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Professional Development Update

November 6, 2020

What's in this update

80th Annual CASB Convention offers a year's worth of professional development to prepare you for 2021 and beyond

While 2020 has been a year of new challenges for school boards everywhere, it’s also spurred creative ways to meet, collaborate, and learn together. Nothing is more important to CASB than being able to meet your needs during this unusual and complicated time. The 80th Annual CASB Convention will use a virtual platform that will empower you with access to all speakers, resources, and content for a year. You won't have to make a difficult decision about which breakout to attend as all breakout materials will be recorded and archived for the coming year. We know that having just-in-time learning and support is more important than ever.

The following list of sessions will be offered and full descriptions are available here:

Thursday, December 3 Pre-Convention Agenda

Key People Program 
9:00 a.m. - 3:05 p.m.
(this session is for superintendent secretaries, board secretaries, or other administrators that support school boards)

9:00 - 9:30 a.m. Welcome & Desk Stretch Break with Claire Brunelli
9:30 - 10:30 a.m.  Hot Legal Topics for Key People 
10:30 - 10:35 a.m. Break
10:35 - 11:15 a.m. Hot Legal Topics for Key People (continued)
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Virtual Networking Lunch
12:35 - 1:30 p.m.  How to Work with the Press
1:30 - 1:40 p.m.  Desk Stretch Break with Claire Brunelli
1:40 - 2:30 p.m. Keynote Speaker: Stress and Anxiety Release with Dr. Scott Cypers
2:30 - 3:00 p.m. Networking Breakout Groups
3:00 - 3:05 p.m.  Wrap-up and Thank you


Business meeting: 3:00 - 4:30 p.m.

The annual CASB Business meeting open for Delegates to attend and the business conducted at the meeting includes the election for open CASB Board of Director seats and for open CHSAA Legislative Council seats. 


Friday, December 4 Convention Agenda
8:00 a.m. - 5:15 p.m.

8:00 - 9:00 a.m. Exhibit Hall Open 
9:00 - 10:30 a.m. General Session
Keynote Speaker: Manny Scott — Speaker, Author, Servant-Leader, and Original Freedom Writer 
(includes Live Q&A)
10:30 - 10:45 a.m. Exhibit Hall & Desk Stretches Break with Claire Brunelli 
10:45 - 11:45 a.m.

Breakout Sessions 

  • The Future of Learning Today (includes Live Q&A)
  • Reimagining, Redesigning, & Rethinking Systems for Post-Secondary Readiness 
  • Safe2Tell: Legislative updates, best practices, & FAQs with the Director
  • The Future of Colorado Rural Education (includes Live Q&A)
  • Keeping Up To Date with the Changes to the READ ACT
  • Advocacy Toolkit: Amplify Your Voice for Your Students
  • Title IX: How are boards implementing the changes?
  • The What, Why, & How of the Social-Emotional Learning Connection in Education
  • Student Art Showcase
 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.  Networking Lunches
 12:45 - 2:15 p.m. 

 General Session: Awards & Distinguished Speakers (includes Live Q&A)

  • Student Art Awards
  • Legislator Lifetime Achievement Award
  • Distinguished Speakers:
    • Katy Anthes, Colorado Commissioner of Education
    • Cheri Wrench, CASB Executive Director
 2:15 - 2:30 p.m.  Exhibit Hall / Break 
 2:30 - 3:30 p.m.

 Breakout Sessions

  • The Future of Learning Today (includes Live Q&A)
  • Proactive Measures to Ensure School Safety
  • Navigating Difficult Conversations and Decisions as a School Board Member (includes Live Q&A)
  • The Colorado Gifted & Talented Student Board
  • Great Governing Practices
  • Individual Plan of Study Through Teacher Mentorship Programs
  • Leveraging Board Policy to Effect Change
  • Student Art Showcase
 3:30 - 4:00 p.m.  Exhibit Hall & Desk Stretches Break with Claire Brunelli
4:00 - 5:15 p.m.   

General Session: How COVID-19 Disruptions Have Impacted Reading and Mathematics Performance
Gene Kerns, Ed.D; Educator, Author, and Chief Academic Officer for Renaissance (includes Live Q&A)

 

Saturday, Dec. 5 Convention: 8:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

8:00 - 9:00 a.m. Exhibit Hall
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.  Attorney Council Program (for Attorney Council members only)
9:00 - 10:30 a.m.  General Session - Why Equity? Why Now? (includes Live Q&A)
Panel Discussion with Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs, Esq., NSBA Chief Transformation Officer
10:30 - 10:45 a.m. Exhibit Hall & Desk Stretches with Claire Brunelli 
10:45 - 11:45 a.m.

