Fall 2009 Alabama School Boards Magazine

Alabama Association of School Boards Annual Convention

LEAD, INSPIRE, CHANGE!

Dec. 3-5, 2009 The Wynfrey Hotel, Birmingham

Book your hotel rooms now, and we’ll save you a seat!

Eligible attendees earn School Board Member Academy credit for AASB’s annual convention and business meeting that brings together nearly 600 school board members and education leaders from across the state. The three-day event features information-packed general sessions, an array of clinics on timely topics and exhibits of school products and services.

Also, delegates from member school boards assemble for the business meeting to elect AASB’s leaders, vote on resolutions and approve bylaws changes.

AASB Leadership II Orientation Course for New Board Members Dec. 3, 2009 • The Wynfrey Hotel, Birmingham

Orientation for New Board Members and Refresher Course for Veterans Relatively new to school board service? Leadership II can help you get your legs under you.

A component of AASB’s two-part orientation series for new school board members, Leadership II will provide you training on effective school boards, quality board/superintendent governance teams and board members as advocates. You can still take Leadership II if you have not yet taken Leadership I. Leadership II is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 3. Attendees earn six credit hours in the AASB School Board Member Academy.

ROOMS GO FAST. Reserve a room now in AASB’s block at The Wynfrey Hotel in Birmingham, 800/996-3739. Be sure to mention the AASB group code 1AT30S.

Inside

FALL 2009 Vol. 30, No. 3

www.AlabamaSchoolBoards.org

12 ALABAMA SCHOOL BOARDS READERS SURVEY

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DON'T LOSE FOCUS: It's All About the Kids

FEATURES 8 A TEACHER’S PERSPECTIVE Shannon Finley, Alabama’s Elementary Teacher of the Year, offers an engaging solution to underachievement.

10 FACE TO FACE Brenda Brown, a member of Jackson County school board, conducted an interview with Sen. Lowell Barron, chairman of the Alabama Senate Rules Committee.

PUBLICATION POLICY Alabama School Boards is published by the Alabama Association of School Boards as a service to its members. The articles published in each issue represent the ideas or beliefs of the writers and are not necessarily the views of the Alabama Association of School Boards.

Subscriptions sent to members of school boards are included in membership dues.

Complimentary copies are available upon request to public school principals throughout the state. Additional annual subscriptions can be obtained for $30 by contacting AASB. Entered as third-class mail at Montgomery, AL. Permit No. 34.

Alabama School Boards is designed by J. Durham Design, L.L.C., Montgomery, AL. Address all editorial and advertising inquiries to: Alabama School Boards, Editor, P.O. Drawer 230488, Montgomery, AL 36123-0488. Phone: 334/277-9700 or e-mail info@AlabamaSchoolBoards.org.

A special thank-you to 107 respondents to AASB’s magazine readership survey.

See the results.

13 LEADERSHIP TO CREATE THE OPTIMAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT Register for this academy core course set for Oct. 25 at the Renaissance Hotel & Convention Center, Montgomery.

14 BOARDMANSHIP BASICS: 10 MISTAKES BOARD MEMBERS SHOULDN'T MAKE Will you pledge to serve ethically and responsibly?

16 COVER STORY: A LOOK BACK, A LEAP FORWARD The 2008-09 year serves as testimony to what an association that stands together can achieve, even in financially challenging and uncertain times.

20 2008-2009 ALABAMA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS ANNUAL REPORT Discover your association’s accomplishments in governance, advocacy, training, services, technology and grants.

IN EVERY ISSUE 4 UP FRONT 6 EDUCATION & THE LAW 26 CALENDAR 30 AT THE TABLE 30 HELP ON THE COVER: photo©istockPhoto.com

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AASB’s STRATEGIC PLAN OUR MISSION: To develop excellent school board leaders through quality training, advocacy and services.

OFFICERS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PRESIDENT Sue Helms Madison City

DISTRICT 1 Stephanie Walker Brewton

PRESIDENT-ELECT Florence Bellamy Phenix City

DISTRICT 2 Bill Minor Dallas County

VICE PRESIDENT Steve Foster Lowndes County

DISTRICT 3 Roxie Kitchens Troy

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Jim Methvin Alabama School of Fine Arts

DISTRICT 4 Katy S. Campbell Macon County

STAFF

DISTRICT 5 Jennifer Parsons Jefferson County

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Sally Brewer Howell, J.D. CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Ken Roberts, C.P.A. DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS Denise L. Berkhalter DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS Lissa Astilla Tucker DIRECTOR OF BOARD DEVELOPMENT LuAnn Bird INTERIM MEETING COORDINATOR Linda Allen MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR Debora Hendricks EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Tammy Wright

DISTRICT 6 Vacant DISTRICT 7 T. Brett Whitehead Tuscaloosa County DISTRICT 8 Pam Doyle Muscle Shoals DISTRICT 9 Jennie Robinson Huntsville STATE BOARD Dr. Mary Jane Caylor Huntsville

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Donna Norris BOOKKEEPER Kay Shaw STAFF ASSISTANT Lashana Summerlin

OUR MISSION: To develop excellent school board leaders through quality training, advocacy and services.

Alabama School Boards • Fall 2009 3

UPFRONT

Trends, Research&Dates

Compiled by Dionne Mance & Denise Berkhalter

District Director Ballots Due Oct. 31 Congratulations are in order for re-elected District Directors Bill Minor of District 2 and Pam Doyle of District 8, as well as new District 9 Director Jennie Robinson of Huntsville. Robinson, the only candidate for her district, was automatically selected in accordance with AASB bylaws to fill a vacancy left when the director wasn’t reappointed to her board. Ballots listing eligible nominees for Districts 4 and 6 will be mailed to district members by Oct. 1. Each board within a district gets one vote. The board president will certify that action was taken at an October board meeting to choose a candidate, and the ballot must be postmarked by Oct. 31 and returned to AASB. Gail Holley of Lanett, Charlotte Meadows of Montgomery County and Matilda Woodyard-Hamilton of Tallapoosa County have thrown their hats in the ring for District 4 director.

The Rev. Preston Nix of Attalla, Skip Smithwick of Sylacauga and Larry B. Stewart of Calhoun County are vying for the District 6 directorship.

Let Us Facilitate Your Board Retreat How will your leadership team set priorities during times of proration? AASB offers consulting services to help your full board learn what has the greatest impact on student achievement. Let us facilitate a board work session or board retreat at a location of your choosing. If you’re interested in training designed to meet your board’s specific needs, contact LuAnn Bird at 800/562-0601 or lbird@AlabamaSchoolBoards.org.

New Resource on Undocumented Children The National School Boards Association, with a generous grant from the National Education Association, released a publication designed to help school systems answer 13 questions about the legal rights of undocumented students in public K-12 schools. Legal Issues for School Districts Related to the Education of Undocumented Children offers practical information for schools as they deal with this complicated issue. The guide will go to every school system in the United States and is available online at www.NSBA.org in the “COSA” section.

4 Alabama School Boards • Fall 2009

1,190

BY THE NUMBERS 86.48 percent, or 1,190 of Alabama’s 1,376 schools, made adequate yearly progress in 2009 under No Child Left Behind. In 2008, 83 percent of schools made AYP.

Recent State Board Actions In September, the state Board of Education took a number of actions that school boards may have an interest in knowing.

n Graduation Exam Out, End-of-Course Tests In — Expect a number of changes to the state’s student assessment protocol as a result of the state board’s endorsement of a fiveyear overhaul. The plan reclaims a number of instructional days, and as the changes unfold, you’ll see the graduation exam replaced by end-of-course tests; Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) embedded in the Alabama Reading Initiative; and state-funded ACT assessments for grades 8-12. In addition, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), and Alabama Alternate Assessment will become the standard, and students in grades 3-8 will take ARMT+ — a combination of Alabama’s reading, math, science and direct writing assessments, which removes the Stanford-10 reading and math tests from the mix. End-of-year exams are slated to start with the 2011-12 ninth-grade class. n Post Paid Invoices Online — Beginning in October, boards will begin a process approved by the state board to enhance transparency. The state board adopted an amendment that requires local boards to post paid invoices on their school systems’ Web sites. The board was told all school systems have the technical capability to post their accounts payable online. n 20 Days After Labor Day — State Superintendent of Education Dr. Joe Morton has floated a draft of a legislative change that he plans to pursue when the session starts in January. If passed, the state superintendent would have the authority to reconfigure the 20-day period, which now falls after Labor Day, to determine average daily membership for state funding purposes. If the state Legislature approves, the change would apply to 2009-10 and help school systems hit with high absenteeism due to swine flu.

Voluntary, Free Flu Shots at Schools This fall, the state Departments of Education and Public Health will offer free, voluntary H1N1 flu vaccinations for students, faculty and staff at public schools. The H1N1 vaccine for school clinics should be available in November. The highest prevalence of H1N1 flu has been among 5- to 24-year-olds.

“This program is strictly voluntary,” said state Superintendent of Education Dr. Joe MorAudio podcasts ton. “We will require students to have written of state Board of Education meetings permission from a parent or guardian.” and a variety of videos featuring state Dr. Charles Woernle of the state public education officials can be found online health department said the in-school vaccinaat www.media.alabama.gov. tion plan is an effort to reduce the spread of Choose the education department influenza while minimizing the disruption of link from the “select an agency”list. normal classroom activities.

“We intend to complete this process in the minimum amount of time possible once the vaccine arrives,” Woernle said. Logistical details will be announced soon, so visit http://adph.org/H1N1Flu/ and www.alsde.edu for frequent updates.

LISTEN UP!

No Doctor’s Excuse Required State Health Officer Dr. Don Williamson presented H1N1 virus information at the state board work session and suggested a suspension of the “doctor’s excuse” requirement for students and teachers returning to school after a bout with the flu. Williamson expects the medical community to have their hands full caring for patients this flu season.

State Superintendent Dr. Joe Morton has asked superintendents to comply with Williamson’s request.

Communicate with Parents

DO SOMETHING In its H1N1 guidance to schools, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised: n Stay home when sick. Return only after being fever-free without the aid of medication for at least 24 hours. n Separate ill students and staff who have flu-like illness from others until they can be sent home. n Practice hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette. n Routinely clean areas that students and staff touch often. n Seek early treatment of high-risk or medically fragile students and staff who display flu-like symptoms.

As you develop or dust off plans to address health crises in the midst of this heightened flu season, don’t forget your communication plan. For communication tools and information related to the H1N1 virus, visit http://www.flu.gov/professional/school/ toolkit.html.

500,000 DID YOU KNOW?

State Health Officer Don Williamson reports that Alabama should receive 500,000 doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine by Nov. 1. H1N1 has caused several deaths, and there have been more than 2,100 confirmed swine flu cases in Alabama. The largest number of cases has been in Montgomery, Houston, Jefferson, Madison and Mobile counties. In October, the first batch of 51,000 H1N1 (swine flu) vaccines for Alabama are expected to arrive. School absenteeism rates have been twice the normal 3.5 percent, though not all absences can be blamed on the flu.

The state departments of health and education are following the federal lead and not recommending school closures except as a decision made locally, case-by-case.

SAY WHAT? The National School Boards Association made remarks to the U.S. Department of Education about the $4.3 billion in competitive grants for education reforms. NSBA is concerned about the overall impact, both fiscally and operationally, of the many new requirements on states and school systems. Learn more about Race to the Top at http://www.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/.

“The National School Boards Association believes that the Race to the Top Fund will provide grant recipient states with a significant opportunity to build a results-driven infrastructure and implement initiatives that will raise student achievement. ...We are also concerned that the RTTT is overly prescriptive and focused on certain specific strategies, including those relating to school governance such as an overemphasis on charter schools and school takeovers.”

— Michael A. Resnick, NSBA’s Associate Executive Director

PEEHIP

The $283 Million Gorilla With 100,000 active members in 2011, nearly $283 million in net new money will be needed to cover Public Education Employees’ Health Insurance costs.

