Sessions

• Advocacy

  Ten Best Practices to Avoid Liability
  The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the number of challenging issues board of education members face that could lead to a lawsuit. This session will explore the common legal pitfalls boards of education face, the best ways to deal with them when they occur, and most importantly the best ways to avoid them.
  
  Views From the Field: Diverse Student Enrollment and Desegregation Legal Issues
  In light of new regulations, heightened awareness, and a rise in investigations, school districts are faced with challenges resolving alleged incidents of sexual harassment, sex discrimination, and gender equity. This program will discuss the changes in regulations and compliance, as well as discuss scenarios involving complex or 'gray areas' of Title IX. Title IX has garnered intense media attention and scrutiny for school districts. This program will assist school districts in better understanding the nuanced issues involved.

  The Ins and Outs of Title IX: Legal Compliance and Beyond
  In light of new regulations, heightened awareness, and a rise in investigations, school districts are faced with challenges resolving alleged incidents of sexual harassment, sex discrimination, and gender equity. This program will discuss the changes in regulations and compliance, as well as discuss scenarios involving complex or 'gray areas' of Title IX. Title IX has garnered intense media attention and scrutiny for school districts. This program will assist school districts in better understanding the nuanced issues involved.

  Governing in Good Times and Bad: What You Need to Know About the Canadian Experience
  Learn about school board governance throughout Canada, and strategies to protect local democratic voice in public education - what works and lessons learned that are useful to all school board trustees.
  
  Governing in Good Times and Bad: What You Need to Know About the Canadian Experience
  Learn about school board governance throughout Canada, and strategies to protect local democratic voice in public education - what works and lessons learned that are useful to all school board trustees.
  
  Reasonable Accommodations in the Time of COVID-19
  Learn from school board association attorneys how school districts across Oregon are complying with their duty under the ADA to provide reasonable accommodations to staff returning (or not) to the schoolhouse as districts begin to reopen amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Find out what creative, out-of-the-box thinking and tried-and-true strategies have served districts in supporting employees with anxiety or conditions placing them in high-risk categories, while maintaining high-quality educational services to students, in these extraordinary times.
  
  Addressing Implicit Biases
  How Plano Independent School District (enrollment 53,952) recognizes and trains employees on implicit bias and its impacts. This presentation will help school districts create an inclusive environment where all employees and students will have the opportunity to succeed. The training will highlight implicit bias and racial disparities in the education system and will teach school districts on how to recognize and address them in order to provide equitable access to education.
  
  FERPA and Virtual Learning
  What board members should be aware of with an increase of virtual learning environments. How can the state and local education agencies work together to provide continuous services that protect student data privacy? The presenters will discuss a number of resources developed to answer questions related to online education, including complying with FERPA and IDEA. How can the state and local agencies reach students with disabilities and who do not speak English as their primary language.
  
  Copyrights (and Wrongs!) in the Digital Age - How to Avoid Copyright and Trademark Infringement Claims
  Schools are increasingly moving to virtual instruction, which means both greater opportunities and greater risks under copyright law. The history teacher uploads a study guide to a virtual classroom website; an elementary school teacher reads a book on YouTube; the high school plays 'We Are the Champions' at virtual graduation. Do these activities violate copyright law? 'Fair use' doesn't go as far as you think! Join us for practical and easy tips to avoid unpleasant legal surprises of copyright law in the digital world.
  
  Protecting Students From Exploitation: A Legal Guide for Public School Leaders
  Join members of the NSBA legal staff and national experts on the prevention of child exploitation to discuss how schools can support students in danger and work with law enforcement and social services groups to protect students.
  
  Legal Landmines in Remote Learning: Data Privacy, Security and District Liability
  According to a Rand study released in December 2020, twenty percent of the 300 district and charter management organizations surveyed said they had started or were planning a virtual school or fully remote option this academic year and expected those options would remain after the pandemic. In this session, school attorneys and NSBA legal staff will identify key legal issues your board should be asking about as you employ remote learning tools moving forward.
  
  The NSBA Legal Advocacy Agenda
  NSBA Chief Legal Officer Francisco M. Negrón Jr. presents this popular look at the national legal issues affecting public schools, and how NSBA is bringing the school board voice to courts and federal agencies.
  
