The start of the school year is a good time for county office of education board members to consider heading back to class. Professional development training can help sharpen trustees’ leadership skills, create networking opportunities and provide insights on trending topics.
Ongoing changes in law and state mandates for board members, including new features of the California School Dashboard, charter schools oversight requirements and funding and facilities issues, are just a few of the topics that can be addressed in professional development training.
“The success of our students and our districts hang on our knowledge and understanding of the complex and at times overwhelming layers of rules, regulations, laws and mandates we as county and district board members face,” said Heidi Weiland, a CSBA Director-at-Large and a trustee with the El Dorado County Office of Education.
In California, there are a range of professional development opportunities to help facilitate this process. Each year, CCBE holds its annual conference in Monterey, which focuses on the unique issues that impact county board members. Also held each year is the CSBA Annual Education Conference and Trade Show. The 2018 AEC takes place in San Francisco, Nov. 29–Dec. 1, and offers workshops, resources, networking opportunities and inspiring speakers aimed at delivering practical solutions to help governance teams from districts and county offices of education improve student learning and achievement. To learn more and register, visit aec.csba.org.
In addition, CSBA’s Masters in Governance team is developing a training series specifically for county board members that will soon be available statewide. Both the CCBE and CSBA websites provide links to additional opportunities for professional development. County board members are also encouraged to save the date for the CCBE County Board Governance Workshop scheduled to be held March 8–9, 2019, in Sacramento. Another helpful overview of trustee responsibilities is the resource guide, What it Takes to Lead: The role and function of California school boards, available online at www.csba.org.