The number from PEEHIP was shared at the state Board of Education K-12 work session in September.

6 OUT OF 10 The recently released 2009 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll about the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools notes six out of 10 Americans would be willing to pay more taxes to fund free preschool programs for children whose parents are unable to pay. Five out of 10 Americans believe preschool programs should be housed in public schools. The 41st annual PDK poll also found that more than 50 percent of Americans grade their local K-12 schools with either an A or B, with a record 75 percent giving the school attended by their oldest child an A or B. n Alabama School Boards • Fall 2009 5

EDUCATION & THE LAW

Does the Sun Shine in the Blogosphere?

By Samantha Smith

W

ith the proliferation of easy and affordable access to electronic media, many local boards of education are utilizing technological advances to improve the efficiency of board meetings. Technology facilitates discussion and the timely exchange of ideas. And “paperless” board meetings appeal to guardians of the environment as well as the budget. These modern tools and gadgets often pay for themselves in long-term administrative savings, but at what cost to open government?

Alabama’s Open Meetings Act Alabama’s Open Meetings Act, or “OMA,” requires that all board meetings be open to the public and that all deliberation and voting occur during the public portion of the meetings, i.e., no deliberation or voting may occur in executive sessions.

See Alabama Code § 36-25A-7 (2005). But, can you have a “meeting” via e-mail or through Web log (blog) communication? To answer that question, let’s first define “meeting.”

What Constitutes a Meeting?

The OMA defines “meeting” as follows: 1. The prearranged gathering of a quorum of a governmental body or a quorum of a committee or subcommittee of a governmental body at a time and place which is set by law or operation of law.

2. The prearranged gathering of a quorum of a governmental body or a quorum of a committee or subcommittee of a governmental body during which the body, committee or subcommittee of the governmental body is authorized, either by law or otherwise, to exercise the powers which it possesses or approve the expenditure of public funds.

6 Alabama School Boards • Fall 2009

3. The gathering, whether or not it was prearranged, of a quorum of a governmental body or a quorum of a committee or subcommittee of a governmental body during which the members of the governmental body deliberate specific matters that, at the time of the exchange, the participating members expect to come before the body, committee, or subcommittee at a later date.

Under the OMA, however, a “meeting” does not include: Occasions when a quorum of a governmental body, committee or subcommittee attends social gatherings, conventions, conferences, training programs, press conferences, media events or otherwise gathers so long as the governmental body does not deliberate specific matters that, at the time of the exchange, the participating members expect to come before the governmental body at a later date. See Alabama Code § 36-25A-2(6) (a) 1-3, (b) 1 (2005) (emphasis added).

The salient point is that a “meeting” is any gathering of a quorum of the members to deliberate or take action on matters expected to come before the board.

Can Boards Achieve a Quorum in Cyberspace?

Some school districts in other states permit official meetings by video or teleconference. At least one government body in Alabama has express statutory authority to conduct its meetings through the use of telephone conferences. See, e.g., Alabama Code 33-1-8(d) (2002) (Members of the Alabama Port Authority Board may participate in meetings by telephone confe ence;

photo©istockPhoto.com

BUY THE BOOK Order your copy of the AASB Boardmanship Series booklet Public Meetings and Public Records, $5 per copy, at 800/562-0601 or e-mail dnorris@AlabamaSchoolBoards.org. such participation constitutes presence at a meeting for all purposes).

For the rest, Alabama’s Attorney General has opined that the OMA requires members’ physical presence to attain a quorum, and without a quorum, no official action may occur. See Opinion to Honorable Nancy Worley, dated March 21, 2006, AGO 2006-071. The Legislature apparently agrees as it made no effort to statutorily eliminate that longstanding presumption when it revised Alabama’s “Sunshine” law in 2005. Thus, it seems that in Alabama a quorum for purposes of the OMA cannot be achieved in cyberspace.

"Using a blog or e-mails to discuss issues and make decisions in private clearly would violate the Open Meetings Act and would result in an invalid board action."

The OMA expressly does exempt from the definition of “meeting” one situation where teleconferencing may be necessary: Occasions when a quorum of a governmental body gathers, in person or by electronic communication, with state or federal officials for the purpose of reporting or obtaining information or seeking support for issues of importance to the governmental body. See Alabama Code § 3625A-2(6) (b) 2 (2005).

This is most likely because those individuals (e.g., your congressional representatives) would be participating from Montgomery or Washington, D.C.

To Blog or Not to Blog The question then becomes, if members must physically be present to create a quorum and a quorum cannot be attained in cyberspace, does a “virtual” discussion among members constitute a meeting under the OMA that must be open to the public? Technically, no.

Nevertheless, the act gives this warning: “Electronic communications shall not be utilized to circumvent any of the provisions of this chapter.” See Alabama Code § 36-25A-1 (2005). Therefore, using a blog or e-mails to discuss issues and make decisions in private clearly would violate the OMA and would result in an invalid board action, which ultimately undermines the body’s efforts to maintain effi-

ciency in government (not to mention the damage to the public trust). Also, the electronic exchanges may be public records, which must be maintained and made available to the public.

However, what if the blog is designed for public access and participation? Imagine a scenario where members of the board post articles or entries for discussion with each other from the convenience of their home computer while members of the public post comments related to those discussion entries, which results in a rolling dialogue of sorts that carries over into the next official meeting of the board. Such a public blog would seem to serve the spirit behind the Open Meetings Act. One practical downside would be the invitation for involvement to the broader public (i.e., the entire World Wide Web) to whom the members need not necessarily answer, but for whom the board opened the door and rolled out the welcome mat. The board must weigh the pros and cons of these and other questions when deciding whether to implement the use of such electronic tools.

In today’s economy, with the reality of streamlined budgets, a strong argument in favor of widespread use of “virtual” meetings can be made — whether conducted with video or teleconferencing or through the use of the Internet. The law in Alabama at this stage in the game requires physical presence to obtain a quorum and thus conduct official business, so electronic tools will not replace face-to-face meetings anytime soon. But, because the OMA allows such communications so long as they do not circumvent the purposes of the act, the future of blogs to supplement board communication with the public n looks bright.

Samantha Smith is an attorney with Bishop, Colvin, Johnson & Kent LLC in Birmingham. She can be reached at sksmith@bishopcolvin.com.

Paperless Board Meetings Want to use technology to improve efficiency?

Go paperless. Using electronic tools available through AASB, boards can trade in heavy, costly mounds of paper for online agendas and downloadable information packets. View the board's schedule, meeting notices and policies. Ensure the board agenda is aligned with student achievement and strategic goals. Operate meetings in a way that models transparency, accountability and 21st century leadership. To find out more, contact AASB at info@AlabamaSchoolBoards.org or 800/562-0601.

Alabama School Boards • Fall 2009 7

A TEACHER’S PERSPECTIVE

By Shannon Finley , Alabama’s Elementary Teacher of the Year

An 'Engaging' Solution to Underachievement “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I may remember.

Involve me and I will learn.”

T

he phrase “involve me and I will learn” is one that I remind myself of often as I am challenged to meet the needs of my students. Students come to our classrooms on different ability levels. We take them from where they are and seek to allow each one to reach his or her potential. That is a teacher’s greatest gift.

However, some students are coming to us who lack a motivation to learn and have no desire to achieve. Underachievement in school can be the most frustrating challenge for educators and parents and affects students of all ages and intellects. This applies to our struggling students, as well as our gifted students.

Who is to blame when children do not succeed in school? The causes of underachievement are broad: boredom, frustration, poor social and/or study skills, low expectations, curriculum and low self-esteem. These are the obstacles that put students at risk.

To reach all students, we must realize that “at-risk” is a term not limited to the economically and developmentally challenged. We are losing the best and the brightest students and seeing the dropout rate in high schools increase.

Research on programs for at-risk students, particularly Title I-funded programs, points to the following approaches to overcoming underachievement: 1 . Teach advanced problem-solving skills with high expectations.

2. Vary assessment strategies (experiments, oral interviews, portfolios, exhibits, etc.).

3. Provide meaningful learning experiences to show learning has purpose and value.

4. Acknowledge that students have multiple intelligences and ways of thinking.

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5. Use differentiated instruction planning, which takes into account that not all students are alike.

6. Get parents actively involved.

I want to fully elaborate on the last resolution because it is a key factor and influence for student success. As educators, we all need to set high expectations for parental involvement and raise the standards, just like we strive to do for our students. When parents are involved, students have higher grades and graduation rates, better school attendance, increased motivation and fewer instances of violent behavior.

Educators must make emotional connections with our parents that encourage involvement. Begin the year with a parent meeting where expectations and concerns are discussed by both teacher and parent. We must provide parents with the skills and resources to understand how they can help their children.

I tell my parents that their children need to be at school every day, so they will not fall behind. Every day counts. I tell them they need to read with their children every night to promote literacy. I tell them how much their attitude about school will influence their child. I tell them we are partners. I tell parents the how’s and why’s involved in helping their children succeed. Do not take these simple reminders for granted and assume they understand. Do this the very first time you meet with them. Parents can be an educator’s biggest ally. We can use our time to place blame and allow negativity to impair relationships, or we can inspire a lifelong parent commitment.

Educators have an extremely important task ahead. Teachers have to plan lessons that will engage students. Teaching has to go beyond the textbook for mean-ingful learning to take place.

Educators, superintendents, and board members must be a team.

Teachers need support and professional development opportunities in order to stay current on best practices.

Together we can raise academic achievement. It takes dedication, energy, and time to change attitudes and perceptions, but we have the ability to ignite a passion for education that will change lives. Include parents in their children’s education, and engage students in learning. The future of our society depends n on it.

Shannon Finley is Alabama’s Elementary Teacher of the Year and the alternate to the state teacher of the year. She teaches at Alexandria Elementary School in Calhoun County.

Visit www.alabamapta.org/parents/ to read about the six national standards for family-school partnerships, including: welcome all families into the school community, communicate effectively, support student success, speak up for every child, share power and collaborate with the community.

By Craig Pouncey

s we welcomed in this school year, many schools faced new challenges, some of which they have not seen before. Our work and our focus must remain on improving the teaching and learning experiences in our schools.

This is not a new challenge, but it will require thoughtful planning and implementation if we are to continue meeting and exceeding the required and expected measurable levels of achievement.

We cannot expect to get the same results by implementing “what worked last year!” As we begin the 2010 fiscal year, we are faced with possibly the second highest “back to back” years of proration that any of us have seen during our careers. In 1960 and 1961, the Education

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Trust Fund was prorated 8.35 percent and 14.14 percent respectively. We have just concluded the FY2009 budget, which was subjected to 11 percent proration, and we very likely will experience from 6 percent to 8 percent proration again this year.

(Editor’s note: The governor declared 7.5 percent proration of the FY2010 budget on Sept. 29.)

While all of this seems somewhat daunting, there are a few things that are certain. The first is that 743,000 students are depending on each of us to provide them with improved educational opportunities during this school year. Second, more than 100,000 K-12 education employees will still depend on us for that level of support that allows each of them

MONEY-SAVING CHECKLIST The following measures may be implemented to help control excessive costs for the entire school system.

The recommendations on this list come from Craig Pouncey of the state Department of Education’s Division of Administrative and Financial Services. n Conserve Utilities. These expenses represent one of the biggest drains on local funds within our systems’budgets. Each school and each district must establish and maintain a systematic approach to reduce these costs. n Review Sick Leave. For the most part, the cost of substitutes exceeds almost twice as much as the district receives from the state. Staff should be encouraged not to abuse this benefit. n Check the Child Nutrition Program. Ensure CNP eligibility completion and participation through accurate reporting and proper scheduling. No longer can we attempt to manage individual programs in isolation.