  Protections for LGTBQ Employees and Students after Bostock v. Clayton County
  The Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, decided that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbids an employer from firing an employee because that person is gay or transgender. Beyond the world of employment, the Supreme Court’s ruling in Bostock is likely to affect the rights of students in public schools. This session features NSBA’s recent legal guide designed to help school leaders identify questions that may arise in both the student and employment scenarios, and provide a place to start as your district assess policy and staff training needs.

  State of Play: Education Hot Topics for the New Administration and Congress
  Get the latest information on COVID-19, the new administration, and the hot education issues being debated before Congress. This session will include a federal update, a discussion of the national issues most impacting schools, and information regarding the National School Boards Association's advocacy plans. Participants will hear from NSBA’s Advocacy team.

  Public School Transformation NOW! Access, Equity, and Innovation for each child.
  Dealing with COVID-19, improving equity in education, and the need to better prepare students for success in the real world requires innovative thinking. Public schools must transform learning for each student in every local school by providing a student-centered and personalized learning approach that better promotes real world and twenty-first century learning skills and improves equity. The COVID-19 crisis has only accelerated the need for transformation. NSBA is committed to this national movement to transform learning.

  Public School Transformation NOW!: Orchestrating a Grassroots Issue Campaign (NSBAC)
  COVID has underscored the need to innovate and transform public schools. How do you advocate for transformation? Personalized learning, the homework gap, equity, the teacher shortage, school infrastructure, and safe schools are some areas for focused grassroots advocacy. Each of these priorities includes stakeholder engagement that can yield exponential results for student achievement and public education. Learn new strategies for consensus building, communications messaging, and effective public engagement campaigns for multiple audiences.

  Dismantling Racism in Schools: What Will It Take?
  NSBA’s DIRE (Dismantling Institutional Racism in Education) initiative seeks to give school board members the tools and training to eradicate racism in schools. In this session, moderated by a member of NSBA’s DIRE team, a panel of school board members from NSBA’s councils will talk about their daily experiences working for equitable education for all students.

• Equity & Diversity

  The Voice of the Child
  Hear from Topeka Public Schools (enrollment 12,400) College Prep Academy students about how local and national racial issues and disparities impact their educational experience. As present scholars in the historical home of Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education, these students possess a powerful perspective and an empowered voice in 2021. Moderated by a current school board member, the director of certified personnel and equity, and the students' instructor, you will experience a progressive education model through the voice of the child.
  
  Becoming More Engaged & Inclusive Educational Leaders: Strategies for Supporting Our LGBTQ Students
  Given the importance and impact that diversity and equity issues play in the lives of students, it is imperative that school boards are prepared to meet the needs of diverse learners, such as LGBTQ students. There are key considerations for effectively supporting LGBTQ students that educators must be aware of. Come participate in this pre-conference workshop that features a highly customizable and interactive diversity and equity training that helps educators and school board members develop the competency necessary to support LGBTQ students.
  
  Views From the Field: Diverse Student Enrollment and Desegregation Legal Issues
  This program will discuss the legal and practical implications of school districts with respect to the racial and ethnic diversity, or integration, of school enrollments based on our three decades of active school desegregation litigation in federal courts across the United States. This program will provide an overview of legal requirements, compliance with existing guidance, and promoting best practices as it relates to racial and ethnic diversity, either voluntary or as required by Court Order.
  
  The Ins and Outs of Title IX: Legal Compliance and Beyond
  In light of new regulations, heightened awareness, and a rise in investigations, school districts are faced with challenges resolving alleged incidents of sexual harassment, sex discrimination, and gender equity. This program will discuss the changes in regulations and compliance, as well as discuss scenarios involving complex or 'gray areas' of Title IX. Title IX has garnered intense media attention and scrutiny for school districts. This program will assist school districts in better understanding the nuanced issues involved.
  
  Addressing Implicit Biases
  How Plano Independent School District (enrollment 53,952) recognizes and trains employees on implicit bias and its impacts. This presentation will help school districts create an inclusive environment where all employees and students will have the opportunity to succeed. The training will highlight implicit bias and racial disparities in the education system and will teach school districts on how to recognize and address them in order to provide equitable access to education.
  
  The Work of Equity: A Divisionwide Approach
  Participants will hear how the work of equity has developed in the 10th largest school division in the nation, and will examine the 'equity dashboard' which publicly shares data related to division strategic plan metrics. Senior leaders in the division will discuss the role of the Equity and Cultural Responsiveness Specialists, system-wide professional development for all employees, and the Equity Teams at each school-all of which are key aspects of moving the school district forward.
  
