Professional Development Update

October 8, 2020

What's in this update


Virtual Professional Development Opportunities

CASB Fall Regional Meetings are now underway

Each year CASB hosts Fall Regional Meetings to allow CASB members to collaborate in small groups with colleagues from neighboring districts, share ideas, and hear from CASB's knowledgable staff as they offer up-to-the-minute insights to help boards make sound governance decisions. A benefit of holding the meetings virtually is that we are able to record the conversations for those members who could not make their regional meeting. You can access past meetings and schedule for one an upcoming one on our website. Registration is complimentary. 

AGENDA

  Monica Peloso   Welcome
Mastering the Tools of Effective Governance

Monica Furey Peloso, CASB Board of Directors President 

Join CASB Board President Monica Peloso who will lead a panel conversation with several local school board members from your region. Our panel will highlight the tools and resources they used to navigate the past six months, their lessons learned, and plans for moving forward. Learn and collaborate with your peers to refine your leadership skills during this uncharted time where we are all navigating a global health pandemic, an economic crisis, and social unrest. By harnessing the collective wisdom of school boards, we keep Colorado strong and support the more than 900,000 students our school boards are charged with serving.

 
Addressing Equity in Your Community
Cheri Wrench, CASB Executive Director

Education is the great equalizer in our society and opens up opportunities regardless of race, gender, or economic background. Recent studies, protests, and the media have highlighted equity concerns across our state. When our schools went to remote learning in the spring, the lack of access to the internet and technology became highly visible. In addition, food insecurity in each community was highlighted as schools helped serve their community’s needs. As schools reopen, the inequities in infrastructure are more apparent with concerns around adequate air filtration systems. We will spend time discussing how your districts are approaching equity and making sure every student gets what they need to succeed. 

 Josie Lewis 

 Sam Jones-Rogers

 
Title IX Information 

Josie Lewis, CASB Chief Legal Counsel and General Counsel
Sam Jones-Rogers, CASB Staff Attorney  

Title IX makes clear that no student shall, on the basis of sex, be subject to discrimination. The U.S. Department of Education recently released its long-awaited final regulations governing campus sexual assault under Title IX. As a board member, the legal control of your district rests with you and understanding the changes made to Title IX is an important responsibility. CASB legal staff will provide you with highlights and answer questions you may have based on the recently released Special Policy Update resources and webinar. 
Monica Peloso Furey
 
Connecting with Your Community and Working Together

Monica Furey Peloso, CASB Board of Directors President 

Community participation in the affairs of the school district is essential if the school system and the community are to maintain mutual confidence and respect, and work together to improve the academic achievement of students in the district. CASB Sample Board Policy KCB (Community Involvement in Decision Making) speaks to the importance of a strong working relationship with your community to build trust and satisfaction with your school district. This is true during times of stability and even more important when the choices we are making are high-stakes and plagued with uncertainty. Join your peers in walking through the Community Relations Checklist.
 
The November Ballot

Matt Cook, CASB Director of Public Policy and Advocacy

As an elected official, your constituents look to you to understand how measures on the November ballot may impact schools. Both of the referred measures on the ballot — SCR 001: Repeal of the Gallagher Amendment and HB20-1427: Cigarette Tobacco And Nicotine Products Tax — would affect school funding. We will run through ballot initiatives, their impact on local schools, and address your questions. 

   
McGuffey Awards


School board members are ordinary people who demonstrate extraordinary dedication to our public schools. The CASB McGuffey Award honors unique board members who bring committed and passionate service to their board work. Every district has the opportunity to submit one board member each year. Join us as we pause and recognize their significant contributions.

 
Learn more, access recordings, and register here 

Your vote, your voice at the CASB Delegate Assembly

The 2020 Delegate Assembly plays a vital role in helping CASB chart its advocacy course. Each member school board receives a vote through its Delegate at this annual event. This year's Assembly will be virtual and takes place on Friday, October 30, from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.

CASB members can access the 2020 CASB Proposed Resolution Book (login is required). Amendments to resolutions must be submitted through this electronic form no later than noon on Wednesday, October 28, 2020. Based on the virtual nature of the Assembly, the proposed Rules of Procedure include several updates, including no amendments to resolutions will be taken during the Assembly. 

Delegates will be required to participate in a practice session prior to the Delegate Assembly — details will be provided closer to the Delegate Assembly. CASB members who are not Delegates and wish to view the Delegate Assembly will have access to view the Assembly on the CASB website. 

Delegate-only Registration
Learn more

Taking care of those who take care of others — Key People Program

We are excited to announce the line-up for the Key People Program, designed specifically for superintendent and board secretaries. This program is scheduled for the CASB Pre-Convention on Thursday, December 3, 2020.

