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ASBA launches the “Voices That Matter” campaign
ASBA wanted to find an opportunity to help staff members express how they were feeling with current social issues going on across the country. The ASBA “Voices That Matter Campaign” was created to honor voices, emotions and experiences on racial injustice in the United States. A dedicated webpage was created, and staff members filmed personal video testimonials on past experiences or current emotions on social issues.
ASBA condemns racism and police brutality against black people. Along with our community, we mourn the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and the endless list of black lives lost as a direct result of racism, white supremacy, and systemic oppression.
Black, brown and other underrepresented voices in our schools must be amplified. This campaign is one opportunity to do this and help our staff and members express themselves and heal through these difficult times.
View the video testimonials and stories on our webpage.
ASBA releases policy on face coverings
ASBA Policy Services recently released Policy Advisory 672 which addresses face coverings by students, staff and visitors. The model regulation contained as part of the advisory tracks both the Governors Executive Order 2020-51 mandating schools have in place a face-covering policy and, where we believe it is appropriate, the CDC guidelines in the areas of public health. ASBA Policy Services also consulted with the Arizona Department of Health Services in creating this policy.
As a reminder, regulations do not need to be voted on by the board, but the board is usually given notice of the change.
As laws change and new opinions are issued by the courts and legal officers, ASBA Policy Services subscribers receive policy model revisions so compliance may be maintained. Learn more here.
Nominations for ASBA Barbara Robey Lifetime Award now open
The ASBA Barbara Robey Lifetime Achievement Award honors an individual who has made outstanding contributions in support of public education and ASBA’s mission through servant leadership over an extended period of time. This award will be presented at the ASBA-ASA Annual Conference, December 2-4.
Past recipients include Tim Carter, Mike Hughes, Governor Jane Dee Hull, Carolyn Warner, Eddie Basha Jr. and more.
Nominations for the award are now open and close Monday, August 31, 2020 by 5 p.m.
August 13 Webinar: Executive Order 2020-51 and Onsite Services Provision Guidance
Thursday, August 13, 3:30-5 p.m.
Join the Arizona Department of Education, Arizona School Administrators and the Arizona School Boards Association for more information regarding the onsite services required under EO 2020-51. School leaders will also share examples on how to implement this provision.
Moderator:
Chris Kotterman, ASBA Director of Governmental Relations
Presenters:
Welcome by Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman
Claudio Coria, Arizona Department of Education
Kristi Wilson, Buckeye Elementary School District
Julia Meyerson, Vista College Prep
Chad Gestson, Phoenix Union High School District
Michael Wright, Blue Ridge Unified School District
Proposed Political Agenda process
Proposed Political Agenda and Delegate Assembly process
An email was recently sent to all board presidents and superintendents explaining the process for this year’s proposed 2021 Political Agenda and Delegate Assembly process. The ASBA Legislative Committee reviewed and discussed every submitted proposal at its meeting on June 15. Most boards indicated support for items included in the 2020 Political Agenda, and the committee appreciates your overwhelming support of ASBAs agenda to advance public education statewide.
This year, the committee modified the streamlined political agenda approved in years past to reflect the current public health concerns school leaders face which include:
- The draft 2021 ASBA Political Agenda. As with the 2020 agenda, the committee feels this 4-item document will create a simple, readily digestible agenda that will serve as a guide to advocating for legislation aligned with ASBAs mission and values, but also allow for the expression of more specific related concerns by ASBA member districts. This document will be the one given to legislators outlining ASBAs priorities.
- COVID-19 Appendix. This year, the Legislative Committee created a fifth section to the Political Agenda based on member submissions related to addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. While it is challenging to create a document to adequately address a rapidly-changing situation, we feel the items presented strike the right balance between specific enough to be actionable and flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances.
The Delegate Assembly determines the positions of the Arizona School Boards Association and will consider both documents. Registration for Delegate Assembly will open on August 31. Please get with your school board and identify who will be your district’s delegate and alternate representatives.
The Delegate Assembly will be held remotely this year, with opportunities for non-delegate members to watch as participants. ASBA is in the process of creating rules of procedure to make the process as smooth as possible and will communicate these with delegates and alternates well in advance of the meeting. More information will be found here soon.
Rural Alliance Zoom meeting on Aug. 24 at 4 p.m.
The ASBA Rural Alliance will host a networking meeting on Zoom for participants to discuss solutions to three critical issues related to rural schools and COVID-19. The meeting will be Monday, Aug. 24, from 4-5 p.m. All Rural Alliance members will automatically receive the link to participate. Others are welcome to attend, but must complete this form to request the meeting link. Click here to request the link.
Topics will be student and staff health and safety, family engagement and feedback, and connectivity/internet access. Please come ready to share what your district is doing to address these issues. In addition, Chris Kotterman, director of governmental relations for ASBA, will provide information about current state efforts to increase connectivity as well as possible advocacy opportunities on this topic, which is a top priority for many rural and remote districts.
Interested in joining the ASBA Rural Alliance? Visit our webpage: azsba.org/about/rural-alliance/
ASBA leaders selected to serve on NSBA’s Dismantling Racism in Education Committee
Dr. Sheila Harrison-Williams, executive director and Devin Del Palacio, NSBA Black council chair and board member in the Tolleson Union High School District have been selected to participate and serve as voices for NSBA’s Advisory Committee on Dismantling Racism in Education.