  Resilience Can Be Taught: 10 Strategies Proven to Motivate Any Student
  This session will demonstrate 10 strategies proven to strengthen relationships, grab attention, inspire, and build resilience in all ages and learning types. Participants will receive insights into teaching social and emotional life skills in ways all can understand, relate to, and remember. These strategies have helped over 2 million youth in 20,000 K-12 schools, mental health, and correctional organizations in the areas of academic success, dropout prevention, class management, and bullying prevention.
  
  Equity and Inclusion: From Staff to Students
  Attaining educational equity for all of our students does not happen in a vacuum. The Cleveland (OH) Municipal School District (enrollment 39,000) Board of Education believes that it starts with the teachers, principals and district staff who serve our students every day. Learn how our Board created a districtwide Equity and Inclusion Strategy Team comprised of a cross section of employees. The team explores issues of equity and inclusion and began to drive positive change across our district among our workforce, and ultimately our students.
  
  Inclusive Leaders — Who Are They? How Do You Become One?
  Inclusive leaders have developed an internal capacity (superpower of sorts) to engage people from all walks of life to innovatively address organizational, community, and even global issues. We will look at the intersection between developmental readiness, emotional intelligence, and psychological capital and what we are learning from neuroscience about inclusive minds and leadership.
  
  Protections for LGTBQ Employees and Students after Bostock v. Clayton County
  The Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, decided that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbids an employer from firing an employee because that person is gay or transgender. Beyond the world of employment, the Supreme Court’s ruling in Bostock is likely to affect the rights of students in public schools. This session features NSBA’s recent legal guide designed to help school leaders identify questions that may arise in both the student and employment scenarios, and provide a place to start as your district assess policy and staff training needs.

  Getting the Most Bang For Your Buck: Per Pupil Spending and Access to Digital Learning
  Two in five districts have adopted or plan to adopt virtual school as part of their district portfolio after COVID-19, because students and parents are demanding the continuation of various forms of online instruction in future years. Many district leaders are concerned about disparities in students' opportunities to learn, and insufficient funding. This session will focus on census data about Per Pupil Spending of public schools and provide insight into potential solutions to digital equity.

  Public School Transformation NOW! Access, Equity, and Innovation for each child.
  Dealing with COVID-19, improving equity in education, and the need to better prepare students for success in the real world requires innovative thinking. Public schools must transform learning for each student in every local school by providing a student-centered and personalized learning approach that better promotes real world and twenty-first century learning skills and improves equity. The COVID-19 crisis has only accelerated the need for transformation. NSBA is committed to this national movement to transform learning.

  Mental Health: Equitable Responses within School Systems
  As communities works toward addressing equity, the mental health of students cannot be ignored. During this session you will learn more about Mental Health America’s screening data and its connection to student’s mental health. Participants will also learn about the transformational work implemented by Mental Health America of Greater Houston and the Mental Health Association in New York State to address existing inequities within school systems and how to promote student-centered systems change.

  Dismantling Racism in Schools: What Will It Take?
  NSBA’s DIRE (Dismantling Institutional Racism in Education) initiative seeks to give school board members the tools and training to eradicate racism in schools. In this session, moderated by a member of NSBA’s DIRE team, a panel of school board members from NSBA’s councils will talk about their daily experiences working for equitable education for all students.

  Equity in Action: Magna Award-winning Programs
  Representatives from the three 2021 Magna Awards Grand Prize-winning districts will present on their exemplary equity programs. Mashpee Public Schools’ tribal partnership program recognizes the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe’s rich heritage and culture and advances the academic growth of native students. Portland Public Schools’ Make It Happen is a language acquisition, academic support, and college readiness program for high school English learners. Detroit Public Schools’ Drew Horticulture Program provides educational, vocational, and life skills for special education students ages 18-26.