The overall financial stability of the school system is best protected by managing all facets of our school programs as a whole. n Manage Transportation. Recognize that the state funds transportation operations costs on regular route expenses to and from school only. Any extra trip miles should be covered by the class, team or group that has requested specialized transportation on an “as needed” basis. These funds should be paid at the state-approved rate of $1.25 per mile and reimbursed to the system’s transportation account. n No Horseplay. Supervise students at all times to minimize unnecessary maintenance expenses. Students’ horseplay may cause damages that require the unforeseen use of maintenance dollars. n Build Partnerships. Encourage the establishment of business partnerships and other booster organizations within your school communities. In these uncertain financial times, these relationships are important in efforts to supplement state and local budget shortfalls.

to experience job successes. These successes then lead to the common goal of continued improvement in every program.

As education leaders, we know that there are a number of factors that are always invariable or unchanging. A few may be: • Our students and staffs are counting on each of us to provide the leadership necessary, regardless of the current economic conditions that exist in the state.

• The public will still evaluate our accomplishments based on our academic achievements for the year, regardless of the reduced appropriations.

• We have always been asked to do more with less in years past, so this year will not be any different.

As we move forward, it will be increasingly important that in our respective roles of leadership, we keep our staffs focused on the students. Let’s allow district- and state-level policymakers to focus on crafting a solution to our current funding dilemma.

I am confident that each of you can meet the challenges of this year. I encourage you to network with other professionals who are faced with similar challenges. From our past history in K12 education and by acknowledging the recent accomplishments each of you has made, I am confident that you will be successful regardless of what might appear to be an insurmountable challenge this year. n Reprinted with permission from the CLAS School Leader magazine, Vol. 36, No. 4, and the author, Craig Pouncey, who serves as assistant state superintendent of the state Department of Education's Division of Administrative and Financial Services.

Alabama School Boards • Fall 2009 9

FACE TO FACE

By Brenda Brown, Jackson County School Board

Sen. Lowell Barron

B

renda Brown, a member of Jackson County school board, conducted a face-to-face interview with Sen. Lowell Barron. The interview is a series of features recapping conversations between state leaders and members of AASB’s grassroots Leader to Leader program. s Brown: I want to thank you first of all for meeting with us today. I know that I have known you for probably 55 years or more. But for the benefit of the school board members who are not as familiar with you, I would like for you to tell us a little bit about yourself and how you came to be in public service. u Barron: Thank you, Brenda. I grew up here in Jackson County, attended high school at Section, where I graduated about the same time as my good friend, Brenda Brown.

I had an interest in public service, I think, at that time.

I sought and was elected president of my senior class and was captain of my basketball team. I don’t know, I just wanted to do something to help others and lead and take things in a different direction — or a direction I thought was better. After finishing Section, I attended Snead College, and from there, I attended Auburn University, graduating in pharmacy. I came back to Fyffe in 1965 and established a drug store. In 1967, I was elected Mayor of Fyffe, which I served until 1982. s Brown: That’s when you ran for Senate. u Barron: At that time, I ran for the Alabama State Senate and was fortunate to be elected, representing the 8th district, which is DeKalb, Jackson and parts of Madison. I served for one year. The federal courts required the Senate to redistrict because we did not have enough black members. When the lines were redrawn, the Democratic Party did not choose me as the Democrat nominee for the Senate; they put someone else in my slot. I chose to run a write-in election to regain the Senate seat, and, to this day, that is the only successful write-in election in the history of the state of Alabama for a state office. I’ve been very fortunate to be able to serve this area for 27 years now.

10 Alabama School Boards • Fall 2009

s Brown: Please tell us about your role as Senate Rules Chairman. u Barron: I like my role as rules chairman best of all the roles that I have had or positions in the Senate. I’m in this position because I chose to step down as Pro Tem and move over to rules. Rules is a very key position in the body. The rules chairman determines what bills get to the floor to be voted on or what bills will not get to be voted on. So the rules chairman has solely in his or her power to kill a bill if they don’t want to bring it up, or they can advance the bill to the very front if they choose to bring it up first on the calendar — the list of bills that we bring to the floor of the Senate each day. Basically, the rules chairman and the Rules Committee are the engine that drives the dayto-day operations of the Senate. s Brown: What education issue has been your greatest challenge or your greatest accomplishment? u Barron: The greatest challenge, I guess, has been to try to reduce class sizes, trying to make sure that our students have the technology that’s necessary to be equipped for life in the modern world — computers in the classrooms, Smart Boards and Internet connectivity. These have all been challenges, but together we’re meeting those challenges. That’s also one of the greatest accomplishments — getting computers in our classrooms and computers in our schools.

We’ve also accomplished cutting down the classroom size.

When you and I were in school, there was no limit on the size of the class. It might be 30, it could be 40. It could be any number. Today, we have reduced classroom sizes, which I think improves children’s education. Those things have been accomplished.

Sen. Lowell Barron (left) offers his insights to Jackson County school board member Brenda Brown.

This year, to put together a budget with no teacher layoffs was a herculean task, but we’ve been able to accomplish that. s Brown: I know that the reduction in class size has been really popular in our school district. I remember one time, when I was teaching at Section, that I had a fifth-grade class with 53 students. And technology in our area has been outstanding.

What would be your biggest public education goal for K-12 during your tenure in the Legislature? u Barron: Well, of course, continuing the highest level of funding that we can. I would like to see a more stable funding source for K-12 — certainly not reduced, but at least at the level we’re currently funding or increased. But, it’s hurtful to me and hurtful to education when we go through years of proration and reduced funding such as we’re going through now. Due to economic downturn — the fact that we fund education with tax dollars from sales tax and income tax almost solely — when unemployment is high, our tax revenue for education falls off sharply. It’s not good to have the rollercoaster ride in funding that we do. I would like to see a more stable funding source. That’s the big thing. s Brown: Any others? u Barron: Of course, I also am a big supporter of pre-K. There are a lot of questions about the pre-K program.

I have various colleagues — one of my Republican colleagues this session — who introduced an amendment to do away with the pre-K program, and I think that’s very short-sighted. That’s not the right direction for children. I believe with very poor children, particularly, if we can capture their little minds when they are young, we have a chance to salvage those youngsters and direct them on a more positive course in life. Pre-K is the place where I think we can make that intervention and be more successful in producing productive citizens. s Brown: Do you think the time will come when we will be able to fund the pre-K program? u Barron: I hope that it will. That’s certainly a goal that I would like to fund, because I just think that’s very important. And again I say, it’s most important for those underprivileged poor children whose parents cannot afford or maybe they do not live close to pre-kindergarten programs, whether it be church-related, community-related or public. If we can intervene in those young lives for those underprivileged children, ... education gives them the best hope to change their future direction. s Brown: The education budget this year has presented many unique challenges. First, there were severe shortfalls in revenue, and then federal help came with the everchanging rules to apply the dollars. How do you relate the resulting approach to funding public education?

u Barron: Thank the Lord that we were able to get some 400 million-plus federal dollars to put in our education budget this year. Otherwise, we would have had massive teacher layoffs, massive support personnel layoffs, which would have been devastating to the education process as we know it. We will also have some federal dollars next year for budgeting and education. However, after that, I’m very concerned. I hope the economy will have turned up. Otherwise, we will be facing a bleak time in 2011. But the federal dollars were a godsend this time. Without it, as I said, we would have taken two steps backward in education, and that would have been bad. s Brown: I certainly agree. There are attempts at the state level to impose statewide school calendars to force public education to allow private school students to participate in extracurricular activities and more. Is local control by school boards for their schools and communities at risk in your view? u Barron: I do not think so. There are about 2,000 bills introduced each session. Only about 10 percent of those bills get passed, so just because bills are introduced doesn’t mean that they are going to pass the Legislature. The bill to set the school calendar has been defeated. The bill to allow private school students to participate in sports and other extracurricular activities at public schools has also been defeated. And, I think rightfully so. If those children want to participate in extracurricular activities at public schools, they should attend public schools. Otherwise, I think they should attend their private school and participate in extracurricular activities at the private school. s Brown: I have spoken with you many times about the school calendar issue and allowing local boards of education to maintain local control. You know our state is so varied from the mountains to the gulf and our needs are quite different, so I appreciate your support of that bill. What grade do you give Alabama overall in its support of K-12 public education?

(Continued on page 27)

ABOUT SEN. LOWELL BARRON Born in Jackson County and resides in Fyffe; received his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Auburn University; has served terms as president pro tempore of the Senate; father of four, grandfather of five; and former member of the Auburn University Board of Trustees.

What he does: The businessman chairs the Senate Rules Committee and represents District 8. He is serving his seventh term. In 1983, he became the only successful write-in candidate in the history of the Alabama Legislature.

Other Committees: Banking and Insurance; Commerce, Transportation and Utilities; Constitution, Campaign Finance, Ethics & Elections; Economic Expansion and Trade; Finance and Taxation, General Fund; Local Legislation No. 1; and Tourism and Marketing Contact him: 256/623-2298 or 256/623-2811.

Alabama School Boards • Fall 2009 11

READERS SURVEY

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special thank-you to 107 respondents to AASB’s 2009 Alabama School Boards magazine readership survey. Your feedback will prove invaluable and go a long way toward ensuring ASB continues to be a key source of valuable, relevant information. Here are the results:

How readers receive Alabama School Boards:

n

Annual subscription as School Board Member. . . 62% Annual subscription as Superintendent . . . . . . . . 20% Annual subscription as School Board Attorney. . . . 6% Annual subscription as Associate AASB Member. .

Annual subscription as Professional Sustaining Member . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

In the mail, but not a subscriber. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Someone passes their copy on to me. . . . . . . . . . . .

Online, but not a subscriber. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . n

Please rank these parts of ASB in order of importance and helpfulness. #1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Education and the Law Column #2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Articles on Boardmanship, Governance and Leadership #3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Face to Face Articles with State Government Leaders #4 . . . AASB Executive Director’s Perspective Column #5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AASB News #6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Articles on pre-K-12 Education #7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Questions Feature #8 . . . . . . . . . . AASB President’s Perspective Column #9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trends, Research and Data Briefs #10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . People & Schools Briefs

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What topics and articles would you like to see in future issues of ASB? • Board and superintendent roles and responsibilities (do’s and don’ts) • Relationships: Superintendents and personnel • Personnel and operations • School improvement (making AYP, update on federal No Child Left Behind law) • Hot policy topics with examples • Board governance (including effectively driving student achievement) • School readiness/Bridging the education gap • National and regional education innovations, issues and challenges • Explanation of federal and state programs and terminology • School finance (limited budgets; proration; covering costs; aligning resources to goals and achievement; and property tax renewal) • Education law and rules (legal updates; open meetings, tenure and dismissal laws; and state board decisions) • How-to’s from school systems’success stories (innovative programs; small, rural and high-poverty systems overcoming odds; raising test scores; school consolidation; helping English language learners, autistic students and other students with learning challenges succeed) • Graduation and dropout rates • Discipline • Proposed education legislation

10% 26% 39% 25%

4% n

2% 4% 1% 1%

What is the optimal way for you to receive ASB? As a printed publication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73%

Rate your satisfaction with the following features of Alabama School Boards.

(Ranking score of 1 = Very Dissatisfied, 5 = Very Satisfied.)

Length. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.1 Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Images. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.1 Color. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2 Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2

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How relevant do you find the information in Alabama School Boards?

Very relevant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52% Somewhat relevant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38% Neutral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6% Somewhat irrelevant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3% Very irrelevant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1%

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Please rank these parts of ASB in order of importance and helpfulness. #1 . . . . . . . . . . Help (Answers to Member Questions) #2 . . . . . . . . . . Mark Your Calendar (Events Calendar) #3 . . . . . . . . . At the Table (Profile of AASB Members) #4 . . . . . . . . . . Professional Sustaining Members List #5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Advertisements

An e-mail link to the new issue online . . . . . . . . . 16% n

How long do you keep ASB after you’ve read it?

I shelve it as reference material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40% One week or less . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21% One month or less. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21% Until the next issue arrives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18%

n

When you share your copy of ASB, how many other people do you estimate will read that copy?