Breakout Sessions

  • The Future of Learning Today (includes Live Q&A)
  • Educator Pipeline, Hiring, & Retention Tools Available from CDE
  • School Finance: How to move forward (includes Live Q&A)
  • An Equity Conversation Part 1
  • Special Education Students Enter Workforce After High School: Coffee Cart Program Job Skills Curriculum 
  • Colorado Education Accountability & Improvement Planning: Overview and expectations
  • The Path to Rapidly Closing Achievement Gaps is Through Leadership Development
  • Title IX: What do Board Members Need to Know?
  • Student Art Showcase
 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. Networking Lunches & Desk Stretches with Claire Brunelli  
 12:45 - 1:45 p.m. General Session: Anna Maria Chavez, NSBA Executive Director
 1:45 - 2:00 p.m. Exhibit Hall / Break 
 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Breakout Sessions

  • Leveraging Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality for K12 and CTE Instructional Programs
  • Innovation in Local Accountability: A learning agenda for Colorado
  • Centering Equity in this Historic Moment: District leadership amid disruption (includes Live Q&A)
  • An Equity Conversation Part 2
  • Developing Your Action Plan for Advocacy
  • President's Round Table
  • Modernization Program Intersects Learning Experiences and Environments, Accelerating Engagement
  • Legal Trends & Hot Topics: Surveying the current landscape
  • Student Art Showcase
 3:00 - 3:15 p.m.  Exhibit Hall & Desk Stretches with Claire Brunelli
 3:15 - 4:45 p.m.  Closing Convention General Session — Student Equity Panel Discussion (includes Live Q&A)


We hope you will join hundreds of other school board members and education leaders for the 80th Annual CASB Convention that will have ample opportunities to engage in live conversations on current and relevant topics to help you become even more effective in your critical role. By carving out time to advance your skills and knowledge you are investing in your students, community, and our state.

Friday session details
Saturday session details
Register

CASB Delegates set the stage for the next legislative session — 2021 Resolutions Book

Last Friday, October 30, CASB Delegates gathered virtually to vote on more than 20 proposed resolutions that were submitted by our members. The resolutions adopted at the Assembly will help to guide our organization in advocating for laws, rules, and regulations that will support each and every student in Colorado on their journey to achieve their full potential. These resolutions, in conjunction with guidance from the CASB Board of Directors, the Federal Relations Network, and the Legislative Resolutions Committee, provide the foundation for CASB efforts at the State Capitol in Denver and on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C.

We encourage your board to use this document as you evaluate legislation during the 2021 legislative session. Several breakout sessions at our upcoming Annual Convention will delve into the importance of having an advocacy platform and how to best use that platform to drive results. You can learn more about the breakout sessions here.

2021 Resolutions Book

2020 ballot issues decided

Coloradans weighed in on several ballot initiatives this week. While we will delve deeper into these issues in the upcoming School Board Advocate, we wanted to give you a brief summary on those items that we were following closely:

  • Amendment B (Gallagher Repeal) — PASSED
    The passage of Amendment B means that the ratio established under the Gallagher Amendment will no longer trigger automatic decreases in local property tax assessment rates, preventing an estimated reduction in local share estimated at $490 million statewide. This drop in local share would have required the state to backfill at a time where there is a $1.17 billion shortfall in state funding for public schools. This is good news for schools and other local governments. You can learn more about how it impacts your local district through the district fact sheets.

  • Proposition EE (Nicotine tax) — PASSED
    The passage of Proposition EE means additional funding for rural schools and for public schools over the next two and half years, among other areas of the budget as shown in the image below. Proposition EE is expected to generate up to $175.6 million in cigarette, tobacco, and nicotine tax revenue in budget year 2021-22, the first full year the measure will be in effect, and up to $275.9 million beginning in budget year 2027-28 when the new tax rates are fully phased in. Figure 1 shows the programs that will receive funding as the new tax rates are phased in through budget year 2027-28. Programs funded in budget year 2027-28 will continue to receive funding in future years. This is good news for schools through the 2022-23 school year. You can learn more about how it impacts your local district through the district fact sheets.



  • Proposition 116 — PASSED

    Proposition 116 proposes amending the Colorado statutes to reduce the state income tax rate from 4.63 percent to 4.55 percent for tax year 2020 and future years. The Legislative Council Staff estimates that Proposition 116 will reduce state General Fund revenue by an estimated $203 million in state budget year 2020‑21 and $154 million in state budget year 2021‑22. The first-year estimate includes the measure’s full impact for tax year 2020 and half of its impact for tax year 2021 due to the timing of the change in the tax rate. In every year since 2009-10, the state has not been able to fulfill its obligation to schools, as tracked through the Budget Stabilization Factor. You can learn more about how it impacts your local district through the district fact sheets.