  Equity Signature Speaker: Sonia Nazario
  Sonia Nazario's stories have tackled some of this country's most intractable problems—hunger, drug addiction, immigration—and have won some of the nation's most prestigious journalism and book awards, including two Pulitzer Prizes. Nazario is best known for Enrique's Journey, her account of a Honduran boy's harrowing struggle to reunite with his mother in the United States. Published as a series in the Los Angeles Times, it won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing in 2003. Expanded into a book published by Random House, it became a bestseller. In 2016, the American Immigration Council gave Nazario the American Heritage Award. She grew up in Kansas and in Argentina and has written extensively from Latin America and about Latinos in the U.S. Nazario began her career at The Wall Street Journal. She is at work on her second book and is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times. This session is sponsored by the National Hispanic Council of School Board Members (NHC).
  
  Equity Signature Speaker: Tony Plana
  Born in Cuba, raised in Los Angeles, and professionally trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, Tony Plana has performed in more than 70 feature films and numerous television programs. Among his recent films was Bombshell, where he portrayed Fox News' Geraldo Rivera. He will perhaps always be best known for playing Ignacio Suarez, the father on the TV sitcom Ugly Betty. Plana morphed his experience as an actor into producing and directing for television and film. He co-founded and was producing artistic director of East LA Classic Theatre (ECT) for over 20 years. Plana's adaptations of classic Shakespearean plays were specifically conceived for students with little or no theater-going experience. They were set against curriculum-relevant historical backgrounds that served as catalysts for studying psychology, race and cultural relations, and world history. Plana is an affiliate faculty member of the Center for Equity for English Learners at Loyola Marymount's School of Education. This session is sponsored by the Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE).
  
  Equity Signature Speaker: Stephen Sroka
  Stephen Sroka grew up in poverty in a single-parent family. His third-grade report card read, "Parent notified boy is retarded." In elementary school, he was mocked for having a crossed eye and a speech impediment. His high school counselor told him that he didn't have the "IQ" to go to college. His childhood disabilities and experiences were "gifts" or "grit" that offered unique opportunities that helped him become a better person and an educator. Today, Sroka is a motivational speaker and consultant on health education, school safety, brain-based learning, dropout prevention, and leadership building. His message emphasizes that The Power of One and The Power of Many are needed to make lasting change. Sroka is an adjunct assistant professor for the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University. A former Disney Outstanding Health Teacher of the Year, he was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame. This session is sponsored by the National American Indian/Alaska Native Council of School Board Members (AIAN).
  
  Equity Signature Speaker: Eddie S. Glaude Jr.
  Eddie S. Glaude Jr. is a scholar who speaks to the black and blue in America. His most well-known books, Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul, and In a Shade of Blue: Pragmatism and the Politics of Black America, take a wide look at Black communities and reveal complexities, vulnerabilities, and opportunities for hope. His 2020 New York Times Bestseller, Begin Again, is about the legendary writer James Baldwin and the history of American politics. Glaude is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor and chair of the Department of African American Studies at Princeton University. He is the former president of the American Academy of Religion. Glaude turns to African American literature in his writing and teaching for insight into African American political life, religious thought, gender, and class. He is a columnist for Time magazine, regularly appears on NBC’s Meet the Press, and is a contributor to Morning Joe and other MSNBC programs. This session is sponsored by the National Black Council of School Board Members (NBC).

  School Transformation with an Equity Lens
  Cultivating and building more diverse and inclusive learning environments is a challenge and responsibility that all education leaders share. This session features panelists’ scholarly and practitioner perspectives on the impact of systemic inequities and levers for advancing and sustaining equitable systems so that each child can succeed.
  
  Transformative Leadership During Uncertain Times
  The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated long-standing inequities in education as its impact has fallen disproportionately on students who are already facing the greatest challenges. According to Bellwether Education Partners, between 10 and 25 percent of students in the most marginalized populations have completely missed out on learning for the past year. Drawing on work they are doing in their own states, panelists will describe their leadership approach during a pandemic while also ensuring all students get the resources and support they need—both during the pandemic and after it ends.

  Whole Child. Whole Adult. A Path to Transformation Through MBSEL (Mindfulness-Based Social-Emotional Learning)
  Education is a proven path out of poverty. Yet, educational inequity, as measured by the achievement gap, graduation rates, and college and career readiness, has stubbornly hindered success for many minority and urban students. The foundational issues causing education inequity are biological. Increased stress inhibits healthy brain growth, triggers mental and physical health problems, and blocks learning. Conservative estimates suggest that this chain reaction negatively affects at least 40% of students. Without an intervention that targets these biological underpinnings, children will struggle to succeed in school. This lack of educational equity limits social equity and justice, and the cycle repeats. While COVID has amplified these inequities, it has also created an opportunity for visionary educators, foundations, and board members to embrace new and innovative solutions to these seemingly intractable issues. Mindfulness-based SEL in education provides an evidence-based path forward to promote mental health for educators, students, and their families in order to level the cognitive playing field for all. Join the discussion with leaders in education and neuroscience who will share their journey towards equity and academic transformation.