The Advisory Committee will explore critical topics to identify the root causes of barriers to equitable educational outcomes for each student and work to eliminate disproportionality in all aspects of public education. The Advisory Committee’s aim is to use the insights it gains to develop an advocacy agenda that supports member state associations and serves as a model they may use in their efforts to address institutional, structural, and systemic racism in their states.
Register today! ASBA takes County Meetings on the road in a digital way!
Join board members from throughout your county, along with your ASBA County Director, officers from the ASBA Board of Directors and ASBA staff for this year’s Virtual County Meeting.
Get the latest information on the happenings of the association, plus updates on timely legislative and public policy issues and share your perspective on the pressing issues during the Interactive Power Town Hall. Members in eight counties also will be electing their County Director, who will serve a two-year term on the ASBA Board of Directors.
We’re pleased to provide the content that ASBA members have come to know and expect at our in-person events again this year but through a virtual format! We will be using Zoom.
The topic of this year’s Power Town Hall will be The Top 3 Governance Challenges during COVID-19. Through facilitated discussion and interactive polling, attendees will share the toughest governance issues facing their boards as they navigate the unchartered waters presented by the spread of COVID-19, consider solutions to ease these difficulties now, and reflect on lessons learned to improve their boards work in the future.
Elections for ASBA County Directors will be held in eight counties this year during the ASBA Virtual County Meetings. County Directors serve two-year terms on the ASBA Board of Directors.
Election of a County Director will take place for these counties:
- Coconino
- Gila
- La Paz
- Maricopa
- Mohave
- Pima
- Santa Cruz
- Yavapai
Details on candidates, voting and the selection of your delegate will be sent out soon.
Submissions extended until August 31 to present for Annual Conference
The submission deadline to present at the ASBA Annual Conference has been extended until August 31. We are currently looking for breakout sessions for Annual Conference 2020 that fall under the tracks below. If you have an interest in presenting reach out to Nikkie Whaley at nwhaley@azsba.org or 602-254-1100
Wraparound Services: Recent events have made one thing very clear: schools are community hubs that serve a vital role in connecting students with the resources they need. Sometimes those services are provided by district staff and sometimes those services are the result of community partnerships.
Potential topics include:
- What are community schools
- Mental health partnerships in schools
- Social workers, counselors, behavior interventionist
- Partnering with business- School Connect
- Rural School- Sharing resources to meet needs
Governing in a Virtual World: While technology has been increasingly used in schools by students and teachers, this past year has forced all of us in education to begin to embrace our virtual world. What modifications has your district made to successfully adjust to these virtual times?
Potential topics include:
- Approaches to virtual learning
- Professional development and teacher assessment
- Meeting SEL needs virtually
- Impacts to budget with virtual teaching
- Managing your virtual board meetings
Equity: Ensuring educational equity is the role of every board because inequalities exist in every district. Opportunity gaps or outcome disparities are often exacerbated by factors such as race/ethnicity, sex, gender identity, ability, socio-economic status, immigration status, primary language, special education, trauma, rural/remote location and more. While some may feel that they treat all students equally, equality is not equity. Equity is about ensuring that every student has what they need to achieve equal outcomes.
Potential topics include:
- Restorative justice or trauma-informed schools
- How to use an equity lens in decision making
- Access to resources
- Pipeline issues- how to grow your own and promote a more representative teaching staff
- Address Bias and Racism
Communications & Engagement: Ask anyone and they will tell you that communication is key, and many feel they are excellent communicators. Still, miscommunication, lack of communication, or unclear communication is a constant struggle for districts. Engagement seems to be another one of those things we as education leaders, value but cannot seem to master. How can we foster effective, authentic, and meaningful communication and engagement in our district?
Potential topics include
- How to engage with your community-virtually
- Communicating changes in fluid times
- Beyond Obligation- Going above and beyond to effectively communicate or engage
- Avoiding educationese: How to share your message so people understand
Promising Practices Spotlight: The promising practices breakouts are about more than showing off a cool program or tooting your own horn (though it can be that too). They are about things that others can take and realistically replicate in their own districts to achieve similar results. If your district has a program or practice in place that others could do with some effort and not much money, wed love to hear about it.
Potential topics include
- Effective uses of Title funds
- Strategies for involving students
- Climate and culture
- Effective teaching strategies
Note: Sessions will be 50 or 25 minutes as determined by ASBA.
Training Special: Throwback Pricing!
The importance of board development cannot be understated, especially in these trying times.
While some may have been hesitant to do virtual training at first, we all seem to be adjusting to this new normal. ASBA has provided the following online trainings to districts over the last few months:
- Roles & Responsibilities
- Effective Meetings
- Open Meeting Law
- Self-Evaluation
- Communication Protocols
- Superintendent Goals Setting
According to evaluations of these trainings:
- 94% of participants rated the content “excellent” or “very good”
- 100% rated the trainers’ effectiveness as “excellent”
- 86% said the training length was “just right” while 13% stated it was a little “too short.”
- On a scale of 1-10 on how likely participants were to recommend ASBA online training to a colleague, the average score was 9.5
To request a training for your board, please submit a training request form here.