1 to 2 people. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77% 3 to 5 people. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18% More than 5 people . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5%

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How often would you prefer to receive ASB? Weekly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0% Every two weeks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1% Monthly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17% Quarterly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78% Semi-annually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3% Annually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1%

What is your overall satisfaction with Alabama School Boards?

Very satisfied. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55% Somewhat satisfied . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34% Neutral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11% Somewhat dissatisfied . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0% Very dissatisfied. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0%

n

Electronically as a pdf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11%

12 Alabama School Boards • Fall 2009

How much of our magazine do you read?

Flip through it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Skim it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Avid reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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photo©istockPhoto.com

School Board Member Academy Core Course

Leadership to Create the Optimal Learning Environment Making Schools a Great Place to Learn and Work

Don’t miss your chance to hear SCHEDULE Education Trust President Kati Haycock, one of the nation’s leading child advocates in the field of education. She opens the AASB School Board Member Academy’s core leadership conference to help boards define the optimal learning environment for all kids. Learn first-hand from a fish bowl of educators and students. Learn the latest about the state’s financial situation and how to stay focused on what really matters.

Earn six credit hours and satisfy the academy’s requirement for the Leadership to Create the Optimal Learning Environment core course. Conference headquarters are The Renaissance Montgomery Hotel and Convention Center in downtown Montgomery.

Register now for Leadership to Create the Optimal Learning Environment to receive your core academy credit.

Calling All Early Birds!

School readiness is the best foundation we can give young people. AASB’s Early Bird Workshop Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009, from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. on Planning for Pre-kindergarten: Tools for School Boards. Register now for this pre-conference session at The Renaissance Hotel & Convention Center in Montgomery. Hear from schools that have incorporated pre-K into their school systems and learn from their successes and challenges. Receive The Center for Public Education’s “Planning for Pre-kindergarten Toolkit for School Boards,” which includes sections on how to start a pre-K program, community engagement, governance, quality indicators, the school board’s role and more. AASB members will earn two academy hours for their participation. Registration is $65 for members, $130 for others.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25 1:00 p.m.

1-3 p.m.

3:30 p.m.

5:00 p.m.

5:30 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

7:15 p.m.

Registration Opens Early Bird Workshop: • Planning for Pre-K: Tools for School Boards General Session: • Get Results by Focusing on Teaching and Learning Kati Haycock, President, Education Trust Break Optimal Learning Environment: Student and Teacher Perspectives Cathy Gassenheimer, A+ Education Partnership Managing Director George Hall Elementary School teachers and students Conference Recesses TCU Consulting offers Optional Session and Dinner (Dreamland BBQ)

MONDAY, OCTOBER 26 7:00 a.m.

8:00 a.m.

Registration Opens / Breakfast Breakout Sessions: • The Board’s Role in Creating a Culture of Quality Teaching and Learning Cullman city and Perry County boards of education • Create a Safe Environment for Schools Southern Poverty Law Center • Using Technology to Optimize Learning Madison City Schools 9:10 a.m. Breakout Sessions Repeat 10:30 a.m. Keep Optimal Learning First, Even in Lean Times Craig Pouncey, Assistant Superintendent, state Department of Education 11:00 a.m. Diversity in the Optimal Learning and Working Environment Ella Bell, state Department of Education, ASU Dropout Center 11:30 a.m. Adjourn

REGISTER ONLINE TODAY! Visit www.AlabamaSchoolBoards.org by Oct. 20 to avoid late registration penalty. For details, call 800/562-0601.

BOARDMANSHIP BASICS

By Nicholas D. Caruso Jr.

10 Mistakes Board Members Shouldn’t Make or 10 years, I served on a local board of education, followed by working directly with boards as a trainer and facilitator. I have worked with literally hundreds of board members, so I have some license to say that, by and large, the vast majority of board members are among the finest people.

However, certain issues seem to crop up with some board members regularly, even those with the best intentions. So, I’ve put together my list of the 10 most common errors board members should avoid.

F

1. Lacking Patience You probably were appointed or asked to run because someone saw your leadership potential. In all likelihood, board service also represents your first opportunity to serve in public office. So, naturally, you want to do it all now and know it all yesterday. Great! Don’t lose that enthusiasm!

But, if you think that you will learn it all or do it all immediately, you will probably not succeed and will frustrate yourself and your fellow board members. Understand that it really takes a while to learn the issues, the politics and the people.

It could take a year before you are up to speed on such things as budget or policy. Meanwhile, take advantage of training opportunities presented by the board, your state school boards association or the National School Boards Association.

Those experiences will help you a lot.

Joining a team decision-making group is new for many board members. It takes time to learn to appreciate the opinions of those with whom you disagree. Try to understand what motivates others and have patience with ideas different than your own.

2. Behaving Poorly I have seen board members throw temper-tantrums, use off-color language, throw things and threaten or insult board members, the superintendent, staff or the public on a number of occasions. It amazes me how many of those same board members would be the first to object if they saw the students in their schools acting the same way.

In many cases, board members act out due to frustration, because they feel that they have no voice in the board’s actions. Members of the “majority” need to examine their behavior to see if they are consciously, or unconsciously, contributing to the problem.

Members of the public who come to a board meeting to 14 Alabama School Boards • Fall 2009

share their ideas deserve respect. Most people are very uncomfortable in such a position, and it takes a lot for them to come out and approach the board with an issue. Likewise, show your professional staff the courtesy they deserve when they are presenting to the board. Staff members, including the superintendent, treat presenting to the board as an honor and are very proud of the work they are showing you. If the board has an issue with an action of the superintendent, talk to him or her on the side or in executive session if appropriate. Don’t air dirty laundry in public.

Your community will often judge the quality of your schools by the board’s behavior. Give them something to be proud of!

3. Challenging Board Votes Emotions run high when the board makes a difficult decision on an emotional issue. Board members tend to be committed to doing what they think is right and sometimes a majority of the board may see things differently than you and vote accordingly. There are few things more destructive than a board member publicly chastising the board of education for making a “bad” decision. The subtleties will be lost on the general populace, which will only see a board in chaos.

Another serious mistake board members sometimes make is when they believe they are going to lose a vote — they fold their arms, close their mouths and pout rather than share their ideas. It is very important that those members share their concerns with their colleagues. You may not win your point, but it is very likely that some of your concerns could be addressed by amending the motion to take them into consideration. Be careful how you present your ideas. Be judged on the quality of your ideas, not your behavior.

My advice is to fight hard for what you believe in, accept the will of the board and publicly support the decisions of the board after the vote.

4. Being a ‘Lone Ranger’ There often seems to be board members who appoint themselves “overseer” of the school system. I recall one board member, an administrator in an adjoining school system, who often went on “raids” at the high school, trying to find mistakes. She would appear at board meetings, legal pad at the ready, with a report to the board of all the “problems” at the school. Whether improperly acting as the board’s

spokesperson or a one-person auditing firm, board members need to remember that, in general, individual board members have no more authority than any other member of the public.

5. Seeing Trees, Not the Forest Probably the greatest complaint by superintendents is the board micromanaging the administration. I’ve seen boards argue about what wattage light bulb to purchase. There is no definitive answer to what constitutes policy versus administration. However, there are a few things to help a board and superintendent set some ground rules: • Understand that not all issues are exclusively either policy or administration. Gray areas abound.

• The board and superintendent should discuss and decide together where the lines need to be drawn.

• The more the board concentrates on vision, the less it should be in day-to-day activities.

• Setting goals and monitoring their implementation through policy and communicating often with staff are appropriate.

6. Dropping Bombs at Meetings Occasionally a board member will try to make points in the community by embarrassing the superintendent or board president by dropping a “bomb” — a surprise question that cannot be quickly answered. The intent isn’t to gain information, only to embarrass someone.

Memorize This School board members should commit to memory the following statements, crafted by veteran school board trainer Nick Caruso: n When a staff member or citizen bypasses the chain of command and brings a school problem directly to you.

“This problem could end up requiring board action, and if I am involved in it at this level, I will be unable to act on it as a member of the board because it could be a violation of due process. You really need to go through the proper channels.” n When you’ve lost a hard-fought battle and disagree with the board’s decision.

I am bound to the decisions of the board. I promise I will respect the outcome of the vote and will not undermine the credibility of the board by criticizing the decision of the majority. I recognize that this is my ethical responsibility. n When you’re tempted to share what was discussed in an executive session.

I promise that I will not compromise the confidentiality of executive sessions. I will not divulge information discussed during executive sessions, nor shall I distribute confidential materials received in those meetings. As a board member, I will strive to ensure that issues discussed in executive session meet the criteria defined by the law.

I recognize that this is my ethical responsibility.

A primary task of a board of education is to make decisions, based on information they acquire through reading, presentations and asking questions. Board members need to feel comfortable in making a decision, and it is important to ask any question that needs answering prior to voting. But, how you ask it is very important. If you know the issue is divisive or is a matter of concern in the community, pick up the phone and ask the superintendent beforehand. Give the superintendent time to give a thoughtful answer, which will help you, and other board members, make a good decision.

In some cases, it is important that the question you are asking be asked publicly, if you know members of the community have the same concern. You want your community to know that the matter was discussed, asked and answered, and that the board took the matter into consideration. Good board members will call the superintendent and mention they will be asking the question at the board meeting. Again, the purpose of raising questions is to help the board decide.

Similarly, many times, board members ask questions that were answered quite well in the preparation materials provided in the board packet. If they had read the packet ahead of time, they wouldn’t have had to waste the board’s time reviewing material already presented.

Fair is fair: if the board shouldn’t surprise the superintendent or board president, neither should they drop an emergency decision on the board’s lap without adequate preparation. A true emergency aside, the board shouldn’t get hit with a surprise request to pass something without adequate information to make a good decision.

7. Putting Politics Before Children School board service is “grassroots” democracy at its best, or worst, depending on how politics play in your community.

I have worked with boards where politics stymies the board’s ability to focus on children. I have seen boards crippled by partisan infighting and the school system slowly falter as the lack of vision and leadership keeps everyone from doing what is necessary to improve education.

If you have a political board, I suggest you each get a blank sheet of paper, write your political affiliation on it, have someone collect them and throw them out of the meeting room!

Leave politics out of board business. It doesn’t belong there.

8. Becoming a ‘Ball Carrier’ It seems that every board has someone who acts as the spokesperson for the staff or specific community groups. While every board member wants to be helpful, under no circumstances should they try to circumvent the chain of command.

Human nature being what it is, every story has two sides.

In cases where staff or parents approach you, remember that the board is often the last link in the chain of command. Your board should have a clear policy on when it is (Continued on page 26) Alabama School Boards • Fall 2009 15

Alabama Association of School Boards 2008-2009 Annual Report to Our Members

A Look Back, A Leap Forward

By Sally Howell, J.D., AASB Executive Director

School board members serve with a contagious passion for student success and a genuine interest in empowering communities to do right by their youngest residents.

It’s inspiring.

It’s the job of a lifetime. And, the Alabama Association of School Boards — your association — strives to do all we can to prepare school board members for excellence in leadership, boardmanship and governance.

The 2008-09 year serves as testimony to what an association that stands together can achieve, even in financially challenging and uncertain times. Among the Sally Howell achievements were legislative wins for K-12 education in Alabama,accolades from you about AASB’s services, grants attained to launch AASB’s ongoing Governing for Achievement Project and Pre-K Initiative and national recognition that confirms this organization as both necessary and worthwhile.Once again,your recognition of that value resulted in 100 percent membership for the past year.

During the 2009 Regular Legislative Session, the association pushed for a statewide bill to ensure local boards of education have a policy on board member training. AASB won that effort, and local board training policies should be in place by March 2010. Our multiyear quest to revise the state’s school nurse law has ended positively, and public schools can now hire licensed practical nurses to fill a longtime void in school nursing. Once again, the tourism and summer camp industry’s school start date bill didn’t survive, re-affirming that the decision of when to start school is better left up to the local community.

