NSBA Conference will help you do more with less
03/09 -- If your school board is worried about how to raise student achievement, retain the best teachers, and implement innovative programs during a time of severe budget cuts -- and who isn’t nowadays? -- you’ll find plenty of good advice at the NSBA Annual Conference.
The conference, April 4-7 in San Diego, offers more than 300 education workshops, including more than 26 hours of programming with specific strategies to help your district save money and successfully navigate today’s turbulent economy. [Visit www.nsba.org/conference for registration information.]
One of the Focus on Education Lectures, for example, features leadership expert Douglas Reeves, who will offer insights on how to deal with changes such as accommodating budget restrictions while maintaining stability through consensus building.
Focus lecturer Margaret Wheatley, an influential expert on organizational behavior, will give advice on how to create resilient and adaptive organizations where people are seen as a blessing, not the problem.
The Council of Urban Boards of Education will offer a pre-conference session on “The Shaky Economy and Urban Schools.” A special session presented by the editors of American School Board Journal will explore how the “going green” trend can help schools save money, protect the environment, and educate students about science and technology.
Two Early Bird workshops address the revenue-raising potential of K-12 foundations. One session offers tips on starting a foundation; the other will help districts that already have them step up fundraising activities. Additional sessions on foundations will be held throughout the conference.
Here are a few more examples of conference sessions that address education and governance issues in a tough economic climate:
• “Board Governance and School Improvement through an Enterprise Accountability System for Education.”
• “Don’t Break the Bank: Using Open Source Resources to Improve Teacher and Student Performance.”
• “Downsizing a District: Designing, Deploying, and Delivering Quality Education in Tight Times.”
• “Getting Control of District Finances: How an Audit Committee Can Help.”
• “Preparing for an Uncertain Future: Meet the Challenges of 2016 by Using the Scenario Planning Process.”
• “Show Me the Money (and the Strategic Advantages): Philanthropy in Public School Districts.”
• “The Case for Green Schools: Dollars and Sense.”
Reproduced with permission from
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