• Governance & Executive Leadership 

  Has Your Board made a Difference? Are You Getting Better? Prove it! Developing a Continuous Improvement Index
  A few years back, Grande Prairie Public School District in Alberta Canada (enrollment 9,000), set our to resolve a question that is rarely answered in a definitive and objective manner, 'Are we a better District today then we were 1,2,5 even 10 years ago', 'Is what we are doing as a Board actually making a difference? To answer this question the Board went on a four year journey to develop a Continuous Improvement Index that is unique to their Board values. This session will take you through the process and give you the tools to do your own.
  
  Ten Best Practices to Avoid Liability
  The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the number of challenging issues board of education members face that could lead to a lawsuit. This session will explore the common legal pitfalls boards of education face, the best ways to deal with them when they occur, and most importantly the best ways to avoid them.
  
  Governing in Good Times and Bad: What You Need to Know About the Canadian Experience
  Learn about school board governance throughout Canada, and strategies to protect local democratic voice in public education - what works and lessons learned that are useful to all school board trustees.
  
  Secrets of the Effective District Administration Team and the Role of the Rock Star Business Administrator
  Educators are exceptional people being drawn to their 'callings' to help others. Education requires funding and financial controls. Business Officials ensure fiscal accountability. School business departments can be viewed as a necessary evil as they seemingly restrict desires and goals of educators. Potential conflict between 'Education' and 'Business' staff need not exist. Attendees will acquire tangible skills and strategies to unify departments. It is possible for the Teacher and the Accountant to be friends.
  
  From the Boardroom to the Classroom: Governance That Works
  Find out how the Sun Prairie Area School District (Wisconsin) (enrollment 8,500) went from a focus on operations of a school district to a primary focus on student achievement.
  
  How to Deal with Negative People and Keep from Becoming Negative Yourself
  Negative people are tremendous energy drainers for children, other adults, and themselves. Learn 10 action steps that you can use to deal effectively with negativism, how the Port Washington-Saukville Public Schools, Wisconsin, (enrollment 2,700) used these steps to transform their buildings into special places for learning, and how it all started with the school board. The suggestions and ideas shared can be used immediately.
  
  Building a High-Impact Board-Superintendent Partnership
  Drawing on his newest K-12 leadership book, Building a High-Impact Board-Superintendent Partnership, presenter Doug Eadie will provide workshop participants with detailed, practical, thoroughly tested guidance for building the kind of rock-solid board-superintendent working relationship that is key to effective district governance. Doug’s presentation will describe significant developments in the rapidly evolving field of K-12 governance, the nuts-and-bolts work of governing a school district, the school board’s management of its governing performance, and the keys to maintaining a close, productive, and enduring board-superintendent working relationship.
  
  At The Table Together: The Collaborative Superintendent Evaluation Process
  The board of the Kansas City Missouri Public Schools (enrollment 15,000) implemented a unique superintendent evaluation process that brings the superintendent to the table during the deliberation and determination of his summative evaluation. Learn how the board has transformed the responsibility of completing the superintendent's evaluation from an 'event' into a transparent and collaborative process based upon clearly defined standards, goals, and measures
  
  Ineffective, Somewhat Effective, Effective, Highly Effective: Which Board Are You?
  This session will address board self-assessment and the key variables for boards to consider and master that will lead to their effectiveness as a governance team, including strategic planning and thinking, alignment of superintendent performance objectives, etc.

  How to Create an Award-Winning Budget
  The most scrutinized and utilized financial report in school district financial reporting is the annual budget. Therefore, communicating budget information to the community is critical. This workshop, based on the Association of School Business Officials International's Meritorious Budget Award (MBA) criteria, will show participants how to develop a budget document that meets today’s most rigorous demands using guidelines specifically created for school entities.

