2026-2027 WBT Catalog

Whole Board TRAINING 2026-2027

Interactive Training for Excellent Boards

BECOME AN EVEN STRONGER BOARD Quality training is one way the Alabama Association of School Boards is accomplishing its mission to develop excellent school board leaders. Our exemplary training team comprises AASB staff members with decades of experience working with and for boards as well as a cadre of former board members and superintendents who were schooled in the real world. The team is prepared to help improve your skills via a wide variety of interactive courses created to meet boards’ needs.

The state requires 2 hours of whole board training per year for board-superintendent teams, but more importantly, research says school boards are more effective when all members of a school board learn together as a team. AASB’s standard and customized training sessions allow the whole board to come together and focus on a particular area of need, discuss the school system’s specific situation, ask questions and develop plans for improving performance.

LOW RATES!

Most workshops are $599 plus expenses for up to 4 hours. Legal workshops are $699.

Fully customizable, full-day board retreats of 4 or more hours are $1,199 plus expenses.

Discount available when boards contract for multiple sessions.

TRAIN WITH NEIGHBORS: School boards within driving distance of each other can share whole board training expenses to save money and enjoy an opportunity to learn with their neighbors. Coordinate the topic, date, time and location, and AASB handles the rest. Reach out for pricing.

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The training year begins July 1 and ends June 30. Training hours do not roll over from year to year.

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Hours of coursework are included in AASB’s two-part orientation. This satisfies the one-time requirement for an orientation covering specific topics.

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“Interactive whole board training" hours must be completed annually by each board-superintendent team.

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Hours of continuing education must be earned annually by each school board member. Two of those hours must be your whole board training.

Each August, AASB must provide the state superintendent of education a report indicating whether each board member met training requirements in the previous training year.

SAVE

10%

A 10% discount is applied to whole board workshops scheduled for July, August or September.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Workshops Available in a Variety of Topic Categories:

AN EFFECTIVE TEAM

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AN EFFECTIVE EVALUTION

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Clarified roles & improved team communication

Defined expectations & meaningful feedback

A WELL-TOLD STORY

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DATA & GOALS

Page 7

FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT

Page 8

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Page 9

BOARD & THE LAW

Page 10

SPECIALIZED TRAININGS

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Meaningful relationships with stakeholders

Measurable progress & performance

Enhanced understanding of school finance

Sharpened focus on student learning

Familiarity with critical laws & regulations

In addition to standard workshops, AASB offers custom workshops upon request.

AN EFFECTIVE TEAM

Clarified roles & improved team communication 2 hours | $599

Boardmanship 101

This practical course uses numerous real-world scenarios to help members and the superintendent clearly understand one another’s roles. A great introduction for new board members, this training also serves as an important refresher for even veteran board members.

Boardmanship 201

2 hours | $599

Subtitled “Practical Boardmanship,” this scenario-based session allows board-superintendent discussion of real-world issues that can diminish the board’s ability to function effectively. Discussion can be focused on specific issues the team is grappling with or can be focused on preventing problems that could arise in the relationships and operations of the governance team. The session typically results in the team’s drafting of operating agreements to solidify expectations.

Board-Superintendent Relations

2 hours | $599

In this session, the board and superintendent will discuss their respective roles and work with common scenarios to identify actions that are within the board’s oversight role versus overstepping into the responsibilities of the board or individual members.

Boomers to Zoomers: Generational Insights

2 hours | FREE

Today’s schools are shaped by multiple generations, each with unique perspectives, values, and communication styles. Understanding these differences is key to effective leadership and decisionmaking. This session explores generational traits and how they influence education, communication and engagement strategies for different age groups, and your role in fostering collaboration across generations.

Building a Stronger Team

2 hours | $599

Based on the work of Patrick Lencioni and researchers' findings on best practices for school boards, this session explores what sets successful teams apart and helps you identify collective behaviors that are helping - or hurting - your team.

Communicate in Style

2-3 hours | $599

Nothing torpedoes a board’s effectiveness and the relationship between a board and its superintendent faster than chronic miscommunication. Using humor and an online assessment taken prior to the training, we will identify the communication style of each board member and the superintendent. Reports are generated to give each member a deeper understanding of how he or she communicates and makes decisions. AASB then teaches the board-superintendent team to work with each style to improve team function and communication. This training is also available for System or School Leadership Teams or as a staff PD session.

The free training sessions are available beginning October 1, 2026.

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Custom Confllict Resolution

Call for Pricing

Designed for teams with ongoing conflict and/or deeper divisions, this customized series of sessions aims to help teams work through the issues creating problems. The series will include individual training, facilitated team discussion, and development of team operating agreements.

