For Your Information

Vol. 21, No. 3
February 13, 2009

Click here for past issues of the For Your Information newsletter.

State Board Names Dr. Mary Jane Caylor as AASB Representative

At Thursday’s K-12 state Board of Educationmeeting, President Pro Tem Dr. Mary Jane Caylor was unanimously selected to serve as liaison to the Alabama Association of School Boards. She replaces Sandra Ray, who didn’t seek reelection to the state board.

Caylor becomes an ex officio member of the 14-member AASB Board of Directors that governs the association and directs its activities as determined by the membership. The retired Huntsville city schools superintendent has represented state board District 8 for 13 years.

In other business, the board unanimously approved changes to state administrative rules implementing the new requirement that all students will have an online experience. 

Online experiences include online courses or participation in instruction, research, assessment or communication in virtual environments.

The board tabled the Health Education and Physical Education State Courses of Study recommendations up for adoption Thursday. The board wants the committee to revisit concerns raised by Mountain Brook Junior High physical education teacher John Phillips and Donna Hester, executive director of the Alabama State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

Hester asked that a listing of state and federal laws be added back to the courses of study, and Phillips asked that local school systems be allowed to determine the type of activity and fitness assessments used to report scores to the state. The board will reconsider the courses of study in March.

The board also approved an announcement of proposed changes to rules for special education regarding evaluations, eligibility and consent for services and the individualized education program and gifted education – primarily to align with federal guidelines.

The proposal includes amendments to the college and university requirements and Alternate Class A Program. If the rules are amended, professionals such as engineers may pass the appropriate teacher exams and become eligible to teach through the Alternate Class A Program.

State Superintendent Dr. Joe Morton discussed consequences of the economic slowdown.

The state Department of Education plans to cancel its 2009 Mega Conference. Those who have paid pre-registration fees for the conference will be reimbursed. Discussions of providing some of the training electronically are under way. Morton also shared a postcard from a couple who lost their jobs and are thankful their child can enjoy healthy meals at school.

“That kind of puts a face on it,” Morton said. “The media sometimes doesn’t capture the affect that adults losing jobs has on the children in these families, and those children are in our schools. They are dealing with issues they are unaccustomed to, but every morning they get up and come to school and are expected to excel. It’s putting a stress on our school systems and on our counseling departments and others to help … this adolescent population.”   

Morton said the nation’s economic stimulus plan could help prevent substantial job loss in Alabama’s schools when the academic year ends. Yet, Congress is still finalizing the nearly $800 billion American Economic Recovery Act that could mean hundreds of millions of dollars for education in Alabama over two years. The biggest winners, as of now, are Title I schools and special education.

“Whatever happens in Congress with the economic stimulus plan, it will not affect the fact that Alabama will still be in proration. We will have a smaller budget in 2010 than we had in 2009. And the 2009 budget is smaller than 2008,” Morton said.

The board travels to Dothan for its K-12 work session Feb. 26, and its next regular elementary-secondary meeting is March 12.

AASB’S STATE BUDGET CUT SURVEY OUTLINES PRIORITIES

Cuts to K-12 school funds will have to be made for 2010. AASB wants to thank all members who participated in our January 2009 State Budget Cut Survey. In anticipation of the budget process, AASB surveyed local school leaders and asked them to prioritize state funding. The results clearly describe local education leaders’ priorities to first preserve student achievement, save education employees’ jobs and minimize harm to Alabama’s public schools. This information will help shape policymakers’ decisions. Read more in this week’s issue of AASB’s Leg-Alert newsletter.

‘09 SITE VISITS, EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
SHOWCASE COMES TO ALABAMA

Presented by the National School Boards Association’s Technology Leadership Network, the 2009 Education Technology Site Visits program showcases the best in high-tech innovation. This year, Alabamians have a home-state advantage and can see innovative strategies in action March 25-27 at Madison City Schools in Madison. Take best practices and apply them in your school system. Experience first-hand the latest technology solutions. Tour schools and ask questions. Register at www.nsba.org/sitevisits. The cost is $375 for Technology Leadership Network members and $435 for non-members. For details, call 800/950-6722.

BOARDS WANTED FOR RESEARCH
ON IMPROVING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

AASB is looking for five school boards to participate in a two-year, multi-state research project to develop training programs designed to help Alabama’s school boards govern for higher student achievement. There is no fee to participate. 

The project is called Alabama's Lighthouse Research: The Board's Role in High Student Achievement and is a partnership effort of the state Department of Education, School Superintendents of Alabama and the A+ Education Partnership. 