AASB President Sue Helms has said,“Keeping the concerns of education leaders in the forefront at the Alabama State House becomes easier due to AASB’s stature and

16 Alabama School Boards • Fall 2009

growth as a trusted resource.”She’s right, and it’s all thanks to you. Our Leader to Leader program continues to build one-on-one relationships between school board members and legislative leaders. Many of you have taken advantage of AASB’s training and put it to good use — speaking with authority and knowledge about statewide education issues to the media and the public in your communities. You’re visiting legislators when they’re home in their districts, and you’re answering our calls to action when we must use our unified voice to speak on behalf of Alabama’s students.

And, you’re availing yourself of AASB’s training and services. You understand boards with high standards and that provide adequate support can create the conditions necessary for a high-achieving school system. That very concept is the basis of the state’s Governing for Achievement Project, a partnership effort led by AASB and that includes the state Department of Education, School Superintendents of Alabama and A+ Education Partnership’s Best Practices Center. We’re entering the second year of that grant-funded project and seeing magnificent results in the eight school systems undergoing the intensive training.

Read more about this project and other AASB initiatives in the annual report that follows.

In that report, you’ll also discover that AASB received the 2009 National School Public

Relations Association Award of Merit for its redesigned Alabama School Boards magazine and was the only recipient of NSPRA’s Branding/Image Packaging Award of Excellence.

We, however, cannot rest on our laurels.The future is upon us. As the burdens on your shoulders increase, so must the benefits of the support and help we provide.This new age of high stakes testing, a flawed No Child Left Behind law, renewed vigor to increase graduation rates, global competition for jobs, and the fundamental need to demand high expectations for every child — well, that age is not so new anymore.The 21st century is here, and the pace is fast.

To meet the demand, AASB has enlisted a number of you and our stakeholders to help us craft a bold strategic plan.We are excited. Help us as we move our association and this state forward to fulfill our promise of a better life for our children. The journey, no doubt, will be uncertain at times.

It already is with the dark cloud of deeply cut education funding hanging over our heads. Let us work together to find solutions, to work efficiently, to be smarter and redouble our efforts to focus on what truly matters. AASB will focus on you. Our new mission has been intrinsic in this association throughout our 60-year existence — “developing excellent school board leaders through quality training, advocacy and services.” So, if you need us, call us. It’s who we are. It’s what we do.

You’ll see more from us as we continue to roll out this three- to five-year plan.The action plan is daring, to say the least. But, we hope you’ll like the results, offer us your feedback and help us to move forward. Read on, and you’ll understand what AASB believes and how we hope to accomplish our mission.

STRATEGIC PLANNING Page 18

Our Mission, Our Beliefs, Our Objectives, Our Strategies

ANNUAL REPORT Page 20

Governance, Advocacy, Training, Services, Grants Alabama School Boards • Fall 2009 17

Alabama Association of School Boards

Strategic Planning STRATEGY: The Planning Team AASB members, superintendents, legislators and representatives of business, universities, the state Department of Education and other associations and professions.

Sue Helms ....................... Madison City Board of Education Florence Bellamy ............. Phenix City Board of Education Steve Foster .............. Lowndes County Board of Education Sally Howell .................................. AASB Executive Director Lissa Tucker ............................................. AASB Staff Liaison Denise Berkhalter................................... AASB Staff Liaison LuAnn Bird............................................... AASB Staff Liaison

Our Mission To develop excellent school board leaders through quality training, advocacy and services

Jennifer Parsons ..... Jefferson County Board of Education

Our Beliefs

Sue Jones ................... Jacksonville City Board of Education

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2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Bill Minor ...................... Dallas County Board of Education April Williams.......... Birmingham City Board of Education Dr. Judy Stout .............. Mobile County Board of Education Bobby Diggs ............ Lawrence County Board of Education Carl Johnson .................... Bishop, Colvin, Johnson & Kent

All human beings have equal inherent worth High expectations lead to higher achievement The community has a responsibility for the well-being of its children Learning is a lifelong process Education empowers A sense of purpose adds meaning to life In unity, there is strength Diversity enriches the human experience Family is the foundation for life

Jeremy Oden................ Alabama House of Representatives

Our Objectives

Jeff McLaughlin........... Alabama House of Representatives

Scott Cofield............. Cleburne County Board of Education

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2.

3.

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Dennis Coe.................... Henry County Board of Education

Our Strategies

Dr. Steve Nowlin............... Lee County Board of Education

David Mullendorf.. Paper and Chemical Supply Company Dr. Jodi Newton.. Samford University School of Education Victor Ve rn o n........................ Business Council of Alabama Odell Stuckey......................... Strategic Planning Consultant Ken Roberts.................. AASB Strategic Planning Facilitator 18 Alabama School Boards • Fall 2009

Set and attain high standards for student achievement Ensure community engagement and support Set standards for boards Build and manage educational resources

1. Advocacy: We will develop a plan to increase AASB’s advocacy efforts.

2. Board Training: We will develop and implement relevant training to increase the effectiveness of school boards in areas such as boardmanship, finance, student achievement and technology.

3. Board Services: We will provide services that help boards be more effective, generate revenue and enhance member participation.

4. Public Image: We will proactively work to improve the image of public education.

Alabama Association of School Boards

Strategic Planning STRATEGY: Timeline w July 2008

AASB Board of Directors reviews strategic plan proposals

w August 2008

Executive Committee selects strategic plan consultant

w Fall 2008

Strategic Plan Team selected

w November 2008

First meeting of Strategic Planning Team

w December 2008

Board receives preliminary report

w December 2008

Action Teams meet

w Inform and facilitate local board usage of the range

w

w w

w

February 2009 w February 2009

Second Strategic Planning Team meeting

w March 2009

Board receives/adopts proposed strategic plan

w July 2009

Strategic plan launched

w

w

of banking services available in order to maximize efficiency and effectiveness of financial operations.

Provide support through technology audits, funding acquisition assistance or other technology related services to school systems wishing to maximize availability and use of technology.

Provide media services to local school districts.

Provide local boards with techniques and resources for self-evaluation and the ability to more effectively obtain stakeholder feedback.

Assist local boards as needed with the development of district-specific tools and methodology for superintendent evaluations.

Provide support through Persogenics and strategic planning services to school boards wishing to enhance board relations and productivity.

Assist local boards with the identification and selection of quality candidates for the positions of Superintendent and CSFO.

STRATEGY: Advocacy Specific Results: w Identify key issues to focus our advocacy efforts. w Increase local school board member interaction with their lawmakers and policymakers. w Collaborate with other groups on common goals, issues and concerns.

STRATEGY: Board Training Specific Results: w To identify research-based best practices to promote higher student achievement. w Create standards and measures to guide board development. w Create a curriculum with clear board performance objectives aligned with standards and measures. w Create AASB levels of achievement and a recognition program for full boards. w Expand mentor program.

STRATEGY: Board Services Specific Results: w Provide high quality services that are relevant and meet the needs of local school boards/districts through routine evaluation of services offered. w Provide additional assurance local school systems are receiving all local revenues provided by applicable laws and regulations.

AASB’s Director of Board Development LuAnn Bird prepares the student panel to discuss their educational needs with those attending the spring Policy and Planning Conference.

STRATEGY: Public Image Specific Results: w Develop a step-by-step handbook that outlines the basics of school-level media relations, communication and marketing. w Create or enhance existing public relations training that emphasizes public image topics. w Develop and launch a statewide promotional public education campaign that is customizable and can be implemented at the local and state levels. w Develop a step-by-step guide that outlines the basics of improving public image through community/family engagement and relationship-building. Include a customizable toolkit. w Create or enhance existing community/family engagement and relationship-building training.

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Alabama School Boards • Fall 2009 19

Alabama Association of School Boards

2008-2009 Annual Report Governance A 14-member board of directors governs AASB and consists of four officers, nine directors representing geographical locations in the state and a member of the state Board of Education. State officers — president, president-elect and vice president — are elected to two-year terms.

The immediate past president also serves as an officer. The association’s officers are elected by the Delegate Assembly, which is comprised of representatives from all member school boards. Directors are elected to two-year terms by the member boards in their districts. In addition, some districts also elect officers.

Director Dr. Shelia Nash-Stevenson of Madison. Outgoing directors Patsy Black of Monroe County, Jeff Bailey of Covington County, Susan Harris of Winfield and Laura Casey of Albertville had served the maximum two terms allowed by association bylaws. District 5 Director Jennifer Parsons was re-elected to the board in an uncontested race. Dr. Mary Jane Caylor was appointed as the state Board of Education liaison and replaced Sandra Ray, who did not run for re-election to the state board.

The new directors officially assumed office at the close of AASB’s 2008 Convention.

Members are also involved in AASB governance through several committees. Chairs for the ad hoc committees active in 2009 were Jennifer Parsons of Jefferson County for Leader to Leader, Steve Foster of Lowndes County for Multicultural; and Florence Bellamy of Phenix City for Academy Advisory. Leading the standing committees as chairmen were Jeff Bailey of Covington County for Budget and Finance; Sue Jones of Jacksonville for Bylaws; Katy Smith Campbell of Macon County for Resolutions; and Sue Helms of Madison for Executive/Legislative.

AASB’s mission is to provide quality advocacy, training and services to its nearly 900 members. Membership also includes our Professional Sustaining Members and associate members.

Advocacy w LEADER TO LEADER

AASB President Sue Helms presents the President's Award to Bruce Grant of the Tarrant Board of Education at the District 5 meeting.

AASB’s officers continued moving the association forward last year. Representing the interests of the association were President Sue Helms of the Madison, President-Elect Florence Bellamy of Phenix City, Vice President Steve Foster of Lowndes County, Immediate Past President Jim Methvin of the Alabama School of Fine Arts board and Executive Committee member Jennifer Parsons of Jefferson County. Yet, the 2009 leadership did have several new faces, including: District 1 Director Stephanie Walker of Brewton, District 3 Director Roxie Kitchens of Troy, District 7 Director Brett Whitehead of Tuscaloosa County and District 9 20 Alabama School Boards • Fall 2009

AASB’s grassroots Leader to Leader program thrived and catapulted the association to unprecedented success in the state Legislature in 2009.

Leading the initiative were Jennifer Parsons of Jefferson County, chair; Laura Casey of Albertville, vice chair; and ex-officio member Sue Helms of Madison, AASB’s president. AASB achieved its legislative agenda with the enactment of legislation requiring board member training in board policies. In addition, AASB led the charge to stop legislation thwarting local control to once again defeat the school start date effort. School board members had a strong voice in protecting the K-12 education budget as the education family united around the importance of preserving funding for schoolchildren.

By identifying key local school board advocates and pairing them with local legislators through the Leader to Leader program, state lawmakers have a key contact and resource to rely upon for education issues and the impact they have on school systems back home. This relationship has made a significant difference in the education discussion at the Alabama State House.

Periodically, the AASB Board of Directors will recognize legislators who display exemplary leadership on behalf of

Alabama Association of School Boards

2008-2009 Annual Report public education and support local control of Alabama’s public schools. The board was pleased to honor Rep. Jeremy H. Oden with the 2009 AASB Legislative Award. A member of the Education Appropriations Committee, he helps AASB members mingle with Rep. Mac Gipson and Sen. Vivian Figures at a Pre-K Advocacy shape the Education Trust Forum.

Fund budget each year and is a consistent supporter of Alabama’s public schools. Oden officially received the award at AASB’s 2009 Summer Conference. w LEGISLATIVE ORIENTATION

AASB once again co-hosted a Legislative Orientation program with constituents who advocate on behalf of kindergarten-12th grade public schools. Leading advocates from these associations — whether representing school boards, superintendents, administrators or education employees — can effectively convey a strong message about Alabama students’ needs through coordinated efforts. The coalition of voices among K-12 has grown to be an impressive and effective advocacy tool on common themes and messages, despite past differences. AASB pioneered the Legislative Orientations for state lawmakers and opened the forum to include all associations representing K-12 education. The 2009 legislative event was well attended. w CONGRESSIONAL VISITS

AASB’s Executive Committee joined school board members from around the nation in Washington, D.C., in January to present a unified, representative voice on Capitol Hill. Participating in the National School Boards Association’s federal relations network allows Alabama to add its voice to the need for increased federal support for strong policy and funding for K-12 education. AASB’s team provided information to Alabama’s Congressional delegation to address key issues such as the federal stimulus package, No Child Left Behind and protecting the Medicaid Administrative Claiming (MAC) program.

