Awards and Recognition

All Tennessee School Board

During the annual convention, TSBA recognizes five to seven outstanding school board members as members of the All Tennessee School Board. Members of the board are selected by a panel of judges from nominations made by superintendents, school board members, district directors, or TSBA staff.

Criteria:

• • Must have achieved Level IV boardsmanship award
  • List participation in board development activities with emphasis on the past twelve (12) months
  • List specific accomplishments of the local board of education during the nominee’s term on the board
  • List leadership activities at the local, regional, or state level

TN School Board Member of the Year/C. Hal Henard Distinguished Service Award

The nominees for All Tennessee School Board receiving the highest collective ranking by the judges is the recipient of the C. Hal Henard Distinguished Service Award and serves as chairman of the All Tennessee School Board.

Nomination Deadline: September 15
Nomination Form

TSBA will email the official application to each board member who has been nominated.

Application Deadline: September 30

The announcement of the winner and presentation of the award plaque will be made during the TSBA Annual Convention in November.

For more information, please contact TSBA at 615-815-3908.

1989 – Present School Board Member of the Year/C. Hal Henard and All TN School Board Award Recipients

1953 – 1988 C. Hal Henard Award Recipients

Award for Excellence in Education Program

Each year the Tennessee School Boards Association shall offer an award to a board of education that has an outstanding program operating within their district. This award shall be presented at the annual convention. Nominations may be submitted by members of the TSBA Board of Directors, by the school board itself, the superintendent, school board member, or representative of the school district.

Criteria to be considered in selecting award-winning programs include the following:

• • uniqueness
  • adaptability
  • involvement of the community
  • evidence of success

Application Deadline: August 30

Application Form

For more information, please contact TSBA at 615-815-3908.

2022 Award for Excellence Recipient, Jackson-Madison County
Jackson Central-Merry Early College High School

Board of Distinction

For years, the Tennessee School Board Association has offered programs to recognize individual school board member accomplishments. But it’s also important to recognize outstanding performance by a school board as a whole. TSBA’s Board of Distinction Program recognizes boards for their work.

Tennessee school boards that seek this designation must meet specified requirements in four key areas: planning, policy, promotion, and board development. Upon completion of the items listed on the Board of Distinction checklist, they may choose to purchase a plaque at the cost of $125, designating the board as a Board of Distinction. Board of Distinction status is for two years, after which time the board may reapply for continued status.

Steps to Become a Board of Distinction

1. Complete the 15 items listed on the Board of Distinction Checklist
2. Have superintendent and board chairman sign the checklist
3. Mail form and $125 for plaque (optional) to TSBA.*
4. TSBA will present the plaque to your school board during an open meeting. The Board of Distinction designation is for two years beginning on the date TSBA receives your form.
5. If a plaque is desired, provide the following information exactly as you wish the plaque to be engraved:

Superintendent/Director of Schools
(designate preference of title)
Board Chairman
Board Members

For more information, please contact TSBA at 615-815-3908.

Board of Distinction Checklist
Board Meeting Management Evaluation Form

Current Boards of Distinction

Anderson County
Athens
Bedford County
Bradford Special
Bradley County
Clarksville/Montgomery County
Cleveland
Coffee County
Franklin Special
Greeneville City
Hardeman County
Hardin County
Jackson-Madison County
Johnson City
Johnson County
Lincoln County
Loudon County
McMinn County
Murfreesboro
Newport
Oak Ridge
Onieda Special
Putnam County
Rutherford County
Scott County
Sequatchie County
Tipton County
Tullahoma
Washington County

Boardsmanship Awards

To encourage the professional growth of school board members, TSBA offers certified board member awards and a master board member award to members who invest their time and effort into becoming more informed and more effective school board members. The award is given for participation in activities outside of local school board obligations. There are five levels of recognition, and Levels I through IV are recognized during Fall District Meetings, and those receiving Level V, Master Board Member, are recognized at the annual TSBA convention held each November.

Click here to download the Boardsmanship Award Program packet.

Boardsmanship Requirements

Submit your experiences to your Board Secretary or email gmerrill@tsba.net.

* To achieve Level III, you must complete a self-evaluation.

• • For the online board member self-evaluation form click here. TSBA will have access to your completed evaluation.
  • TSBA will add the experience to your transcript upon receiving the completed submission.
  • Contact gmerrill@tsba.net to retrieve your completed self-evaluation to reference when you are completing your Level V portfolio.

**To achieve Level IV, you must evaluate a meeting of another school board.

• • For the board meeting evaluation instrument click here.
  • Once completed, send the evaluation to gmerrill@tsba.net.

***To achieve Level V, you must complete a portfolio.

For more information, please visit the Master Board Member – Level V tab.

Master Board Member – Level V

In order to achieve Level V of the TSBA Boardsmanship Award Program, you must attain the necessary points identified in the award program and submit an online portfolio for judging. Links to the portfolio criteria are provided below. A current Master School Board Member’s Level V portfolio is provided below as a guide to assist board members as they work towards completing their portfolio. The sample portfolio is to be used as a guide ONLY.

TSBA makes no warranty or guarantee that the following said example will result in a successful bid for Level V. Once a board member completes his/her Level V portfolio, they must submit it electronically to TSBA by September 15 for judging. Current Level V master school board members serve as judges. Only portfolios that receive a score of 25 or above will receive the Level V Master School Board Member distinction. No TSBA staff member is involved with the judging of Level V portfolios.

