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Save the Date: Virtual Equity Event, April 21-23
Registration opens March 8
Every school district has gaps in opportunity and outcomes. What are the barriers preventing your district from closing them so that every student can reach their full potential? How can you and your board overcome them?
SPECIAL FOCUS: CULTURE, RACE AND ETHNICITY
Since the founding of The Equity Event seven years ago, we have unwrapped the many influences, characteristics and circumstances that impact our students and contribute to gaps in opportunity and outcomes, among them family income, access to food and shelter, physical and cognitive ability, gender and gender identity, immigration status, and even the location of the student’s home and the district itself. Culture, race and ethnicity intersect with all those factors and are woven deeply into the lives of each and every student we serve. The heightened local, state and national dialogue around racial equity compels us as leaders to look at race more deeply. At this year’s Equity Event, we’ll investigate these rich, human aspects of our students and ourselves so that we can serve every student well and justly moving forward. Featuring Arizona poet laureate Alberto Rios and a special reading of his poem “A House Called Tomorrow.”
THE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Could invisible barriers be holding back your equity work?
Each of us are carries barriers or biases that we’re not even aware of. They influence what we think and the decisions we make. What are they and how can recognizing them help the students, school systems and the communities we serve? This year’s three keynote speakers will tackle those questions from their own unique perspectives – and help you do the same.
Calvin Terrell
Founder and Lead Facilitator, Social Centric Institute
Dr. Jennifer Harvey
Educator, Author and Activist
Bill De La Cruz
Author, Facilitator and Former School Board Member
THE BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Are you getting started or ready to dig deeper? Either way, we’ve got breakout sessions for you!
At this year’s equity event, you’ll travel five pathways over two days in breakout sessions led by equity experts and experienced district leaders – all aimed at moving your board and district past those barriers and towards a more equitable system. Getting Started and Digging Deeper sessions will be offered in each of the five pathway areas.
THE PRE-CONFERENCE, April 21
Latinx AZ: Experiences, Impact, Influence and Inclusion
From culture to commerce, Latinos have been essential to making Arizona what it is today. The success of Latino students and their families will determine who and what we will become as a state. Join us for a multifaceted look at Arizona’s largest student population and the factors that are influencing their education and futures. Topics include the state of Latino education, cultural and economic influences, public policy and historical trauma, and outreach, engagement and representative leadership.
Meet ASBA’s Gila County Director, Joanne Conlin
Get to know ASBA’s Board of Directors by reading their profile.
Name, district and county: Joanne Conlin, Payson Unified School District, Gila County
How long have you been a board member? Two years
How do you define leadership in school boardsmanship? School board leadership is the ability to recognize and respect all the different perspectives of those in the district, including the community, and bring together these perspectives to create and strengthen mission and vision for the district. It means guiding the district to align mission, vision and strategic plan with daily application to ensure that our intended outcome is successful. This outcome is that every child is able to develop academically, socially and emotionally in a safe and caring environment and that every child be able to fulfill their greatest potential and become good citizens of our country.
What is your favorite ASBA conference/event and why? The Law Conference is my favorite. There is so much to know that can cause your district to get into “hot water” that this conference helps with making sure we have sound practices to protect the district. It also helps me understand what our state is considering and should be considering so that I can be an informed strong advocate for education in my district and county.
What do you like best about serving on the ASBA Board of Directors? This is my first term serving. I am excited to learn from my peers and ASBA on how to better represent my district and my county.
How has ASBA helped you become a better school board member? ASBA has been a strong educator and facilitator in helping me understand the problems we face and the role I have, to help influence my district to achieve quality education for all our children.
New ASBA video series: Importance of teaching Black history in classrooms
February is Black History Month. This month we take time to learn about the critical role Black people have had and will continue to have in our nation’s history, but also to remember Black history is American history. ASBA Black Alliance Officers were filmed speaking with superintendents on the importance of teaching Black history in classrooms and curriculums.
In these videos we will discuss why is it so difficult to do, why do certain people push back and how can Black history enrich all students? View the first video of our series with Lindsay Love, ASBA Black Alliance President and Dr. Kennedy, Superintendent from the Balsz Elementary School District.
