survey results released January 6, 2021

ASBA conducts an annual salary survey designed to study district compensation and benefits for certified and administrative personnel as well as superintendents that serve students across the state.
Each year, this information is designed to meet ASBA members’ need for important information to assist in determining comparable compensation for superintendents and personnel across the state. The survey has been streamlined and re-focused to better capture salary environments outside of the traditional salary schedule of credits and seniority.
The Fiscal Year 2021 Superintendent Salary Survey results will be released January 6, 2021 to all ASBA members.
Celebrations are still important – even in pandemic
ASBA wants to celebrate you, and we hope to inspire you and invigorate you for the year ahead. Like most events, activities and celebrations this year, the 2020 holidays are likely to be far different than your past celebrations.
And when we take the time to focus on family, friendship, love and accomplishments-even when we can’t be together in all the ways we’d like to be or can’t celebrate with the same activities we might have planned on; we still feel it’s important to celebrate each and every one of you.
The All-Arizona School Board Member Award is ASBA’s highest board member honor. This award is bestowed to individual school board members who understand their roles and follow through on their responsibilities and committed to boardsmanship training, and support of ASBA and its activities
The Lou Ella Kleinz Excellence in Governance Award is ASBA’s highest honor for a full board. This award recognizes an Arizona school board that has demonstrated outstanding education leadership for the year and have shown board initiative, action and leadership by focusing on students, demonstrating progress in achieving goals, and creating a district and school culture which fosters equity, innovation and high expectations for all.
This year, ASBA decided you all deserve both awards, as individuals and as an entire governing board for all the difficult decisions you have made to ensure our students, staff and families across Arizona stay safe as they continue to learn online or in-person.
Thank you for supporting our 1 million students attending a public school across the state.
Upcoming ASBA Events
January 6, 2021, 4-5 p.m.: Wednesday Webinars: Focus on Communications: How to Use Storytelling as a Powerful Advocacy Tool
January 20, 2021, 4-5 p.m.: Wednesday Webinars: How to Create and Use an Equity Lens to Shape District Decisions
Plus more! You can find all Wednesday webinars on the ASBA webpage, https://azsba.org/events-asba/. Can’t view the webinar live? No problem. Go ahead and register and you will receive the recording automatically by email so you can view it later. There is no cost to register for this webinar. We encourage advance registration.
Register Now: Virtual Board Operations & Leadership Training Seminar
January 29, 2021 & February 12, 2021
BOLTS professional development seminars are provided in Phoenix, Flagstaff and Tucson which focus on leadership topics for school boards and superintendents. An administrative assistant track is also provided. Register now.
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