Visits were scheduled with all members of Alabama’s congressional delegation including a breakfast with Congressman Artur Davis’ education liaison and lunch with Congressman Mike Rogers’ staff. AASB’s FRN team met in congressional offices with Congressman Parker Griffith and the staff of all other congressmen. The team also had an impromptu encounter with Sen. Richard Shelby, Sen. Jeff Sessions and Congressman Bobby Bright.

In attendance were AASB President Sue Helms of Madison; President-Elect Florence Bellamy of Phenix City; Vice President Steve Foster of Lowndes County; Immediate Past President Jim Methvin of the Alabama School of Fine Arts board; Executive Committee member Jennifer Parsons of Jefferson County; and Executive Director Sally Howell.

Training SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER ACADEMY w FIELD SERVICES

“If anyone asks if this was worthwhile, tell them to call us,” said Muscle Shoals board member Farrell Southern after his full board participated in a specialized workshop on Governing for Higher Student Achievement. The board development experience was tailor-made for Muscle Shoals and presented to them at a time and date of their choice — the calling card of AASB’s custom field service training. Through our field services program, we can bring the training your governance team has determined it needs directly to you — either to a board work session or retreat or to a gathering of a handful of boards in a particular geographic area or AASB district.

Field services are part of AASB’s comprehensive and extensive training program built around school board members’ unique educational and skill needs.

The 2008-09 fiscal year was a boon for field service training with a mix of 47 sessions. AASB members are entitled to a series of customized introductory sessions at no additional cost. These At AASB’s 2008-09 Convention, speaker facilitated sessions include: PolicyEric Wahl paints upside down to making, Superintendent Search inspire innovative thinking.

Planning, Selling a Tax Referendum and Introduction to Board Service. In addition, the AASB board self-evaluation instrument is free for any member board to use.

In the past couple years, board development has grown to include profound for-fee training built around a specific board’s data, goals, needs and defining characteristics. The interactive 3-hour customized workshops for governance teams are worth credit hours (per participating school board member) in the AASB School Board Member Academy. These sessions include: Governing for Higher Student Achievement; Team Building for (Continued on page 22) Alabama School Boards • Fall 2009 21

Alabama Association of School Boards

2008-2009 Annual Report Number of Field Service Presentations and Workshops (2008 - 2009) Includes Governing for Higher Student Achievement Project 9 8

No. of Appointments

7 6 5 4 3 2 1 June

July

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

2008

Jan

Feb March April May 2009

Effective Boardmanship; Board Meetings that Matter; Understanding School Finance; Governance and Ethics; Defining Board/Superintendent Expectations; and Planning and Goal Setting.

two core curriculum conferences, district meetings, customized training, National School Boards Association events and other training. AASB provides a copy of members’ academy record twice each year. Hours earned from July 1 to June 30 are tallied, and individual members achieving new levels and full board participation are recognized. Master School Board Members receive gold badges, and full boards receive the President’s Award.

AASB’s highest honor, the All-State School Board Member Recognition, is reserved for past or present school board members who have exhibited exemplary boardmanship.

In 2008-09, AASB hosted its Leadership for Policy and Planning conference in March with sessions on strategic planning, policies versus procedures, 21st century goal setting, updating policy manuals and more. The March early bird session focused on career technical education. AASB’s January-February 2009 district

AASB School Board Member Academy

Schedule of Core Leadership Courses March

June or July

October

2009

Policy and Planning

Leadership 1

Optimal Learning Leadership 2 Environment

2010

Financial Accountability

Leadership 1

Academic Achievement

Leadership 2

2011

Highly Effective Staff

Leadership 1

Community Engagement

Leadership 2

2012

Policy and Planning

Leadership 1

Optimal Learning Leadership 2 Environment

2013

Financial Accountability

Leadership 1

Academic Achievement

Leadership 2

2014

Highly Effective Staff

Leadership 1

Community Engagement

Leadership 2

2015

Policy and Planning

Leadership 1

Optimal Learning Leadership 2 Environment

w CONFERENCES AND CONVENTION

AASB trains members through its School Board Member Academy.

The academy’s “core curriculum” focuses on basic education governance and includes a two-part leadership orientation as well as leadership courses in Financial Accountability, Developing Highly Effective Staff, Academic Achievement, Policy and Planning, Optimal Learning Environment and Community Engagement.

School board members are automatically enrolled in the academy. AASB records attendance to the two statewide conferences,

The Monroe County school board poses at the AASB District 1 meeting.

22 Alabama School Boards • Fall 2009

December

meetings had the theme “Making Cents: What You Really Need to Know About School Finance.” The December 2008 AASB Convention received rave reviews and featured acclaimed national speakers Erik Wahl, an artist who expressed “The Art of Vision,” and Harvey Alton, whose football coaching experience underpinned his presentation on “The Art of Teamwork.” Convention also included addresses from state Superintendent of Education Dr. Joe Morton and Rep. Artur Davis. The 2008 Summer Conference inspired attendees to “Surf the Wave of Success” and featured Bud Taylor, who espoused the principles of John Kotter’s book “Our Iceberg is Melting,” as well as Deputy State Superintendent Dr. Tommy Bice, Assistant State Superintendent Craig Pouncey and 2008 Alabama Teacher of the Year Roy Hudson.

Alabama Association of School Boards

2008-2009 Annual Report funding selected automobile, general liability and errors and omissions liability risk to which the boards are exposed. ARMS is governed by a board of trustees consisting of five board members, a superintendent and a school business official.

(Left to right) AASB President Sue Helms is pictured with the 2008-09 All-State School Board Members: Alex Davenport of Oxford, Beverly Ross of Montgomery County, David Strobel of Auburn, Carolyn Wallace of Morgan County and Phyllis Wyne of Birmingham.

For the 2008-09 academy year, nearly 3,000 members participated in AASB training activities, and 274 advanced to new academy levels. Of those, 29 reached the master level for the first time and five — Jeff Bailey of Covington County, Greg Batchelor of Winston County, Dr. Kirit Chapatwala of Selma, Lillie Dove of Brewton and Tracy Estes of Winfield — earned a place on the academy’s coveted Master Honor Roll.

The President’s Award winners for 2008-09 included: Albertville, Attalla, Auburn, Bessemer, Birmingham, Brewton, Bullock County, Cherokee County, Clarke County, Conecuh County, Elmore County, Eufaula, Fairfield, Florence, Geneva County, Greene County, Hoover, Lauderdale County, Limestone County, Macon County, Madison, Midfield, Mobile County, Morgan County, Muscle Shoals, Perry County, Phenix City, Russellville, Selma, Shelby County, Sumter County, Sylacauga, Talladega, Talladega County, Tarrant, Thomasville, Troy, Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa County, Wilcox County and Winfield.

The 2007-08 All-State School Board Members included Alex Davenport of Oxford, Beverly Ross of Montgomery County, David Strobel of Auburn, Carolyn Wallace of Morgan County and Phyllis Wyne of Birmingham. The 2008-09 winners will be named this winter.

School board presidents gathered in 2009 for collaborative and informative meetings to share experiences, gain new leadership ideas and to learn from best practices. The new Board Presidents Roundtable is a ready-made network and pool of mentors. AASB is asking all new board presidents and board chairs to contact the association to participate in the roundtable led by AASB’s president and president-elect.

Services w ARMS

Alabama Risk Management for Schools, a self-funded risk management trust, continued this past year to accomplish its mission of providing AASB member boards consistent, cost effective strategies for

The 2008-09 ARMS Board of Trustees included Chairman Steve Freeman of Cullman County, Steve Foster of Lowndes County, Steve Fair of Winfield, Jeff Bailey of Covington County, Dr. Suzanne Freeman of Trussville, Ron Glover of Montgomery County, Eddie Lowe of Phenix City and Secretary-Treasurer Sally Howell. Dr. Dwight Hester serves as insurance consultant, Education Research Center.

Current board member trustees are Chairman Lowe, Bailey, Fair, Foster, John Parker of Troy, Tarrant Superintendent Dr. Martha Rizzuto and Glover. These trustees, being fully aware of the financial condition of Alabama boards of education, continued a multi-year strategy for reducing the cost of participating in the ARMS general liability/ errors and omissions liability fund.

This rate reduction strategy is based upon a reduced number of claims against the members and a secure, stable ARMS financial statement.

These same factors allowed the trustees to keep the rates for participating in the ARMS automobile liability fund the same as the Risk management consultant Dr. Dwight Hester addresses ARMS previous nine years.

In addition to reducing and/or participants at AASB’s 2008-09 Annual Convention. holding rates the same, the trustees approved providing a free, 13th month of coverage for boards participating in each of the liability funds. This free month of coverage, equivalent to an 8.5 percent dividend, changed the start of the ARMS fiscal year to Oct. 1; hence matching the members’ fiscal year. The concurrent fiscal years should help boards with budgeting for ARMS participation.

In 2008-09, there were 133 boards of education participating in ARMS. w LEGAL ASSISTANCE FUND

Legal challenges are costly not only to the school board involved in the case, but potentially to other boards. When a board loses an important decision, case law can be established that impacts all school boards. That’s where AASB’s Legal Assistance Fund (LAF) comes in — as credible support for school boards’ common interests. Typically, the LAF enters such cases by filing amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) (Continued on page 24) Alabama School Boards • Fall 2009 23

Alabama Association of School Boards

2008-2009 Annual Report Supreme Court denied Wilson’s petition for writ of certiorari to clarify whether the new hearing was to be before the original or a new hearing officer.

LAF Trustees for 2008-09 were: • Sue Helms of the Madison school board • Florence Bellamy of the Phenix City school board • Steve Foster of the Lowndes County school board • Jim Methvin of the Alabama School of Fine Arts board • Katy Smith Campbell of the Macon County school board • AASB Executive Director Sally Howell, secretary-treasurer. w MEDICAID ADMINISTRATIVE CLAIMING

AND DIRECT BILL

The Alabama Association of School Boards’ Medicaid Administrative Claiming and Direct Bill programs have reclaimed a total of $87 million for school systems in the past 10 years. From January 2008 through AASB Executive Director Sally Howell congratulates outgoing AASB director Jeff Bailey for his service.

briefs, logging and tracking active cases and providing basic legal research. Governed by a board of trustees, the LAF seeks to influence the outcome of court challenges, but under no circumstances will it bear the full cost of a case.

In the past fiscal year, 135 boards of education in Alabama participated in LAF for only $150 each in dues. LAF assisted members who were involved in four cases of statewide significance in 2009. Those cases include: • Montgomery County Board of Education v. Webb, whether hearing officer’s authority to re-litigate discipline previously taken by the board when employee waived rights. Pending in Alabama Supreme Court.

• McCord-Baugh v. Birmingham Board of Education, whether superintendent’s authority to bind the board to commitments without board concurrence. Without opinion, the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals upheld a lower court decision against the board for the equal protection claim by “class of one.” Now pending in Alabama Supreme Court.

March 2009, nearly $20 million was returned to school systems that provide direct services or pay up-front costs for services provided to Medicaid-eligible students under federal law. The Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services repay schools for eligible expenses. Paid quarterly, the reimbursed funds may be used at the board of education’s discretion. Thanks to AASB, NSBA and other education advocates, moratoria were in effect until June 2009 to prevent The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from changing rules that would have eliminated reimbursement for school-based Medicaid administration and transportation costs for eligible students. The rules change was officially rescinded July 1, ensuring the viability of the MAC and Direct Bill programs. w SCHOOL BOARD ATTORNEYS

• Boone et al. v. Birmingham Board of Education, whether coaches are entitled to notice of coaching contract cancellation at end of school year under tenure law. Pending in Alabama Supreme Court.