  Understanding the Updated Key Work of School Boards
  High-functioning school boards can impact student outcomes! Impressive results are evident when a board of education makes student achievement the primary focus of their governance work by integrating the Key Work systemic approach. This session will explore the 2021 edition of the five Key Work action areas that affirm how excellence in the board room leads to excellence in the classroom.

  Transformative Leadership During Uncertain Times
  The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated long-standing inequities in education as its impact has fallen disproportionately on students who are already facing the greatest challenges. According to Bellwether Education Partners, between 10 and 25 percent of students in the most marginalized populations have completely missed out on learning for the past year. Drawing on work they are doing in their own states, panelists will describe their leadership approach during a pandemic while also ensuring all students get the resources and support they need—both during the pandemic and after it ends.

• Innovation in District Management

  Becoming More Engaged & Inclusive Educational Leaders: Strategies for Supporting Our LGBTQ Students
  Given the importance and impact that diversity and equity issues play in the lives of students, it is imperative that school boards are prepared to meet the needs of diverse learners, such as LGBTQ students. There are key considerations for effectively supporting LGBTQ students that educators must be aware of. Come participate in this pre-conference workshop that features a highly customizable and interactive diversity and equity training that helps educators and school board members develop the competency necessary to support LGBTQ students.
  
  Legal Landmines in Remote Learning: Data Privacy, Security and District Liability
  According to a Rand study released in December 2020, twenty percent of the 300 district and charter management organizations surveyed said they had started or were planning a virtual school or fully remote option this academic year and expected those options would remain after the pandemic. In this session, school attorneys and NSBA legal staff will identify key legal issues your board should be asking about as you employ remote learning tools moving forward.

  Turn Your Principals Into Strategic Talent Leaders
  Still focusing on Instructional Leadership but not getting results? Principals lead people-- teachers lead instruction. Learn how to close the leadership gap by turning your principals into Strategic Talent Leaders who have the skills and tools to support the recruitment, development and retention of highly effective educators who consistently improve student outcomes. Attendees will leave with a Strategic Talent Leadership Framework and tools that will help principals to be strong talent leaders who get results!

  How to Create an Award-Winning Budget
  The most scrutinized and utilized financial report in school district financial reporting is the annual budget. Therefore, communicating budget information to the community is critical. This workshop, based on the Association of School Business Officials International's Meritorious Budget Award (MBA) criteria, will show participants how to develop a budget document that meets today’s most rigorous demands using guidelines specifically created for school entities.

  The Future of Public Education Lies in Procurement, and Doing More with Less for Student Success
  A 2018 survey conducted by NSBA and K12 Insight identified the top priorities to prepare school districts and students for success in five categories: People, Finance, Technology, Enhancing Education, and Community Engagement/Board. Procurement plays a fundamental role in ensuring the proper infrastructure is in place for district and student success. How do you do that when public education and school districts are underfunded, priorities continue to change, and the increased inefficiencies exacerbated by COVID continue to grow? Hear from school district governance leaders and procurement professionals how to: plan, implement, measure, and optimize needs using purchasing cooperatives; best practices and strategies for the era of COVID and planning for the future; and identify out-of-the-box ways to be cost-effective.

• Personal Development

  How to Deal with Negative People and Keep from Becoming Negative Yourself
  Negative people are tremendous energy drainers for children, other adults, and themselves. Learn 10 action steps that you can use to deal effectively with negativism, how the Port Washington-Saukville Public Schools, Wisconsin, (enrollment 2,700) used these steps to transform their buildings into special places for learning, and how it all started with the school board. The suggestions and ideas shared can be used immediately.
  
  Inclusive Leaders — Who Are They? How Do You Become One?
  Inclusive leaders have developed an internal capacity (superpower of sorts) to engage people from all walks of life to innovatively address organizational, community, and even global issues. We will look at the intersection between developmental readiness, emotional intelligence, and psychological capital and what we are learning from neuroscience about inclusive minds and leadership.

• School Board/Superintendent Relationships

  Hope, Engagement, and Belonging: More Important Than Ever!
  Educators, families, and community members understand the critical need to foster Hope - especially during these ever-changing times. Join this interactive session to explore the science across decades of research on Hope - and its connection to emotional engagement and a sense of belonging in the learning environment. Session participants will learn why hope, engagement, and belonging are essential to overall student well-being, as well as practical strategies to use in school and in remote learning environments.
  