NEW! Dealing with Difficult People

2 hours | $599

This session helps school board members and leaders recognize and respond effectively to challenging behaviors that can disrupt teamwork and decision-making. Participants examine how attitudes, assumptions, and communication habits influence board dynamics and learn practical strategies for addressing common personality types in meetings and leadership settings. Through discussion and real-world scenarios, board members gain tools to manage conflict, maintain professionalism, and strengthen productive collaboration within the governance team.

Effective Board Meetings

2 hours | FREE

How you do business is as important as the business you do. Holding board meetings that are professional, orderly, and student-focused will raise your stock with stakeholders. But it takes planning and a common understanding of how boards that get things done operate. This session blends videobased scenarios with discussion of best practices.

Parliamentary Procedures

2 hours | $599

Used properly, Robert’s Rules of Order give board meetings the structure and order needed to accomplish business effectively. We'll walk you through the rules, customs and ethics that govern school board meetings. Every member of the board-superintendent team should understand how to conduct a deliberative meeting.

Superintendent Search

2 hours | FREE

This workshop is for boards faced with appointing a superintendent. Selecting a superintendent is one of the most important actions a school board takes. In this pre-search workshop, AASB walks boards through legal requirements related to a search, discusses the pros and cons of various search options and facilitates initial discussion of skills and qualities the board will seek in the system's next CEO.

The Power of Governance

2 hours | $599

Moving from board governance to positive board governance often separates highly effective boards.

In order to do this, boards must work together as a unified team with a common vision driven by a shared, positive governance compass. Positive board governance is essential to sustaining long-term improvement of our local school systems. As board members move up the governance ladder, the work becomes more difficult, more personal, more intentional, and more effective.

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AN EFFECTIVE EVALUTION Defined expectations & meaningful feedback Board Self-Evaluation + Goal Setting

2 hours | $699

Self-evaluation is critical to the board’s efforts to continuously improve its performance and should be done at least every two years. Prior to the session, each board member completes a broad online assessment covering an array of areas in which the board works. AASB then analyzes the results and, in the training session, facilitates board discussion of the results and best practices.

Evaluation - Best Practices

2 hours | $599

School systems progress when their boards set clear, measurable expectations for their superintendent and chief school financial officer annually and evaluate their progress. This session helps the board ensure that evaluations are both fair and productive. It also covers the mechanics of a quality evaluation process. Use this session as a stand-alone training or as part of AASB’s evaluation service.

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A WELL-TOLD STORY Meaningful relationships with stakeholders Community Engagement

2 hours | $599

Schools tend to be the heart of their community. It's no wonder community expectations for schools are soaring. Discover the value of meaningful engagement. Participate in a facilitated discussion of strategies school systems use to engage stakeholders and build a lasting relationship with their communities.

Communicating in a Crisis

2 hours | $599

No school system can predict when or what a crisis will be, but every school system needs a plan to respond quickly, accurately and appropriately when a crisis strikes. Get hands-on guidance for proactive crisis communications, from working with the media to maintaining transparency and accountability in the eyes of stakeholders.

Media & Public Relations

2 hours | $599

Telling your success stories in ways that interest and engage your community requires an understanding of how public relations and media relations work in the 21st century. Learn ways to communicate more effectively with internal and external stakeholders and build public support for your schools.

Social Media Pitfalls, Potholes & Pointers

2 hours | $599

How can school systems effectively and creatively use social media to connect with their community and the digital natives in their schools? Learn tips for steering clear of social media tripwires that can spark lawsuits, lead to job loss or cause public embarrassment. Discuss the dos and don’ts of using social media as a school board member.

DATA & GOALS

Measurable progress & performance

Data 101: Using Data to Drive Decisions

2 hours | $599

This data workshop is dynamic and grounded in research. It gives you a detailed look at the various data types available to Alabama school boards and helps you identify questions to ask to ensure your school system continuously improves. Follow this primer with Data 201 for a deeper understanding of your school system data.

Custom Data

3 hours | $699

In this session, the board-superintendent team will review achievement gaps highlighted through examining data for their graduation requirements including CCRI, WorkKeys, ACT, and ACAP Summative / Alternate to begin discussing the causes and solutions. The session includes discussion of the board’s role in closing the gaps and the superintendent’s and staff’s roles.

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Facilitated Goal Setting

2 hours | $599

Goals are crucial to the success of any organization. Strategic plans generally establish long-term goals, but what if your board needs to plan for the short term? If your board-superintendent team is determining its annual goals, AASB can help you identify critical school system data and set goals for improvement. This workshop can stand alone, be used as a precursor to strategic planning or serve as a stopgap between strategic plans. It can be used as part of AASB’s strategic planning service.