The Alabama Council of School Board Attorneys, which had 104 members in 2008-09, is a component of the Alabama Association of School Boards and is exclusively for school board attorneys. ACSBA provides members with the specialized information they need to keep pace with developments in education law and to protect and defend school boards.

Members meet annually to discuss these issues, receive legislative updates and share their knowledge of court rulings that impact local school boards.

• Madison County Board of Education v. Laura Wilson, proved that a hearing officer’s application of standards of “just cause for termination” from collective-bargaining cases to Wilson’s case resulted in a decision that was “arbitrary and capricious.”

Upheld Court of Civil Appeals’ reversal of arbitrator’s decision and remanded the case for a new hearing. The Alabama

Seminar topics during the July 2008 Summer Conference included Section 504, Juvenile Justice Code revision, Competitive Bid Law update, practical pointers regarding teacher certification, ethics, Tenure and Fair Dismissal laws and privacy concerns.

During the business meeting, ACSBA selected their officers and board. The 2008-09 officers were President Woody Sanderson of

24 Alabama School Boards • Fall 2009

Alabama Association of School Boards

2008-2009 Annual Report extremely helpful as we took on the daunting task of updating our policy manual.”

• Albertville Superintendent Dr. Ric Ayer, who said, “Albertville City Schools totally revised their school board policies for the first time in more than 20 years. The service provided by the Alabama Association of School Boards was highly efficient.

Our policies were streamlined and the whole process was very user friendly. I have been through many policy revisions in different school systems, and this was by far the easiest one I have done.”

Lanier, Ford, Shaver & Payne; Vice President Lewis S. “Pete” Hamilton of Powell & Hamilton; and Secretary-Treasurer Sally Howell, AASB’s executive director. The ACSBA Board of Directors included Larry Craven of the state Department of Education; Afrika C. Parchman of Thomas, Means, Gillis & Seay; W. David Ryan of Phelps, Jenkins, Gibson & Fowler; and Jayne H. Williams of Hill, Hill, Carter, Franco, Cole & Black.

New members enjoy an opportunity to network and learn from seasoned school board attorneys who often present at the ACSBA summer meeting. ACSBA applies for continuing education credit to benefit seminar attendees. w POLICY REVIEW AND ANALYSIS

Recognizing that setting policy is the primary function of school boards, AASB assists the development of legally sound, practical policies.

AASB provides a Policy Reference Guide and offers policy analysis review for school systems as an additional service. AASB also has linked to school systems’ board policies on its Web site.

AASB has provided a Policy Reference Guide on a regularly updated CD to each school system. The CD is formatted using a streamlined, numerical and easily referenced model. The guide is for the exclusive use of AASB members.

AASB also offers a customized service to school systems that wish to overhaul or simply update their school board policy manuals. The charge for a policy review/update ranges from $8,000 to $15,000, and the turnaround time is 60 to 90 days. Testimonials of the service’s effectiveness include: • Madison County Superintendent Dr. Terry Davis, who said, “AASB’s policy review service is outstanding and surprisingly affordable.”

• Shelby County Superintendent Randy Fuller, who said, “Shelby County Schools recently took advantage of AASB’s policyby-policy analysis service and found it to be very thorough and

w TECHNOLOGY

The year after an independent assessment of AASB’s existing technology infrastructure was completed, the association has implemented a significant number of the recommendations to maximize effectiveness, efficiency and service delivery through the use of technology. AASB took a number of steps to leverage technology in a way that streamlines staff functions (Continued on page 28)

AlabamaSchoolBoards.org Usage (March - June 2009)

DAILY AVERAGE

Guest speaker Carl Johnson (left) meets with attendees at the AASB Spring Conference, which included a popular session on AASB’s policy review and analysis.

Five school systems — Hoover, Albertville and Selma cities, along with Madison and Shelby counties — contracted with AASB in 2009 to take this important step to ensure sound board governance. The finished product for boards is a simplified policy manual that helps translate philosophical principles into sound day-to-day decision making while minimizing overall liability that may be created by policies themselves. In addition, a review recognizes distinctions between true policy matters and other administrative and regulatory directives.

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4

10 Mistakes Board Members Shouldn’t Make Continued from page 15

appropriate for the board to “hear” a case, and it is usually after other avenues are exhausted. Let the process work. In some extreme cases, your involvement at the wrong time could keep the board from rendering a legitimate decision or open the school system to potential legal liability.

Likewise, when approached by someone you know — a friend, coworker, neighbor or political supporter — be very careful not to commit to voting a certain way. You should always vote your conscience and make decisions based on what you believe is best for the children in your school system, but only after hearing all sides.

You also shouldn’t have your own hidden agenda. I have known people who have sought a seat on their local board to achieve some task — fire the superintendent or get their brother-in-law a job as football coach.

It becomes apparent to most after a short time that the job involves much more than your issue.

One way to deal with hidden-agenda or one-agenda board members is for the board to establish goals for the school system (and the board), which become the driving force for the system. The more the board focuses on goals and leaves administration alone, the less disruption a “lone-wolf” can cause.

9. Revealing Confidential Issues Most states have restrictions on what can be discussed in executive session. It is important that the board members all understand the laws and their intention. You are entrusted to do the work of the public — watching over their schools and their children. Except for a few clearly defined exceptions, the public has a right to watch the board fulfill its obligations.

You should be doing most of your work under public scrutiny. In the end, this builds credibility and trust.

When the board is in executive session, every board member should be ready to interrupt at any time when the discussion strays from “privileged” information to something that should be discussed in public. Likewise, it is highly unethical and sometimes illegal for board members to divulge the contents of the closed session to outsiders, whether members of the press or others. Doing so could open up the system to lawsuits or civil penalties. Sometimes it isn’t intentional, but that is not a suitable answer for violating this trust.

10. Putting the Board Above Family As important as serving on a board of education is, never forget what is most important! I have seen board members lose their jobs, their families and their homes because they spent so much energy on the board. It is easy to do.

While there is something incredibly noble about serving on behalf of children, remember that there are others who serve with you and other members of the community who will also help. You don’t have to do it all. Your obligation to the board is important, and you should carry your weight. But, learn to say no to non-critical requests for your time. When your tenure on the board is completed, you still need a life n to go back to.

Reprinted with permission from Nicholas D. Caruso Jr., who serves the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education as senior staff associate for field services. Contact him at ncaruso@cabe.org.

26 Alabama School Boards • Fall 2009

MARK YOUR CALENDAR OCTOBER 2009 25-26 AASB Core Academy Conference Renaissance Montgomery Hotel Montgomery

DECEMBER 2009 3

AASB Leadership II Wynfrey Hotel, Birmingham

3-5

AASB Annual Convention Wynfrey Hotel, Birmingham Call 877/796-3922, code 1ATSKIL

JANUARY 2010 11-February 18 AASB District Meetings 12 Legislature Convenes in Regular Session 29-31 National School Boards Association Leadership Conference Washington, D.C.

31-February 2 NSBA Federal Relations Network Conference Washington, D.C.

MARCH 2010 19

AASB “Early Bird”Workshop Wynfrey Hotel, Birmingham

19-20 AASB Core Academy Conference Wynfrey Hotel, Birmingham

n

Face to Face: Sen. Lowell Barron Continued from page 11

u Barron: I think that we have to give Alabama a pretty high grade. We have to keep in mind that we are a poor state. We’re not one of the more affluent states. However, we’ve made great progress in the last 10 or so years as far as the automobile industry and the steel industry. The economy in our state has improved significantly over the last few years.

We do a very good job at supporting education from the state level. I am not sure that we do as well at the local level as we could or should. So, I would give us an overall grade at the state level of funding of B+; at the county and local level, I’d say that we’re probably a C+. We could do better locally. But, at the state level, we’re doing pretty well. Consequently, we’ve seen great strides in education. Oftentimes, we hear people criticizing education. And, I think back to my elementary, junior high and high school days, and we are light-years ahead in education compared to where we were when I went to public schools in Alabama. So, from personal experience, I think we’ve made great strides. That doesn’t mean that we can rest on our laurels. We’ve got much more to do, but we’re headed in the right direction. s Brown: In my teaching years, we had a chalkboard and chalk and a textbook, and I had taught for several years before I ever realized that they made a teacher’s edition of the textbook, which made my teaching a whole lot easier.

What advice would you give school board members who want to work with their lawmakers as the local voice for K-12? u Barron: I would just encourage them to contact their lawmakers either by telephone or a small handwritten note and to attend public meetings where the legislators are and express the views that they have about public education. Most legislators I know are very receptive to their constituents, and school boards are a very important part of the education process and very important to legislators as a source of information. Just be persistent and present those views in whatever forum — it could be e-mails or handwritten notes. I personally like small handwritten notes. I do not like bundles and bundles of pre-filled out cards. After I read one, I throw all the rest of them away. Those are a very ineffective way to influence people. s Brown: Do you have a lot of contact from school board members and from teachers requesting various things in your district? u Barron: I have a lot of contact from teachers, and the school board members are quite active. They could be more active and assert themselves. But, oftentimes, they do that through the superintendent’s office. Superintendents are, I’d say, more active in their contacts than our school board members, but they are reflecting the will of their board that they serve and work with. So, when a superintendent calls or contacts me, I take that to be the position of the school board, and he’s speaking for the group.

s Brown: Is there a message that you would like to send to local school board members across the state? u Barron: Well, the message is to continue what you’re doing.

You are doing a good job as a very important team member in the education process, and the education process, as you know, is a team effort. They often say it takes a community to raise a child, and I think that is true. But the school board members, the teachers and education, in general, must fit at the very top of that community list of people it requires to raise a child. So, just keep your voice loud and clear promoting public education. Public education has been the future of our country since its founding, and it will continue to be the future for this great country.

“I believe with very poor children, particularly, if we can capture their little minds when they are young, we have a chance to salvage those youngsters and direct them on a more positive course in life. Pre-K is the place where I think we can make that intervention and be more successful in producing productive citizens.” s Brown: On behalf of the Alabama Association of School Boards, I want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to allow me to interview you. And I would like to close the interview by asking you what local school boards can do to help make your job easier? u Barron: That’s a great question, Brenda. Really, I think you already do that, and I touched on that earlier, by making your views known to me and to legislators. Most of you do it primarily through the superintendents. On all the bills you mentioned — school start date, on extracurricular participation by private school students — superintendents traveled to Montgomery more than once to meet with me and other delegation members to express the view of the school board members that they serve and work with.

Just continuing to do what you do now provides us with the tools and information to help us make better decisions about what the local people wish for when it comes to their local school systems. We’re making real progress. I see it every day, every year. We just need to continue the course that we’re on, in my opinion, and try to do it even better. In other words, we can do it with more zest and more zeal and more enthusiasm. Be more vigilant. s Brown: Thank you for being so receptive. I’ve called on you many times, and I thank you for your helpfulness. u Barron: I treasure your friendship and what you have meant to education. Think of the lives you’ve touched as a teacher, as a school board member and as a trusted citizen. Jackson n County is better off because we’ve had Brenda Brown.

Alabama School Boards • Fall 2009 27

Alabama Association of School Boards

2008-2009 Annual Report and to help the association achieve its mission of developing excellent leaders through quality advocacy, training and services. Among the technology issues addressed in 2009 were protection against electronic vulnerabilities and security threats, off-site storage of backup tapes, software and equipment upgrades and improved communication and print publication processes. w COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING

This was a noteworthy year for AASB’s communications and marketing efforts. The Alabama Association of School Boards has received a 2009 National School Public Relations Association Award of Merit for Alabama School Boards magazine and is the only recipient of NSPRA’s 2009 Branding/Image Packaging Award of Excellence.