Now open: Teacher and administrator salary and benefits survey
Each year, the Arizona School Boards Association surveys all school districts in Arizona on teacher and administrator salaries and benefits and compiles the data to provide a valuable resource for comparative analysis and decision-making on issues related to salaries, benefits and budgeting. All districts who complete the survey will receive a summary report of the compiled data, plus a sortable Excel spreadsheet. Districts who do not complete the survey will receive only the summary data. This is a member benefit, and the results will be shared only with ASBA members.
Here are five advantages the ASBA salary surveys offer your school district:
- A Competitive Position: ASBA’s salary surveys provide information on “total” compensation that includes retirement plans, bonuses, incentives, and base salary ensure that the information is relevant to your employee population.
- Legal Compliance: ASBA’s salary surveys provide current data on your organization’s peers while maintaining confidentiality.
- Investment Protection with Employees: Continuous benchmarking and evaluation of salary and incentive levels for existing employees can minimize turnover rates and increase company morale.
- Defensible Decision Making: The consistent use of salary surveys helps formulate a company’s overall compensation strategy and forms a foundation for plans that are internally equitable and externally competitive. Survey data provides a relevant basis for HR’s decisions on salary, incentives, and bonus plans when meeting with senior management and employees.
- Comparable and Dependable Data: Given the pace of change within the economic and employment landscape, using old data puts HR at risk for lagging behind current pay trends. ASBA provides annual data each year to ensure districts have the most updated and timely information.
The survey link will be sent directly to the superintendent, business manager and board president for every ASBA member district. Please ensure that one person complete and submit the online form no later than 5 p.m. on Feb. 22. Questions? Email Tracey Benson, associate executive director, at tbenson@azsba.org.
Spread the news: ASBA’s student scholarships are now open!
Our student award contests are now being held in the Spring! Applications for all student awards are now open and must be received by 5 p.m. March 15. View award criteria, entry materials and other details by clicking here. Please pass on these student opportunities to your school district communities!
Jack Peterson Scholarship
The Jack Peterson Scholarship is awarded annually to exceptional high school seniors who plan to pursue college degrees in teaching. Recipients shall have maintained a high school record that reflects high academic achievement and regular attendance, respectable leadership and citizenship among peers, and sustained participation in school and community activities.
Amounts of the awards vary from year to year and are based on annual earnings from the scholarship endowment. Last year’s scholarships were $1,300 each.
The scholarship was established in honor of ASBA Executive Director Jack Peterson, who served the association from 1991 to 1998.
Panfilo H. Contreras Honorary Scholarship
The Panfilo H. Contreras Honorary Scholarship was awarded for the first time in 2013 by ASBA’s Hispanic-Native American Indian Caucus. Hispanic and Native American Indian students who are juniors or seniors in high school are eligible to apply for this scholarship to support their attendance at an accredited post-secondary institution. Last year’s scholarships were $1,000 each.
PLUS……GCU/ASBA Student Contest
Win an exclusive presentation for 50 of your district’s students with Byron Garrett, ASBA’s 2020 Annual Conference keynote speaker, PLUS a virtual tour of Grand Canyon University and great GCU souvenirs for each student. This amazing virtual experience will take place in May 2021. Deadline to submit is February 22.
Register for Wednesday Webinars: The New Leading for Equity Workbook for School Boards: February 17, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
In this session, you will be introduced to the newly developed Leading for Equity Workbook and curriculum that is designed specifically for school governing boards and staff looking to pursue educational equity in their district.
This content is appropriate for those “getting started” in their equity journey as well as for equity champions looking to “dig deeper” to advance equity within their district. In this webinar, we will help set a foundational understanding of educational equity, the role of district leaders in pursuing education equity, the challenges associated with this work and a review a framework for facilitating discussions that move districts to action.
Pass this opportunity on to principals and teachers in your school district! Win an exclusive presentation for your district’s students!
Pass this opportunity on to principals and teachers in your school district! Win an exclusive presentation for your district’s students with Byron Garrett, ASBA’s 2020 Annual Conference keynote speaker, PLUS a virtual tour of Grand Canyon University and great GCU souvenirs for students. This amazing virtual experience will take place in May 2021. Entries open January 19, 2021, and close February 22, 2021.
Byron Garrett is the CEO of Equal Opportunity Schools, Chairman of the National Family Engagement Alliance, former Director of Educational Leadership & Policy for Microsoft and former CEO of National PTA.
Eligibility:
Entries must be from ASBA member districts. Participating students must be part of the program or initiative, in fifth grade or higher and attend a Title I school.
