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Ask the Policy Team – A benefit of ASBA membership
By Nick Buzan, ASBA Director of Legal & Policy Services
Question: Will a policy advisory be coming out that references HB 2707 (moment of silence in schools)?
Answer: As I Rich Strike’d into work this week I left my radio off— for the entire 55-minute commute. This demonstration of solidarity (and toughness) is either 25 or 50 times longer than HB 2707’s moment of silence requirement. It wasn’t just the silence that was refreshing, it was the mental vacation from notifications, messages and reminders— the same types of interruptions which are now built into the digital learning tools kids use fluidly in a single school day. Takeaway: I practice what I preach when it comes to policy (at least on this occasion, do not expect me to jump headfirst into suing teachers). The answer is yes, there will be a policy advisory discussing the bi-partisan bill that Gov. Ducey signed on April 22, 2022 requiring the moment of silence and expanding it to between 1 minute and 2 minutes.
First, ASBA’s IMD© policy currently enables school boards to require a period of silence at the beginning of the school day that does not exceed one minute. The former may is now a shall. So, IMD© will now suggest that Boards adopt this legislative mandate. The gist is this: lawmakers mandated silence in schools and ASBA policy services hopes to make sure boards adopt policy that reflects the most up-to-date law to help you stay in compliance with regulators. I’m excited Arizona will have some daily silence and not just when CP3 is attempting a free throw. Policy Advisories and more policy discussion to come throughout the summer. Stay cool policy fans.
Develop Customer Service Standards for Your Schools and District Departments
Does Your School District Have Customer Service Standards?
Get an early start and book this professional development for classified staff when they come back from summer break!
Hear from Susan Lindsey, Technology Director at Safford USD on the importance of customer service and benefits of this professional development opportunity.
ASBA provides customer service professional development that focuses on creating a welcoming environment and customer service standards using a customer-focus approach for classified school front office staff. This training is offered as a 3-hour or 2-hour format.
Measure Your District’s Customer Service Standards with New Secret Shopper Service
The ASBA Secret Shopper service measures the customer service process in the school and district department setting by using a third-party individual who reports back on their experiences in a detailed and objective
way. The purpose of this service is to define areas with a potential to improve by giving feedback on how the school and district department is perceived from a customer’s perspective. Organizations that use this type of service in the right way can increase customer satisfaction and improve the overall experience.
ASBA’s package includes in-person visits, phone call recordings and emails to each school and district departments. This is a great new service ASBA can now offer districts that want to measure customer service around the schools and identify what areas or information needs improvement district-wide.
Submission of proposed issues for consideration for the 2023 political agenda
Proposals are due by May 23, 2022
It is time once again to begin the process of developing the ASBA Political Agenda for the 2023 legislative session. Though we are still in the process of completing the 2022 session, it is never too early to start thinking about the association’s future priorities. It is our pleasure as your GR staff to facilitate this important process and we look forward to hearing your proposals.
As you know, your input to the Legislative Committee is critical. This year we ask that you take a moment to review the current 2022 Political Agenda and reaffirm your top five priorities. Furthermore, you may submit additional priorities you would like the Legislative Committee to consider. Click here to submit the form online or here to download the pdf version. Once submitted, these proposals will be compiled by staff and provided to the ASBA Legislative Committee for consideration. The Committee will then create a draft document that will be circulated to all governing boards and superintendents. This draft agenda will be the basis for discussion and final approval at the official Delegate Assembly on Saturday, September 10th. The timeline is as follows:
- Monday, May 23rd – Proposed Items Due
- Friday, June 3rd – Legislative Committee meets
- Week of June 20th–Legislative Committee recommendations sent to all governing board members and superintendents
- Saturday, September 101h– Delegate Assembly (Saturday morning following the Law Conference)
As a reminder, you should schedule this item on an upcoming Board agenda for discussion. Please remember, only one submission per District and it must reflect the collective will of the Board. These proposals are due by the close of business on Monday, May 23, 2022.
This document is a policy document. It is referred to as the “political agenda” within the ASBA bylaws, however you will note that the content is 100% focused on education policy issues within Arizona and is used by the association to pursue public policy goals that support district schools across the state. The 2022 Delegate Assembly will determine the positions of the Arizona School Boards Association for any future Special Sessions of the current legislature and for the First Regular Session of the Fifty-Sixth Legislature. In addition to submitting proposals, your board can help craft ASBA’s advocacy stances by registering your district’s delegate. Your delegate will represent your district at the Delegate Assembly, a critical meeting where the views of your district can be represented and discussed. The Delegate Assembly will be held on Saturday, September 10th at the JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn.
Thank you for your active participation in ASBA. If you have any questions, please call Chris Kotterman, ASBA Governmental Relations Director directly at 602-254-1100 or 800-238-4701. You can also reach him by email at ckotterman@azsba.org. He is happy to answer any questions you may have. Once again, all proposals are due by May 23, 2022.
Click here for a copy of the memo
Don’t wait! Plan your summer retreat now!
An exclusive benefit of ASBA membership
Summer is a great opportunity for school leaders to reflect on the past year and plan for the year ahead. Let ASBA help tailor a summer retreat to meet your needs!
Popular topics include: Communication Protocols, Effective Meetings & Team Member Style
Now offering two FREE tools to help your board demonstrate transparency and develop a plan for accountability.
- Board Self-Evaluation: Free Online Tool & Detailed Report w/ Optional Facilitation (Available now)
- Each board member will take a quick, confidential, online assessment of the board’s performance in five key areas of governance. ASBA members can now receive the detailed report outlining the responses to each question FREE of charge.
- Make the most of this report by inviting ASBA to facilitate a discussion around the findings and assist the board in building consensus around goals for its improvement. Cost: $375 member rate
- Superintendent Evaluation: Free Evaluation Tool w/ Optional Training (Available July 1, 2022)
- Created in collaboration with the Arizona School Administrators Association, this FREE tool provides clear metrics for the evaluation of your district’s superintendent in key performance areas.
- Make the most of this tool by inviting ASBA to assist you with training on how to best use the tool to maximize effectiveness. Cost: $375 member rate
Please note: Non-member rates are double the member rate.
For a full list of professional development & facilitation offerings click here.
Celebrate a shared vision for new opportunities and engage in change
An event by the Arizona Alliance of Black School Educators
The TLS22 workshops and presentations will advance education equity and re-energize the love of teaching and learning. This year’s presenters will provide teachers, educators, school/district leaders, school board members, parents, and the community with best practices to support children/students during these continuous challenging and uncertain times. The presentations will inspire educators to reflect as they prepare to welcome students back for the new school year.
You will find culturally responsive topics such as:
- Social Justice, anti-racism, and culturally responsive practices
- Promoting safety, health, and wellness
- Cultivating diverse passions, gifts, and talents
Additionally, the AzABSE is happy to announce Superintendent of Public Instruction, Kathy Hoffman and Dr. Sheila Harrison-Williams, Arizona School Board Association’s Executive Director as two notable speakers. Click the following links for more information about our featured speakers and proposed topics.
Click here for registration information
ASBA Events and Webinars
Upcoming ASBA Events
Summer Leadership Institute, June 9-11
Law Conference, September 7-9 (registration opens July 5)
View all ASBA events on the ASBA website.
Upcoming ASBA Webinars
May 17, 5 – 6 p.m. Webinar: I am on the Ballot…Now What?
November 17, 5 – 6 p.m. Webinar: I Was Elected…Now What?
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 these webinars. We encourage advance registration.
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