The erosion of local school board authority is on the minds of many board members these days, and NSBA has responded with the Local School Board Governance and Flexibility Act, which seeks to rein in the U.S. Department of Education’s use of rules and regulations to intrude on the role of local school policymakers. “What [...]
School Board News
School Board News Today, an online publication of NSBA, provides timely and relevant stories and analysis from NSBA and other news outlets to school board members, administrators, and all others interested in K-12 education.
Caucus speaker asks: Is there a place where American Indian children can feel safe?
Although she was talking to school leaders well-versed in the educational challenges facing American Indian students, Hollie Mackey still took time to emphasize these challenges with a few stories of her own school years. For example, on her first day at one school, the principal told her she was lucky that she was fair-skinned and [...]
10 best practices to avoid liability
A question that frequently arises among school members, new and seasoned is, “Can I be sued?” While there are no guarantees against a lawsuit being filed, it is important consider actions to take to limit school board exposure to potential liability. Most states provide indemnification to school board members for actions taken within the parameters [...]
Hot topics in school law
Issues around school safety and various legislative and regulatory efforts arising nationally could easily pose serious consequences for districts and school boards, says Steve Bounds, director of legal and policy services for the Maryland Association of Boards of Education. In Monday’s session at the National School Boards Association’s Annual Conference, “Latest in School Law,” Bounds [...]
Brand-building begins in the board room
Does your school district have an image problem? If so, it probably doesn’t need a new slogan, a new logo, or a new “look,” according to a trainer and a communications specialist from the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA). What’s commonly needed is improvement in what happens at board meetings, they said at [...]
New NSBA President David Pickler takes office in midst of change
David A. Pickler knows about change. His career has evolved from business to law to financial planning and accounting. As a member of the Shelby County, Tenn. school board, Pickler is in the midst of a massive merger with Memphis City Schools that will drastically change the demographics and operations of the school district. So [...]
Video: NSBA incoming President highlights Monday’s Annual Conference schedule and the year to come
View National School Boards Association’s 2013 Annual Conference message from 2013-2014 President David A. Pickler for April 15, 2013 highlighting today’s conference schedule and the upcoming year.
Leadership and alignment improve Latino student achievement
One of the first tasks of Robert Arias did when he accepted the superintendency in Bakersfield, Calif., was to work with the school board to align the board’s values and goals with the work of the central office and the school improvement plans at each campus. “Clarity precedes competence,” Arias told attendees at a Hispanic [...]
Professor learns by labeling students ‘designers, artists, and writers’
When S. Craig Watkins, a professor of radio-television-film at the University of Texas at Austin, and his partners went into an Austin high school to help the students make an interactive iPad book in three weeks, they wanted to make changes based on the research they had done on how students learn best with technology.
deGrasse Tyson: STEM illiteracy will affect economy
Neil deGrasse Tyson did not want to talk about Pluto with the audience of NSBA’s Second General Session Sunday. Yes, the New York astrophysicist, author, television commentator, and conference key speaker did have a hand in demoting Pluto from its planetary status (Tyson says he was an “accessory” in the demotion). And yes, he has a cabinet full of hate mail, mostly from third-graders who were irate about the Pluto situation.
