Conference helps board members deal with challenging issues
By Ellie Ashford
NSBA’s 68th Annual Conference offers hundreds of educational sessions, covering every topic, every trend, everything you need to know to become a better school board member.
“As the job of a school board member has become more complex, it has become even more important for us to obtain training,” says NSBA President Norman Wooten. “This conference is truly the ‘go-to’ event for us to better serve the public school children in our districts.”
“Professional development is more critical than ever,” says NSBA Executive Director Anne L. Bryant.
Whatever tough issues your district is facing—dealing with the consequences of No Child Left Behind, incorporating 21st century skills into your curriculum, being an effective school leader in a challenging economic climate, or anything else—you’ll find tools and strategies to address these issues here.
“The annual conference is the place to learn from the best and to network with your fellow school leaders from across the country,” Bryant says. “Somewhere in America, all of our educational problems have been solved. Welcome to the land of solutions!”
While the more than 200 workshops scheduled over the next few days offer nuts-and-bolts advice, the General Sessions offer inspiration and insights, along with personal stories illuminating how public education fits into global, historical, and cultural trends.
Keynote speakers appearing at the daily General Sessions include retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, today; actor, director, and author Sidney Poitier, Sunday; television journalist Jim Lehrer, Monday; and radio host, storyteller, and author Garrison Keillor, Tuesday.
The Focus on Education lectures offer perspectives on key issues and trends in public education from nationally renowned experts. This year’s speakers include former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher; best-selling author Daniel Pink; leadership expert Simon T. Bailey; National Teacher of the Year Andrea Peterson; and author Russell J. Quaglia, an expert on student aspirations.
Other major sessions include Bryant’s lively interview this afternoon with Paul Houston, the retiring executive director of the American Association of School Administrators, and Sunday morning’s Fellowship Gathering featuring author Lee Woodruff, whose husband Bob was critically injured in Iraq while on assignment for ABC News.
Be sure to spend plenty of time in the Exhibit Hall, where more than 380 companies and organizations offer everything your schools need.
And if you’re from a National Affiliate school district, stop by NA Central, where you can relax, network with your peers, and take part in a broad array of educational workshops and roundtables.
Here are a few more conference highlights:
• The Youth in School Governance Institute, a new event this year, will be held for student representatives on local school boards.
• Leaders from 21 school districts will discuss their outstanding programs and initiatives at the Walk of Excellence Sunday afternoon.
• “Board member boot camp” sessions provide in-depth skills training to make sure new board members are ready for the challenges of school leadership.
• The outstanding student musical groups performing at the General Sessions will also appear in Luncheon Concerts today, Sunday, and Monday.
• NSBA’s three caucuses—representing board members concerned with issues surrounding black, Hispanic, and Native American/Alaskan native students—are sponsoring events throughout the conference.
The Annual Conference is so packed with professional development, training, and learning opportunities, your biggest challenge likely will be deciding which sessions to attend.
Reproduced with permission from
School Board News. Copyright © 2008, National School Boards Association. Opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect positions of NSBA. This article may be printed out and photocopied for individual or educational use, provided this copyright notice appears on each copy. This article may not be otherwise transmitted or reproduced in print or electronic form without the consent of the Publisher. For more information, call (703) 838-6789.