School Board Academies
State Law mandates that school board members attend training. State Board of Education Rules and Regulations require that every board member participate in seven hours of training annually. TSBA provides the training for the five core modules: Board/Superintendent Relations, Advocating the Board’s Vision, Board Policy and Operations, School Finance, and School Law. Planning, Teaming, and four online modules are offered by request.
2020-21 School Board Academy Catalog
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Orientation
Objective:
To provide an overview of the roles, responsibilities and legal duties of school board members.Special Consideration:
Board members who assumed office after January 1, 2020, are required to attend the orientation session before June 30, 2021.Description:
This session is designed to meet the needs of new board members. Through active participation in this session, you learn the do’s and don’ts of effective boardsmanship.Major topics covered during the session include:
- Education’s Governance Structure
- Basics of Boardsmanship
- Finance
- Promotion of the School System
- Board Policies
- Planning
- School Law
- Board/Superintendent Relations
- Board/Staff Relations
- Board/Student Relations
- Hot Topics Facing School Boards
Presenters:
Dr. Tammy Grissom Ben Torres Jennifer White Emily Warren -
The Board's Role in School Finance
Objective:
To provide an overview of the board’s role in developing the school budget.Description:
In this session, board members will learn their role in the budget process and how it relates to the board’s mission and vision for the school systemMajor topics covered during this session include:
• History of School Finance
• Overview of the BEP
• Local Revenue and Federal Funds
• Budget Process
• How to Reach a Budget Document
• Factors Affecting a Budget
• Building Support for the Budget
June 10, 2021 – Knoxville
June 17, 2021 – Jackson
June 24, 2021 – TSBA Headquarters
Presenters:
Robert Greene Chris Henson -
Board/Superintendent Relations
Cancelled
Objective:
To provide an overview of the roles and responsibilities of the school board and the superintendent.Description:
This session focuses on ways to select a superintendent, build the board/superintendent team, and evaluate the performance of the superintendent. During the course of the meeting, you have the opportunity to look closely at both roles and learn more about interrelationships and independence — two essential elements for successful and productive relations. Participants will also review the elements of a superintendent contract.Major topics covered during this session include:
- Job Descriptions of Board Members/Superintendent
- Roles and Expectations of Superintendent/Board
- Superintendent Selection
- Employment Contract
- Team Development
- Superintendent Performance Evaluation
- Code of Ethics
April 16, 2021 – Johnson City – Cancelled
April 23, 2021 – Jackson – Cancelled
April 26, 2021 – TSBA Headquarters – Cancelled
Presenters:
Dr. Tammy Grissom Dale Lynch -
School Law
Objective:
To determine the legalities that govern the school board.Description:
School board members must be familiar with the legal issues that affect policy. In this session, participants review the legal duties of the school board and the Tennessee Sunshine Law.Major topics covered during the session include:
- Duties and Powers of the Board, Superintendent, and Local Legislative Body
- Open Meetings and Open Records
- Ethics
- Students’ Rights
- Employee Rights
May 18, 2021 – Johnson City
May 25, 2021 – Jackson
May 27, 2021 – TSBA Headquarters
Presenters:
Ben Torres Jennifer White -
Board Policy and Operations
Objective:
To provide an overview of the responsibilities of the board and superintendent in board operations and policy development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.Description:
This session focuses on the importance of school board policy and school board operations. Board Members will discuss policy development, Parliamentary Procedure, and board meeting procedures.
Major topics covered during the session include:
- Structure of Policy
- Policy Development
- Policy Review, Revision, and Oversight
- Administrative Procedures
- Board Operations
- Parliamentary Procedure
- The Board and Employees
March 11, 2021 – TSBA Headquarters
Presenters:
Randall Bennett Jennifer White -
Advocating The Board's Vision
Cancelled
Objective:
To explore the board’s role in creating a vision for excellence for all students and in building public support to achieve the vision.Description:
In this session, participants engage in discussion to learn what vision is, how it is created and the critical components it must include. Board members discover how to build public support from all stakeholders for their school district vision, mission and goals. During this session, participants will see the connection between standards of excellence in all areas of the school operation and the vision that they set as a school board. They will also learn how to use data to assess needs, set goals and determine priorities for the school system. Participants will have the opportunity to earn a micro-credential in the area of strategic planning. The purpose of this exercise is to expose board members to competency-based personalized professional learning through micro-credentials and to help them become more familiar with an innovation that many of their teachers are engaging in through the Tennessee Micro-credential Pilot.Major topics covered during the session include:
- Exercising Board Leadership Through the Visioning Process
- Why Boards Need to Have a Vision
- What Vision Is-What Vision Does-What Kills Vision
- Role of the Board and Superintendent in the Vision and Planning Process
- TN Succeeds: Equity, Expectations and Pathways
- Vision of Students Today
- Translating Vision into Action
- Using Data to Assess Needs and Setting Goals
- Building Stakeholder Support for the Vision
- Working with the Media
- Board’s Role as a Creator of Public Opinion
Presenter:
Dr. Tammy Grissom -
A Deep Dive Into Boardsmanship
Cancelled
Objective:
To provide a deep dive for seasoned board members into the most important aspects of boardsmanship.Description:
This session will explore, in depth, answers to the many questions that have arisen since the new board member took office and first attended the Orientation module.Major topics covered during the session include:
- The Evolution of Boardsmanship
- Promotion of the School System
- School Law
- Board/Superintendent Relations
- Board Relationships with Staff/Students
- Hot Topics Facing School boards
Presenters:
Dr. Tammy Grissom -
Planning: A Joint Venture
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Teaming and the School Board
Contact TSBA at tammyg@tsba.net or call 615-815-3901 to schedule the Teaming and the School Board module.
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eBoardsmanship (online course)
Objectives:
- To provide a Boardsmanship Profile to board members.
- To offer recommendations to increase knowledge and skills in key areas.
- To determine the effectiveness of the School Board Academy Modules.
Description:
This assessment module is a way for board members, the Tennessee Department of Education and TSBA to work hand in hand to determine if the modules are taught in a way that is helpful and memorable to you. This tool identifies your areas of expertise and provides suggestions for obtaining additional information in areas that can help you, as a board member, to grow professionally.TSBA will provide a web-based “eBoardsmanship” module and you will work through the four sections of the module:
- Board Game
- Mini-Scenarios
- Structured Situational Analysis
- Video Clips
Once you have completed the four sections online, your responses will be tabulated and the results provided to you online in a Boardsmanship Profile that identifies your expertise in each of the Modules. The profile includes an explanation of scores as well as suggestions and ideas to help you further develop your knowledge and skills. Verifications of completion will be sent to TSBA.
Special Considerations:
• Board members must have access to a computer with internet connectivity.This module can only be taken once.
To register for this online course, please click on the button below.