Board Presidents' Academy
The board president, as team leader and presiding officer, is critical to board-superintendent team effectiveness. In an effort to support Texas school board presidents in the successful fulfillment of their responsibilities, TASB offers a series of training sessions specifically designed for school board presidents. Under the designation “Board Presidents’ Academy," a variety of training topics are provided which allow each board president the flexibility to mix and match sessions to meet individual needs. As always, all board members, whether current presidents or aspiring presidents, are welcome to attend any of these sessions.
Board President's Duties They Never Tell You About
The board president’s mission is to ensure that the board, in cooperation with the superintendent, effectively performs its governance and oversight responsibilities. To do that, a president must know and understand not only his or her legally required duties, but the often un-voiced expectations of fellow team members and the community as well. This session is especially useful for new board presidents or aspiring board presidents who want to be prepared for the job. Participants will receive information, tips, and resources to help them effectively complete the duties required of them (1.25 hours).
Board President’s Legal Duties and Responsibilities
TASB attorneys identifies the statutory legal duties of the board president, as well as the most common legal “red flags” that the board president must recognize. Join in hands-on exercises in drafting a proper meeting notice and handling public comments with grace. This session is especially useful for new or aspiring board presidents who want to be prepared for the job (2.5 hours).
Building Team Relationships
This session provides board presidents with insight into how teams develop and suggest ways they, as team leaders, can set the stage to enable the board and superintendent team to build, support, and encourage positive working relationships. Especially designed for presidents in their role as liaison between team members and the superintendent, this session will be useful for anyone who wishes to enhance team relationships (2.5 hours).
Effective Facilitation Skills
The board president is responsible for ensuring that board meeting discussions stay on track and result in effective board decisions. The activities in this session teach basic facilitation techniques not found in Roberts’ Rules of Order that the board president may use to effectively guide board discussion and address situations that could prevent the board from accomplishing its business (2.5 hours).
Planning Productive Meetings
Experienced board presidents know that the key to conducting productive meetings is adequate preparation. This session helps equip board presidents to work with superintendents in planning for effective meetings by using an agenda calendar, reviewing draft agendas for appropriate number and type of agenda items, and ensuring that adequate background material is available for decision making. Especially designed to assist new board presidents, even experienced board presidents will find the tips and tools valuable (2.5 hours).
Meeting Preparation Essentials
An abbreviated version of "Planning Productive Meetings," this session focuses on developing an agenda calendar and a customizable background information form for agenda items as meeting preparation tools. The session also provides presidents with tips for reviewing draft agendas (1.25 hours).
Practical Parliamentary Procedure
When used appropriately, parliamentary procedure can turn your school board meetings into the efficient, civil, decision-making events you only dreamed were possible. But a good president doesn’t need to know every detail of Robert’s Rules of Order to manage meetings effectively. This session reviews the basics of the rules that apply to boards, covers strategies for moving on when discussion bogs down, and tells you how to handle challenges to the process. A must for new board presidents or anyone who hopes to be one someday (2.5 hours)
Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure (BPA)
An abbreviated version of "Practical Parliamentary Procedure," this session covers the rules most frequently needed by boards, the most commonly used motions, and explains common misunderstandings about the rules. A great overview for new board presidents and new board members alike (1.25 hours).
Board Presidents Roundtable
This session provides board presidents an opportunity to seek advice from experienced board presidents on a variety of topics for which presidents are responsible. Discussion centers around topics of most immediate concern to the presidents in the audience. Participants leave with tips on such areas of responsibility as preparing agendas, conducting meetings, working with the superintendent, building team relationships, and speaking to the public.