For more information or the link to upload your completed portfolio, please contact 615-815-3908.

Level V Master Board Member Criteria

Current Master School Board Members

Sample Portfolio:

Tab 1- Sample Policies
Tab 2- References from Colleagues
Tab 3- Self Evaluation
Tab 4- Presentation/Teaching
Tab 5 – Advocacy
Tab 6- Essay

Quarter Century Club

The Quarter Century Club recognizes those school board members having
served twenty-five (25) years on their local board of education. These individuals shall receive honorary life membership in the Tennessee School Boards Association. This award is presented at the annual convention.

For more information, please contact TSBA at 615-815-3908.

Members of the Quarter Century Club

Scholars Circle

The Scholars Circle recognizes those school board members that have achieved Level V and attained 900 or more boardsmanship points in the TSBA Boardsmanship Award Program. This award is presented at the annual
convention.

For more information, please contact TSBA at 615-815-3908.

Recipients

School Board of the Year

Each year TSBA honors a school board for excellent service. The superintendent, TSBA district director, school administrator(s), board secretary, Parent-Teacher Association or organization, a member of the board-appointed committee, may make nominations.

Criteria:

• Must have achieved TSBA Board of Distinction
• Describe how the board effectively develops, applies and monitors policy.
• Describe the board’s strategic planning process.
• Describe what the board has done to promote quality education including use of traditional and social media, involvement with the legislature, congress, city or county commission, State Board of Education, and staff
• List all board development activities (including boardsmanship award levels for each member)

Nomination Deadline: September 15
Nomination Form

TSBA will email the official application to each system who has been nominated.

Application Deadline: September 30

The announcement of the winner and presentation of the Award plaque will be made during the TSBA Annual Convention in November.

For more information, please contact TSBA at 615-815-3908.

Past Winners

School of the Year for Excellence in Architectural Design

TSBA recognizes architectural firms for their excellence in design. In accordance with TSBA’s policy, any school building that was or will be occupied before November 1 of the current year or three years prior to November 1 of the current year is eligible for the award. School of the year awards are granted in four (4) categories including new school construction of elementary, middle, and high schools, and renovation.

Awards will be made based solely on the material and information provided to the judges. Prime consideration should be given to the architectural solution of the stated Educational Program Requirements/Specifications according to the criteria listed in the policy. Judges must have this information in order to compare entries.

School architects must receive approval from the local board of education and submit by mail the appropriate fee. The fee is $200 per entry. TSBA Business Affiliates pay a reduced fee of $175. Awards are presented to both the architectural firm and to the local board.

(Contact TSBA for Business Affiliate information)

Application Deadline: September 30

Application Form
School of the Year Policy

For more information, please contact TSBA at 615-815-3908.

Past Winners

Student Recognition Award

Each year the Tennessee School Boards Association recognizes students from across the state who have distinguished themselves in academics, community and service activities, and leadership roles and activities.

Superintendents, school board members, or district directors are encouraged to help acknowledge the achievements of Tennessee’s students. Nominees must be juniors in Tennessee public schools at the time of the application deadline.

To nominate a student, please complete the nomination form by clicking the link below. Once submitted, TSBA staff will contact the student nominee to let them know they have been nominated and provide them with the instructions on how to complete the application process.

Awards will be given in each of the nine districts at the September Fall District Meetings. The nine district winners will be asked to write a 1000 word essay on a selected TSBA topic to be considered for the statewide overall winner. To determine a statewide winner, the nine (9) district winners will be interviewed by a committee appointed by the TSBA President. The statewide winner will be recognized at the TSBA Awards Ceremony of the Annual Convention in November and awarded a $2,000 scholarship. Education Networks of America will give the statewide overall winner an additional $2000.

Nomination Deadline: May 1
Nomination Form

TSBA will email the official application to each student who has been nominated.

Student Application Deadline: June 1

A panel of judges appointed by the TSBA President will rate and rank the nominees.

For more information, please contact TSBA at 615-815-3908.

School Volunteer Recognition Award

Each year the Tennessee School Boards Association recognizes school district volunteers from across the state who have distinguished themselves by demonstrating exceptional commitment to volunteerism in a local school district.

Criteria include but are not limited to:

• Has made an outstanding contribution to a Tennessee school district through volunteer service
• Has exhibited exemplary leadership, creativity, cooperation, and hard work in their service to a school
• Has engaged in the creation, organization, and/or mobilization of volunteers, groups, and resources that are involved in projects benefiting the school district.
• Has demonstrated a sustained commitment to meeting school district needs.
• Has utilized unique and creative approaches to meeting needs.
• Has helped with a special project or ongoing activities.

The following guidelines shall govern the granting of the Volunteer Recognition Award:

• Applications shall be made on the official form provided by TSBA.
• Applications may be made by majority action of any member board of education.
• Application forms shall be submitted by May 1.
• The President of TSBA shall appoint a panel of judges to rate and rank the nominees.
• An award will be given in each of the nine districts at the September Fall District Meetings.
• To determine a statewide winner, the applications of the nine (9) district winners will be rated by a panel appointed by the TSBA President from the TSBA Board of Directors.
• The nine district awards shall be made in the form of a plaque.
• The statewide winner will be recognized at the Opening General Session of the Annual Convention and a $1000 grant will be awarded to the public school of the winner’s choice.

Application Deadline: May 1
School Volunteer Recognition Award Application

For more information, please contact TSBA at 615-815-3908.