  At The Table Together: The Collaborative Superintendent Evaluation Process
  The board of the Kansas City Missouri Public Schools (enrollment 15,000) implemented a unique superintendent evaluation process that brings the superintendent to the table during the deliberation and determination of his summative evaluation. Learn how the board has transformed the responsibility of completing the superintendent's evaluation from an 'event' into a transparent and collaborative process based upon clearly defined standards, goals, and measures.
  
  Ineffective, Somewhat Effective, Effective, Highly Effective: Which Board Are You?
  This session will address board self-assessment and the key variables for boards to consider and master that will lead to their effectiveness as a governance team, including strategic planning and thinking, alignment of superintendent performance objectives, etc.
  
  Superintendent Selection: The Right Process and the Right Fit
  Discover what it takes to conduct a high-quality, professional superintendent search. The presentation, led by the officers of NSBA's National Affiliation of Superintendent Searches (NASS), will cover the critical points of planning and conducting a search, including establishing a timeline, how to best engage stakeholder groups without ceding the board's decision-making authority, best practices for interviews, and ways to ensure a healthy transition once an appointment has been made.

• Safe & Supportive Schools

  Meaningful Youth Engagement: Students as Partners
  Research shows that school districts that engage youth in meaningful ways see higher academic achievement, decreased risk behaviors, and positive youth development- factors that contribute to student success. Learn key concepts of youth engagement and how it can impact youth and adults and ways that school boards in Alaska are engaging students by having a student school board representative, youth leadership programming and collaborating together on data.
  
  Reasonable Accommodations in the Time of COVID-19
  Learn from school board association attorneys how school districts across Oregon are complying with their duty under the ADA to provide reasonable accommodations to staff returning (or not) to the schoolhouse as districts begin to reopen amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Find out what creative, out-of-the-box thinking and tried-and-true strategies have served districts in supporting employees with anxiety or conditions placing them in high-risk categories, while maintaining high-quality educational services to students, in these extraordinary times.
  
  The Federal School Safety Clearinghouse: Leverage the Tools of SchoolSafety.gov to Enhance School Safety and Resiliency to Threat
  Learn how to navigate SchoolSafety.gov to access free resources, best practices, and tools that make school safety initiatives more actionable and create a safe and supportive learning environment where students can thrive and grow. Attendees will also learn how the State Information Sharing Tool can provide school board members with a one-stop shop for accessing state-specific school safety information including programs, resources, contacts, grant and funding opportunities, and engagement opportunities/trainings.
  
  Schools on the Frontline: Mental Health Providers and School Systems Working Together
  This presentation will include the participation of district leaders, student services staff, partner mental health provider, and school board members as we outline the path the Pewaukee School District (PSD) has followed to provide therapeutic services for students on campus and during the school day. The session will include a description of the request for proposal (RFP) process, logistical planning, and results following the first year of implementation.
  
  Protecting Students From Exploitation: A Legal Guide for Public School Leaders
  Join members of the NSBA legal staff and national experts on the prevention of child exploitation to discuss how schools can support students in danger and work with law enforcement and social services groups to protect students.

  Mental Health: Equitable Responses within School Systems
  As communities works toward addressing equity, the mental health of students cannot be ignored. During this session you will learn more about Mental Health America’s screening data and its connection to student’s mental health. Participants will also learn about the transformational work implemented by Mental Health America of Greater Houston and the Mental Health Association in New York State to address existing inequities within school systems and how to promote student-centered systems change.

  Whole Child. Whole Adult. A Path to Transformation Through MBSEL (Mindfulness-Based Social-Emotional Learning)
  Education is a proven path out of poverty. Yet, educational inequity, as measured by the achievement gap, graduation rates, and college and career readiness, has stubbornly hindered success for many minority and urban students. The foundational issues causing education inequity are biological. Increased stress inhibits healthy brain growth, triggers mental and physical health problems, and blocks learning. Conservative estimates suggest that this chain reaction negatively affects at least 40% of students. Without an intervention that targets these biological underpinnings, children will struggle to succeed in school. This lack of educational equity limits social equity and justice, and the cycle repeats. While COVID has amplified these inequities, it has also created an opportunity for visionary educators, foundations, and board members to embrace new and innovative solutions to these seemingly intractable issues. Mindfulness-based SEL in education provides an evidence-based path forward to promote mental health for educators, students, and their families in order to level the cognitive playing field for all. Join the discussion with leaders in education and neuroscience who will share their journey towards equity and academic transformation.