Strategic Planning

2 hours | $599

All boards need a current, forward-thinking strategic plan to guide their actions and the actions of the staff. This training focuses on the role of the board in the planning process, from determining expectations to holding the system accountable for reaching strategic goals. Also, the trainer will facilitate a board-superintendent analysis of the system's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats -- a critical precursor to the strategic planning process.

Understanding Artifical Intelligence

2 hours | $599

As AI continues to transform education, school boards play a crucial role in guiding its responsible use.

Understanding AI’s opportunities and challenges will help you make informed decisions that benefit students, educators, and the community. We will explore several AI tools to see how AI is shaping education, potential benefits and risks for schools, and your role in policy, ethics, and implementation.

FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT Enhanced understanding of school finance Bids, Buildings and Blueprints

2 hours | $599

Management of capital assets is generally thought of as the CSFO’s job. But this course offers insight into laws and issues related to capital planning as well as the types of data a board should study before planning begins. It also provides a primer on key laws, including the bid and public works laws, which impact capital planning decisions and processes.

Funding and Finance: What to Know Part I

2 hours | $599

Brush up on the basics of school finance. Take a look at education funding including the Foundation program, financial reports, and understanding the steps and requirements of budgeting. Finally, this training reviews common fiscal terms and how Average Daily Membership truly affectsfunding.

Funding and Finance: What to Know Part II

2 hours | $599

This training goes beyond the basics to take a deeper look at education funding. Explore state funding sources and uses and the Public-School Fund (PSF) Capital program. In addition, you will take a deep dive into how transportation funding works and the tenants of operating an effective Child Nutrition Program.

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STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT Sharpened focus on student learning

All Means A.L.L. (Access, Learning, Leadership)

3 hours | $699

Focusing on ensuring access, learning, and leadership for every student, this workshop explores the board’s role in ensuring fair access to opportunity, high-quality learning experiences, and accountability for student outcomes. Participants examine how effective governance practices—such as monitoring data, setting clear priorities, and aligning resources—support student success across the system. Through guided discussion and practical activities, teams strengthen their understanding of board responsibilities and develop an action plan to support continuous improvement in their local school system.

Barriers to Student Learning - Practices for Staff & Extracurricular Activities

2 hours | $599

This interactive session examines policies and practices related to staffing, extracurricular activities and the rigor of expectations for student learning – practices that can unintentionally create barriers for students based on their socioeconomic level, race/ethnicity or other demographic factors.

Barriers to Student Learning - Practices for Funding & Discipline

2 hours | $599

This interactive session examines policies and practices related to funding and disciplinary actions that can unintentionally create barriers for students based on their socioeconomic level, race/ethnicity, or other demographic factors.

Chronic Absenteeism

2 hours | $599

Students who miss 15-18 days of school – excused or unexcused – are at a substantially higher risk of failure and other long-term consequences. In this session, you will learn about the causes and impact of absenteeism as well as what approaches have succeeded in increasing attendance and the board’s role in addressing the issue.

Improving Schools: Focusing on What Matters Most

2 hours | $599

What expectations has your board set for teacher and student performance? Do you have a sense of urgency about student achievement? In this research-based session, we will explore the ways the board can have a meaningful impact on student performance without encroaching on the roles of the superintendent and staff.

NEW! School Safety: Tips and Guidelines

2 hours | $599

Safe schools require proactive planning, clear policies, and effective communication. In this session, participants will explore best practices, prevention and response strategies, and the board’s role in supporting safe learning environments. Current SDE guidelines will also be reviewed.

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BOARD & THE LAW

Familiarity with critical laws & regulations

Charter School Law

2 hours | $699

Deciding whether to become a charter school authorizer requires a clear understanding of the benefits and obligations associated with Alabama’s charter school law. Learn the basic components of the law, along with specific issues your board should consider before making this game-changing decision for your system.

Legal Considerations in Personnel

2 hours | $699

This roundup of personnel-related legal topics can help your board avoid costly mistakes. Learn important information such as avoiding discrimination claims, posting vacancies, what you can and can't disclose about personnel and how to manage employee grievances.

Open Meetings & Public Records

2 hours | $699

How you do business is as important as the business you do. This session focuses on when and how you notify the public of meetings, how to use executive sessions, and the limits on what boards can do outside the public's view.

Special Education

2 hours | $699

The laws governing special needs students are complex and missteps can be costly. The session provides an overview of the expectations and strategies for avoiding pitfalls.

