Effective teams understand the roles and responsibilities of each team member. During this facilitation, we take a deep dive into the different yet interconnected duties of the superintendent and board, including the distinct role of the board president. The 8 Characteristics of Effective Boards will also be reviewed and discussed.

 This customized retreat model allows governing boards to define their priorities and shape their agenda. ASBA facilitators work with district leaders to design and lead sessions that address key challenges and opportunities. The experience emphasizes collaboration, focused dialogue and actionable outcomes aligned to the board’s goals and community needs.   

Using the results of the ASBA board self-evaluation, our facilitators will review the evaluation results, help interpret the data collected and identify areas of opportunity for improvement. Building on these findings, your board will identify areas of opportunity that can be used to draft SMART goals for your district. 

Using district policy as a guide, an ASBA facilitator will help the governance team establish and document agreed-upon protocols for communication with each other, staff and community. At the end of this facilitation, the governance team will have discussed and agreed on a set of protocols. ASBA will create a document to summarize those agreements that can be reviewed and updated annually. 

New, different and unfamiliar district initiatives raise questions about the role board members play in their implementation. In this facilitation, you will discuss the fundamentals of AI – what it is, what it is not, and what you need to know. Your board and superintendent team will review the board’s role providing oversight of your district’s AI implementation plan. You’ll also have the option to develop a monitoring plan so the board can be updated regularly on the status and impact of the AI in the district. 

One of the primary responsibilities of governing boards is to evaluate the superintendent. A formal evaluation is a critical accountability tool for monitoring the superintendent’s performance. In this facilitation, the board and superintendent will discuss ASBA’s superintendent evaluation tool (or your own), the evaluation cycle, and best practices for conducting an evaluation that strengthens both superintendent and district performance.  

The most important part of goals is the monitoring of them and many organizations leave this to chance. This facilitation will help you develop a progress monitoring calendar, so your board is fully informed about the progress being made or strategy shifts that need to be made.

This interactive session introduces the DiSC Workplace Assessment as a tool for understanding team dynamics. Participants learn how individual communication styles affect collaboration and decision-making. Through guided activities and real-world application, board members gain strategies to improve communication, reduce conflict and build a more cohesive and effective governance team.   

Relational leadership emphasizes the quality of the relationship between a leader and those they lead. Relational leaders understand their own motives, stories, and growth.  

Participants will learn how to establish meaningful, sustainable connections by leveraging commonalities—such as shared values, beliefs, and experiences—to engage stakeholders deeply in work toward common, mutually valuable goals. 

ASBA staff can help district and school leadership teams analyze retention and attrition patterns, establish strategic hiring priorities and implement practices that strengthen educator and paraprofessional support. The goal is to help districts move from short-term staffing responses to intentional strategies that attract, develop, and retain high-quality employees. 

An ASBA contracted attorney from Osborn Maledon will provide an overview of the Open Meeting Law, the definition of a meeting, quorum, serial communication, and the reasons for executive session. The facilitation will include an opportunity to discuss OML issues and ask questions. 

An ASBA contracted attorney from Osborn Maledon will provide an overview of public records responsibilities and practical considerations for responding to records requests. Topics may include request intake, electronic communications, document review, redaction considerations, response procedures and the respective responsibilities of governing board members and district administrators. 

ASBA partners with your district through every phase of a comprehensive strategic planning process. At the board’s direction, the process can be completed in as little as six months and includes strategies to engage your students, staff, parents, community leaders and business leaders. ASBA can also help with progress monitoring as you execute your new strategic plan. 

ASBA will assist the governing board and superintendent in evaluating all options related budget reduction needs. We facilitation a process that will allow the district to develop a comprehensive, data-driven budget reduction plan that meets the needs of your community. Our goal is to ensure the district has the resources it needs to make decisions transparently, inclusively, and with a focus on long-term sustainability. Decisions like this are difficult and ASBA stands ready to assist as a neutral, third-party facilitator.

Elevate your district’s communication strategies with ASBA’s new services designed to enhance outreach, crisis response and brand awareness. Gain access to a monthly communication toolkit tailored to your district’s needs along with exclusive entry to a resource center filled with templates, guides and ready-to-use materials

Prepare your team for any crisis with expert training. Strengthen crisis preparedness with a strategic response plan, maintain message control in high-pressure situations and develop a unified district-wide communication strategy. Build community trust through transparency and confidence. This hands-on training includes crisis response planning, media management, stakeholder coordination and real-time simulation exercises to ensure your team is ready for anything.

ASBA provides a customer service training that focuses on creating a welcoming environment using a customer-focus approach for classified school front office staff. This training is offered as a 4-hour, 3-hour or 2-hour format. Please email Heidi Vega at hvega@azsba.org for more information.