• Student Achievement, Assessment & Accountability

  Meaningful Youth Engagement: Students as Partners
  Research shows that school districts that engage youth in meaningful ways see higher academic achievement, decreased risk behaviors, and positive youth development- factors that contribute to student success. Learn key concepts of youth engagement and how it can impact youth and adults and ways that school boards in Alaska are engaging students by having a student school board representative, youth leadership programming and collaborating together on data.
  
  How School Boards and Local District Governance Affect Student Success
  Research demonstrates a strong connection between what happens in the board room and learning in the classroom. Consider recent governance studies exploring this connection. Learn from promising practices in districts of varying sizes. Grapple with the complexity and simplicity of practical steps your board can take to improve governance and student outcomes in your district. Develop governance strategies to maximize success for each of your students.
  
  Schools on the Frontline: Mental Health Providers and School Systems Working Together
  This presentation will include the participation of district leaders, student services staff, partner mental health provider, and school board members as we outline the path the Pewaukee School District (PSD) has followed to provide therapeutic services for students on campus and during the school day. The session will include a description of the request for proposal (RFP) process, logistical planning, and results following the first year of implementation.
  
  From the Boardroom to the Classroom: Governance That Work
  Find out how the Sun Prairie Area School District (Wisconsin) (enrollment 8,500) went from a focus on operations of a school district to a primary focus on student achievement.

  Turn Your Principals Into Strategic Talent Leaders
  Still focusing on Instructional Leadership but not getting results? Principals lead people-- teachers lead instruction. Learn how to close the leadership gap by turning your principals into Strategic Talent Leaders who have the skills and tools to support the recruitment, development and retention of highly effective educators who consistently improve student outcomes. Attendees will leave with a Strategic Talent Leadership Framework and tools that will help principals to be strong talent leaders who get results!

  COVID-19 and Unemployment: The Importance of Programs like Apprenticeships, Certificates, and Associate Degrees
  COVID-19 expedites school transformation. For school leaders, school transformation includes rethinking what knowledge and skills students should acquire before their graduation and how districts enrich programs and partnerships with their communities. The presenter will provide analyses of the new data about unemployment and job losses caused by the pandemic. Participants will learn the trend of the job market, the competencies employers want, and the overlooked value of apprenticeships, certificates, and associate degrees.

  Equity in Action: Magna Award-winning Programs
  Representatives from the three 2021 Magna Awards Grand Prize-winning districts will present on their exemplary equity programs. Mashpee Public Schools’ tribal partnership program recognizes the Wampanoag Tribe’s rich heritage and culture and advances the academic growth of native students. Portland Public Schools’ Make It Happen is a language acquisition, academic support, and college readiness program for high school English learners. Detroit Public Schools’ Drew Horticulture Program provides educational, vocational, and life skills for special education students ages 18-26.

• Technology & Digital Learning Solutions

  FERPA and Virtual Learning
  What board members should be aware of with an increase of virtual learning environments. How can the state and local education agencies work together to provide continuous services that protect student data privacy? The presenters will discuss a number of resources developed to answer questions related to online education, including complying with FERPA and IDEA. How can the state and local agencies reach students with disabilities and who do not speak English as their primary language.
  
  Copyrights (and Wrongs!) in the Digital Age - How to Avoid Copyright and Trademark Infringement Claims
  Schools are increasingly moving to virtual instruction, which means both greater opportunities and greater risks under copyright law. The history teacher uploads a study guide to a virtual classroom website; an elementary school teacher reads a book on YouTube; the high school plays 'We Are the Champions' at virtual graduation. Do these activities violate copyright law? 'Fair use' doesn't go as far as you think! Join us for practical and easy tips to avoid unpleasant legal surprises of copyright law in the digital world.

  Getting the Most Bang For Your Buck: Per Pupil Spending and Access to Digital Learning
  Two in five districts have adopted or plan to adopt virtual school as part of their district portfolio after COVID-19, because students and parents are demanding the continuation of various forms of online instruction in future years. Many district leaders are concerned about disparities in students' opportunities to learn, and insufficient funding. This session will focus on census data about Per Pupil Spending of public schools and provide insight into potential solutions to digital equity.