List of member districts here.
Criteria:
In 300 words, tell us about a program or initiative in your district that is engaging and inspiring youth to be change agents in their communities. A photo reflecting the program or initiative must also be submitted with the entry. Entry can be submitted by an authorized representative but must be approved by the school principal or district administrator.
Submission Deadline:
The winning district will be notified by March 1, 2021. Presented by Grand Canyon University and the Arizona School Boards Association.
Submit entry here.
Just in case you missed the advocacy webinar! View it now plus register for future webinars
If you missed Wednesday’s webinar, view it now. Pay attention to ASBA Communications by:
- Joining the Advocacy List
- Reading our bill summaries
- Developing a high-level understanding of how the state budget is constructed
Is there an issue you’re passionate about? Dive in! Download the presentation and register to view the webinar.
Join our #WednesdayWebinars!
Members have the opportunity to dig deeper into areas of Equity, Governance and Communications. Webinars are scheduled on Wednesdays with the goal of providing two webinars per month from 4 – 5 p.m. Webinars are live and recorded to view later if you can’t attend the live session. Registration is required to view recording.
Did you know? Hourly continuing education units (CEUs) can be earned for ASBA training webinars.
ADD THESE TO YOUR CALENDAR NOW!
- February 17, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm, The New Leading for Equity Guidebook for School Boards
- March 10, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Focus on Communications: How to Engage Your Community to Overcome Barriers to Trust
- March 24, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Tools for Embedding Multi-Cultural Perspective into Curriculum
- April 14, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Making the Superintendent Evaluation Process Meaningful
- April 28, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Building More Inclusive and Effective Student, Family and Staff Surveys
- May 12, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Focus on Communications: Protocols for Social Media Engagement and Online (and Offline) Conversations
- May 26, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Is Your District Ready for an Equity Policy?
Don’t forget to track your CEUs when attending our webinars!
Participation and credits for Academy of Board Development awards are tracked and accounted for through registration and attendance at eligible ASBA events and webinars. Credit is based on one hour of (classroom) instruction. Credit may range from one to several hours per developmental opportunity. Registration is complimentary. View all ASBA events and webinars on the ASBA website.
New superintendent searches plus other district openings
Queen Creek USD, Chandler USD and more
ASBA is excited to conduct superintendent searches for member districts. Currently we have openings available for Bowie USD. We also post district openings on our webpage which include Assistant Superintendent of Support Services for Queen Creek USD, Interim Superintendent for Chandler USD and more. Check for search opening, announcements, articles, and other resources by following Twitter and LinkedIn accounts especially created for search services.
More information on these positions will be available on ASBA website under Executive Search. For questions or additional information, please contact Katie Link at klink@azsba.org.
AZEdNews Breaking News: Senate Bill 1246 would limit school board members’ terms
The Senate Education Committee will meet at 2 p.m. today to vote on a number of bills, but a bill that would limit school board members’ terms was struck from the agenda Monday evening. Senate……READ FULL ARTICLE HERE
Upcoming ASBA Events
February 17, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Wednesday Webinars: The New Leading for Equity Guidebook for School Boards
March 10, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Wednesday Webinars: Focus on Communications: How to Engage Your Community to Overcome Barriers to Trust
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.
SAVE THE DATE: Virtual Equity Event, April 21-23
Registration opens March 8
SPECIAL FOCUS: CULTURE, RACE AND ETHNICITY
Since the founding of The Equity Event seven years ago, we have unwrapped the many influences, characteristics and circumstances that impact our students and contribute to gaps in opportunity and outcomes, among them family income, access to food and shelter, physical and cognitive ability, gender and gender identity, immigration status, and even the location of the student’s home and the district itself.
Culture, race and ethnicity intersect with all those factors and are woven deeply into the lives of each and every student we serve. The heightened local, state and national dialogue around racial equity compels us as leaders to look at race more deeply.
At this year’s Equity Event, we’ll investigate these rich, human aspects of our students and ourselves so that we can serve every student well and justly moving forward.
Featuring Arizona poet laureate Alberto Rios and a special reading of his poem “A House Called Tomorrow.”
AZEDNews Featured Articles
Video: SB 1452 expands vouchers, diverts money for teacher pay
Video: House lawmakers support including English Learners in dual-language immersion