Students First Act & Teacher Accountability Act

2 hours | $699

There is much superintendents and boards should know about employment actions, including when and how to reassign, transfer and discipline employees and principals. This training details the Students First Act and Teacher Accountability Act's rules for personnel actions and walks the board through common mistakes boards make when serving as judge and jury in those actions.

Title IX

2 hours | $699

Boards of education operate under the watchful eye of the Office for Civil Rights, which enforces multiple federal laws meant to prohibit discrimination, including Title IX. Learn how this law designed to combat gender discrimination in schools can impact athletics and other program offerings.

Working with Your Board Attorney

2 hours | $699

Your board attorney is a key player on the leadership team. How do you choose an effective one?

What should you expect to pay? What are the rules of confidentiality? What do you do if the relationship goes bad? These are just some of the practical, real-world questions that will be answered.

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SPECIALIZED TRAININGS Whole board training can focus on a specific area of need for your school board.

Board Retreat

Call for Pricing

This option is offered to address the specific and varied needs of a local school board while strengthening leadership and collaboration. Through guided discussion and strategic reflection, board members examine their governance roles, improve communication and decision-making, and strengthen their partnership with the superintendent. Participants leave with practical strategies to enhance teamwork and focus their collective leadership on advancing student success and community trust. Choose multiple sessions from our training catalog.

Book Studies

Call for Pricing

Board-superintendent teams can elevate and enrich their learning with book studies. Choose a thought-provoking book and schedule an AASB facilitator to guide discussion of the key leadership concepts. Choose from: Strengths Finder 2.0, The Ideal Team Player, or Make Your Bed.

Candidate Training

Call for Pricing

Sometimes -- through situations such as the conversion from an elected to an appointed board or the creation of a new school system -- school boards will see the potential for a large turnover in members. When that occurs, AASB can provide training for the would-be board members about what board service entails. The session is designed to help candidates understand the position they are seeking, the requirements and time commitments, and the scope of the board's and board members' authority.

Poverty Informed Training

2 hours | $599

This interactive professional development session equips staff and administrators with practical knowledge and strategies to better support students experiencing poverty. Offered in 90- or 120minute formats, the training combines current data, awareness activities, and guided discussion to deepen understanding of how poverty can affect learning and school engagement. Participants will leave with available resources, practical strategies and an action plan to apply in their schools.

Poverty Simulation

3 hours | $900

Experience one month of poverty in one hour with AASB’s Poverty Simulation, an eye-opening opportunity for board members and school staff to build awareness and empathy for students living in poverty. When your full board participates, the Poverty Simulation counts as your two-hour Whole Board Training credit. The simulation requires 30-80 participants and approximately 20 volunteers.

Contact our Leadership Development team or visit alabamaSchoolBoards.org/povsim for more information. Boards who have experienced this simulation and realize the benefits are encouraging their superintendent to schedule the session for teachers and staff during professional development days.

Startup Board Training

Call for Pricing

Whether a city system has formed a new school system or a new charter board has been created, this session provides a solid introduction to the law and practices that help a fledgling board avoid costly or embarrassing mistakes.

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What options are eligible for Whole Board Training?

Training taught by the Alabama Association of School Boards (AASB) or external training pre-approved

by AASB is considered “eligible” for whole board training.

The External Training Provider Application is available for download at alabamaschoolboards.org/training/external-training-application.

To learn more about the guidelines for earning pre-approved whole board training using an external trainer, visit alabamaschoolboards.org/training/external-training-guidelines.

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More than a quarter of Alabama's children live in poverty.

Are you prepared to fight this battle?

School systems across Alabama are seeing shifts in student needs and community demographics, and those changes show up in classrooms every day. The question isn’t if we respond, but how well we equip our staff to do it.

AASB is expanding access to its highly regarded poverty-informed training to support school teams in understanding and responding to the realities many students face. This training is practical, interactive and designed specifically for staff, giving them tools and resources they can use immediately to better support student learning and engagement.

TAKEAWAYS INCLUDE: Statistics: Gain insights with the latest data to help you understand the scope and impact of poverty in your school system.

Awareness Activities: Engage in interactive activities designed to boost your understanding and awareness.

Resource Page: Receive access to a curated selection of valuable resources designed to support further learning and provide you with additional information.

Strategies for Action Plan: Develop practical strategies and a personalized action plan to apply what you've learned in your schools.

To schedule a training: 800.562.0601 PovSim@AlabamaSchoolBoards.org

To schedule a services: 800.562.0601 evaluation@AlabamaSchoolBoards.org

PLAN YOUR TRAINING Reminder! Each school board member must earn six hours of continuing education annually, with two of those hours required to be whole board training.

www.AlabamaSchoolBoards.org

800.562.0601

training@AlabamaSchoolBoards.org