AGENDA AT A GLANCE 

9:00 - 9:30 am   Welcome & Desk Stretch Break with Claire Brunelli
9:30 - 10:30 am   Hot Legal Topics for Key People
10:30 - 10:35 am   Break
10:35 - 11:15 am   Hot Legal Topics (continued)
11:30am - 12:30 pm   Virtual Networking Lunch
12:35 - 1:30 pm  

How to Work with the Press

1:30 - 1:40 pm   Desk Stretch Break with Claire Brunelli
1:40 - 2:30 pm   Keynote Speaker: Stress and Anxiety Release with Dr. Scott Cypers
2:30 - 3:00 pm   Networking Breakout Groups
3:00 - 3:05 pm   Wrap-up and Thank you


While you will be attending virtually, the program will be live streamed to maximize your engagement opportunities.
 The relationships and connections you make will prove valuable in your critical role for your school district. You won't want to miss this always-popular session this year as networking is more important than ever during the most complicated school year in U.S. history. Hear what is happening with your peers across the state, learn together, celebrate together, and build those valuable relationships that carry us through sometimes difficult times. 

Learn more and register

Get inspired at the 80th Annual CASB Convention

Need some inspiration? This school year is certainly one for the history books. There is no better time to sign up for the 80th Annual CASB Convention as a way to plan for some inspiration. You will:

  • Learn something new
  • Connect with others in your field
  • Honor board members for their efforts and service
  • Carve out time to advance your skills and knowledge
  • Engage with others to learn how they are tackling current challenges
  • Access professional learning to carry you through 2021 — recordings of ALL breakout sessions will be available to you for one year following the event

Even though our annual Convention will look different this year, you can count on the same high-quality board development CASB always delivers. The virtual platform will be engaging and immersive, while offering new opportunities to collaborate with your peers from across Colorado.

A Pre-Convention will be offered on Thursday, December 3, and will include programs for Key People and the Business Meeting. The main Convention will be held on Friday, December 4, and Saturday, December 5. The preliminary agenda is available on our website. 

Learn more
Register

Other Professional Development Opportunities

CASB Conversations Webinar: Title IX Overview

On August 14, 2020, the final Title IX rules went into effect for districts across the country. In response to the changes, CASB released sample policies on July 17, 2020. However, these rule changes have an impact beyond policy that school board members should be aware of this school year. In this webinar, the CASB legal team provide an overview of Title IX and discuss how the changes impact the process at the local level.

Access the recording (requires member login)

CASB Conversations: Your Social-Emotional Health

School board members typically put themselves last in line when it comes to self-care. We are at a point in time where anxiety and stress are mounting for our school board members. It is critical for you to take care of yourself so that you can continue to take care of your district. Understanding the importance of maintaining your social-emotional health is key and as we learned from Rosalind Wiseman, CASB keynote speaker for the 2019 Convention, dignity is the root of social-emotional health.

There is a path forward in self-care and that path is grounded in the principle of dignity; our collective belief that each of us has inherent worth and our relationships with each other matter. Furthermore, dignity is the foundation for developing the skills and capacity to have difficult conversations with each other and successfully respond to any problem.

Join Cultures of Dignity Co-Founder’s Rosalind Wiseman and Charlie Kuhn for an interactive webinar to help you be better prepared to respond to parents and colleagues' concerns and equip you with tools you can immediately put to use.

Access the recording (requires member login)

Highlight your student artists and performers at Convention 

The virtual platform will allow us to feature student art work and performers throughout the Convention. We are accepting student art work for our art contest, as well as applications for student performers. The submission deadline for both is October 15, 2020. 

Student Art Contest Application Information
Student Performance Application

2020 ballot issues and school funding

As you receive your ballots this week, there are several measures that directly affect Colorado school funding. You can learn more about those initiatives on the CASB 2020 Ballot Issues website page. CASB also has sample resolutions and district-specific factual summaries designed to help you communicate with your local community. The 2020 Ballot Issues website page also provides links to the Blue Book and Fiscal Impact Statements. 

School funding will continue to be a challenge and CASB encourages all members to be informed and engaged.


The McGuffey Award — recognize a deserving school board member for their service

The CASB McGuffey Award honors unique board members who bring committed and passionate service to their board work. Every district has the opportunity to submit one board member each year. Honorees are recognized at CASB’s Fall Regional Meetings and featured on our website, through social media and in the Annual Convention program. It takes just a small amount of your time for a worthy recognition.

Submission deadline is one week prior to your regional meeting — so act today! 

Learn more