Earlier research by the Iowa Association of School Boards identified beliefs and conditions created by board actions in high achieving school systems. That research begun in 1998 was called the Iowa Lighthouse Project. Alabama’s Lighthouse Research will replicate the statistically proven training program that improves student achievement through school board actions.

To participate, the full board and superintendent must commit to two years of training, submit student achievement data and implement surveys of board members, administrators and teachers to measure beliefs and conditions. If you are interested or have any further questions, contact LuAnn Bird, AASB’s director of board development, at 800/562-0601.

REGISTER FOR MARCH 13-14 LEADERSHIP COURSE

Register now for AASB’s March 13-14 academy course on Leadership for Policy and Planning. Don’t miss your opportunity to work toward another level in AASB’s School Board Member Academy and to discover how policy and planning can be springboards to student success.

Hear the following knowledgeable speakers:            

1. Jodi Newton of Samford University, Strategic Planning: What’s a Board Member to Do?
2. Veteran school board attorney Mark Boardman, Policies That Keep You Out of Trouble;
3. Connecticut school boards trainer Nick Caruso, Know the Difference Between Policy & Procedure (So You Won’t Micromanage);
4. Educational improvement specialist Susie Olesen, 21st Century Goal Setting along with 21st Century Learning: Student Perspectives.
5. Veteran school board attorney Carl Johnson, Polish up your Policy Manual; and
6. Dr. Jeff Goodwin of Oxford City Schools,  Policymaking that Prepares Graduates for Tomorrow.

Prior to the policy and planning leadership course, Sherry A. Key, the state Department of Education’s Career and Technical Education Director, will present the early bird workshop Career Technical Education: Spring into 21st Century Careers. The workshop will be from 1-3 p.m. Friday, March 13, at The Wynfrey Hotel in Birmingham. The highly informative session will include discussion of the Alabama Success Initiative. Board members who attend can earn academy credit.

Reserve rooms at the Wynfrey Hotel, 800/996-3739 or www.wynfrey.com, enter group code 1AT8KO. Register at www.alabamaschoolboards.org/EventsInformation.htm. The conference cost is $125 for members and $250 for non-members. Late registration carries a $10 fee. The early bird workshop cost is $65 for members and $130 for non-members. Call Debora for details at 800/562-0601.

DOES YOUR BOARD PLAN TO RESTRICT TRAVEL?

Restricted travel is a sign of these economically disturbing times. Yet, it’s important to remember that board training is an investment that helps boards manage very difficult and crucial decisions.

Boards need the skill and background when it comes to taking major actions with far-reaching impact, including school closings, teacher layoffs, disputed contracts, program cuts and fiscal policy. It takes a certain level of knowledge and skill to ensure the least possible impact on student learning and to even improve student achievement in the midst of budget shortfalls.

Certainly, less revenue means more scrutiny of travel and training costs. AASB is doing what it can to keep costs low, to explore electronic alternatives to on-site training and by taking customized training directly to boards.

Meanwhile, the association still works to provide rigorous leadership development to board members working to earn hours to advance through the School Board Member Academy. At academy events, there are opportunities to ask questions, share best practices, solicit advice, seek clarification, collect resources and interact with experts in a forum that individual boards couldn’t afford to replicate.

Also, the academy is unique in that it offers core curriculum designed for school boards. Courses include an orientation for new education leaders and a look at: academic achievement; financial accountability; policy and planning; community engagement; effective staff development; and the optimal learning environment. The academy is rooted in research that shows a relationship between high student achievement and board professional development.

There is no question that expenses for travel and training when funds are limited will be questioned. Be ready to answer those questions.

• Note your board’s existing commitment to investing in board development.
• Note that board members are representatives of their community and as such come from a variety of backgrounds and with varying levels of expertise in K-12 education and board governance.

• Review the board training agenda before announcing plans to travel to the event.
• Identify skills you hope to gain and share that information with the board.
• Afterward, ask for time on the board agenda to present lessons learned for the full board’s benefit, sharing handouts and other resources.
• Clearly explain why the training was valuable and if there was a legal or otherwise reasonable obligation to participate in the travel, such as advancement in the academy or the need to understand personnel law due to pending issues.

Other education professionals within school systems have a background in the field, receive paid professional development and have access to continuing education. The benefits of those experiences are evident as these teachers, administrators and other education professionals go about their duties. Comparatively, board members have fewer embedded opportunities to gain the training they need to do the best job possible for schoolchildren.

Investing in quality board training is necessary to develop and maintain good governance practices.

— Denise L. Berkhalter
publicrelations@alabamaschoolboards.org

Alabama Association of School Boards: Celebrating 60 years
of helping local education leaders improve student achievement.