AASB redesigned its magazine for a fresh look and to capture state, local and national trends in short news briefs and to address a variety of education issues and boardmanship how-to’s of interest to our members. The modern redesign fits neatly into AASB’s strategic efforts. Strategic public relations planning and costsaving measures resulted in AASB shrinking the number of Alabama School Boards magazines produced each year from six to four. The quarterly, 32-page color/spot color magazine has more depth and variety of news, including national news briefs, interviews of state education leaders and pieces written by education experts.

Rebranding has included a new exterior sign at the association’s headquarters, use of AASB’s logo and/or colors on publications and greater visibility on the Web. The association even saw an increase in Web traffic at www.AlabamaSchoolBoards. o rg. In the 2009 fiscal year, the site had nearly 50,000 visits, about 130,000 page views and more than 700,000 hits.

The association continued production of its twice-monthly state board recap, FYI, and the weekly legislative session summaries in the Leg-Alert newsletter. Court Report, the association’s review of education-related judicial and legal decisions, re-launched in 2009 after a brief hiatus.

A new survey tool in 2009 means AASB can run analytics on surveys to quickly and more easily gauge members’ opinions.

The software is also used to produce AASB’s electronic FYI newsletter and to efficiently send out event and news alerts to 28 Alabama School Boards • Fall 2009

Speaker Harvey Alston mingles with representatives from AASB Professional Sustaining Member Southland Internation

members and the media. One survey, which proved useful in terms of AASB’s position on proration, asked members to help the association determine which areas of education funding needed the most protection. The survey results were helpful in encouraging the state Legislature to protect teaching positions.

AASB has the ability to reach more than 1,700 contacts by e-mail.

In 2009, the Alabama Association of School Boards launched listservs for school board attorneys, school board presidents and the school board policy network. The listservs have nearly 400 users and provide a sounding board and online gathering place for these groups.

• Virtual Magazine and Board Member Recognition Month Using free software, AASB has also redesigned its online magazines to make viewing look and feel very much like virtually turning pages. There is an option on the magazine archives page at AlabamaSchoolBoards.org to download the magazine or to read it online. Hard copies are still sent to current AASB members, the Alabama Council of School Board Attorneys and others.

In January 2009 and for the first time, AASB posted its Board Member Recognition Month materials online only. Even certificates could be customized using editable PDFs. The move resulted in savings of printing and mailing costs, though memos were still mailed to inform principals and others about the readyto-use, customizable online Board Member Recognition Month materials.

• Stars in Education The Alabama Association of School Boards’ name was attached to the Alabama Teacher of the Year and Alabama Public Television Student Heroes broadcast that was shown live in 2009 on APT. The “Stars in Education” broadcast honored 2009 Alabama Teacher of the Year Yung Thi Bui-Kincer of

Alabama Association of School Boards

2008-2009 Annual Report Montgomery County. Alabama Elementary Teacher of the Year and alternate to Bui-Kincer was Shannon Finley of Calhoun County. AASB participates each year in the awards program by providing state and district level judges. Bui-Kincer will address AASB at the association’s annual convention in December 2009.

AASB congratulates 2009 Alabama Teacher of the Year Yung Thi Bui-Kincer of Montgomery County.

Grants w GOVERNING FOR ACHIEVEMENT

In January 2009, the Alabama Association of School Boards launched its Governing for Achievement Project funded in part through a $60,000 state Department of Education grant to help boards develop a clear student improvement agenda. The two-year project that continues through March 2011 engages eight school boards — six grantfunded sites and two self-funded boards also underwritten by AASB — in extensive training on research-based school board governance practices proven to lead to high-level student performance and reengaged communities. The innovative pioneers of the project are the boards of education in Brewton, Muscle Shoals, Tarrant, Cullman, Madison County, Elmore County, Montgomery County and Perry County.

Participating systems are undergoing an 11-module, multisession training program. Though governance teams are the key component of the work, the project brings in the thoughts and ideas of administrators, principals and teachers within the school system to begin a process of improving the conditions for student success. The project also emphasizes the need for clear expectations, accountability, team learning and public support for what it takes to ensure all students perform at high levels.

Research that results from the project will inform the content of AASB’s School Board Member Academy, as well as customized full-board sessions now available on Governing for Higher Student Achievement.

AASB has not only partnered with the state Department of Education on this effort, but with the School Superintendents of Alabama and the A+ Education Partnership’s Best Practices Center. Representatives of these entities and participating board leaders serve on a 14-member team that monitors progress. The achievement project is aligned with state education department standards, which allows licensed superintendents, administrators and teachers to receive credit toward professional learning

units. School board members who participate earn AASB academy hours. The project uses research based on the Iowa School Boards Association Lighthouse study, which has expanded its research into Alabama and other states. w PRE-K AND SCHOOL READINESS

The National School Boards Association and the Center for Public Education was awarded a Pew Grant to promote the value of high-quality pre-K education as a method to increase school readiness. AASB became one of two new states to join the grant program. The two-year grant provides $25,000 each year to fund implementation of AASB’s state plan.

The plan includes action steps to create awareness. In 2009, AASB members saw pre-K incorporated in conferences and clinic sessions. AASB’s Executive Director Sally Howell presented Many Happy Returns: The School Boards’ Role in Pre-K at the Alabama Pre-Kindergarten Conference this past April.

Additionally, AASB co-hosted a Pre-K Advocacy Forum with more than 140 attendees in conjunction with the event. Howell also participated in a Pre-K Network session during the National School Boards Association Annual Conference. NSBA and the Center for Public Education formed the network thanks to its two-year $447,000 grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts — a grant that also funds AASB’s pre-K efforts. In addition to newest members AASB and the Kentucky School Boards Association, the network includes the state school board associations in Kansas, Ohio and Texas.

Alabama School Boards magazine began an ongoing series featuring pre-K articles, and AASB hosts a forum for pre-K partners monthly in its offices. School board members have embraced working with the Office of School Readiness housed within the state Department of Children’s’ Affairs to promote Alabama’s premier and nationally recognized “First Class” Pre-K program. AASB continues to work to create a climate of readiness for expanded access to quality pre-K programs for Alabama’s children. w COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Last year’s core academy course, Leadership for Community Engagement, was partially funded by a grant from The Daniels Foundation of Alabama. The grant was used to help school board members develop skills to improve the community’s image of public schools by engaging the public better. The Fall AASB Conference theme was “Beyond Image: Building Community Support for Student Success.” n Alabama School Boards • Fall 2009 29

Alabama No. 1 in Increasing AP Exam-Takers

AT THE TABLE

By Eve Harmon

Phillip Murphy School Board Calhoun County Board of Education Hometown Anniston A Board Member For 2 1/2 years Books at Bedside The Bible and The Shack, The End of Religion, Season of Life, and I’d recommend Parenting Isn’t For Cowards by James Dobson.

Inspiration My passion is to see the Bible restored as an elective literature course in every Alabama high school.

The Bible in History and Literature is now a textbook, and we’re seeing the course taught in about 20 schools now that we know of.

Motto as a Board Member I want to see students achieve their dreams.

Q. A.

Advice to New Board Members Keep learning. Don’t get so smart that you can’t learn something.

Greatest Accomplishment as a Board Member That we love each other. I know that’s not a typical answer, but the joy I have is that even if I share a perspective that may not be the way everyone else sees it, they’re going to listen to it with respect.

Pet Peeve as a Board Member I’ve backed away from expressing my heart before because I didn’t necessarily feel everyone else was leaning that way. I just respect and admire people who express their position and stand by it regardless.

Reason I Like Being an AASB Member AASB reminds me of the reason I like serving on the board. I have a chance to influence a lot of kids’ lives that I’ll probably never meet or know, but the decisions we make are going to resound across their lifetimes.

30 Alabama School Boards • Fall 2009

Sources: Alabama Education News, September 2009 edition, and A+ College Ready

Help.

Walter Mitty Fantasy My dream would be to pay a visit to all the schools in the state and challenge the students to get high grades with high morals.

My Epitaph He did everything he could to make school a great place to be.

Alabama boasts the greatest one-year percentage increase in number of Advanced Placement exam-takers and number of exams given than any other state. From 2008 to 2009, the number of AP exam-takers increased 24.5 percent, compared to 7.5 percent in public schools nationwide. The number of 3-5 scores grew 21.1 percent (9.4 percent nationwide), second only to the District of Columbia.

Alabama's minority enrollment in AP courses increased dramatically (113 percent in pilot schools), according to Raising Rigor, Getting Results, a report from the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices. Alabama is one of six pilot states in the NGA effort to expand AP participation. Thanks to a $13.2 million National Math and Science Initiative grant in 2008, Alabama's A+ College Ready program implemented an AP pilot in eight schools in Jefferson County and four in Montgomery County. Three Alabama high schools are participating in Laying the Foundation, the pre-AP component of the project.

In 2009-10, Laying the Foundation teacher training will be provided to all sixth-11th grade pre-AP teachers in the middle schools that feed into participating high schools. A+ College Ready is also expanding to three additional school systems: Huntsville, Madison County and Birmingham.

Jefferson Davis High School in Montgomery will also be added to bring the total number of A+ College Ready schools to 23.

n

I hear that locker and parking fees may be used for classroom support. Is that true?

The state Department of Education has determined that high school student parking fees may be used for any public educational purpose, including classroom instructional support. That’s contrary to previous guidance from the department, which limited the parking fees to parkingrelated costs such as decals and parking lots.

The department also advises that schools with significant balances of unobligated, unspent locker fees as of June 30 may transfer those to public funds for classroom instructional support if those funds exceed allowable uses for locker rental fees. Allowable locker expenses include locker maintenance costs and amortizing the costs of locks and lockers that the school has purchased.

Locker rental fee rates per student, notes the SDE, should be adjusted to an amount that would accumulate only the funds needed to pay for allowable locker expenses. For more information, contact Dennis Heard at 334/242-9747 or Sonja Peaspanen at 334/353-9886.

—Denise L. Berkhalter

Alabama Association of School Boards

Professional Sustaining Members

A Partnership That Works!

AASB appreciates these professional members for supporting association activities and you all year long.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • •

Aho Architects LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hoover, AL Alabama Beverage Association . . . . . . . . Montgomery, AL Alabama Gas Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Birmingham, AL Alabama Supercomputer Authority . . . . Montgomery, AL Almon Associates Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tuscaloosa, AL American Fidelity Assurance . . . . . . . . . . . Birmingham, AL

205/313-6345 334/263-6621 205/326-8425 334/832-2405 205/349-2100

205/987-0950 or 800/365-3714

Barganier Davis Sims Architects . . . . . . . Montgomery, AL BlueCross BlueShield of Alabama . . . . . . Birmingham, AL Christian Testing Labs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Montgomery, AL Council of Alabama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Birmingham, AL Coca-Cola Bottlers Inc. Construction Program Management . . . Birmingham, AL Davis Architects Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Birmingham, AL Ellis Architects Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tuscaloosa, AL Energy Systems Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Helena, AL Fibrebond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Minden, LA Gallet & Associates Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Birmingham, AL Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood Inc. . . . . . . Montgomery,AL

334/834-2038 205/220-5771 334/264-4422 205/841-2653 205/834-8454 205/322-7482 205/752-4420 205/994-0490 318/377-1030 205/942-1289

334/271-3200 Birmingham, AL 205/879-4462 Mobile, AL 251/460-4006 Huntsville, AL 256/533-1484

Hecht Burdeshaw Architects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opelika, AL Hoar Program Management . . . . . . . . . . . Birmingham, AL Information Transport Solutions, Inc. . . . . . Wetumpka, AL Interquest Detection Canines . . . . . . . . . . . . Demopolis, AL JMJ Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anniston, AL JH Partners Architecture/Interiors . . . . . . . . Huntsville, AL Johnson Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Huntsville, AL

334/826-8448 205/803-2121 334/567-1993 334/341-7763 256/820-6844 256/539-0764

• Kelly Services Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dothan, AL • KHAFRA Engineers, Architects . . . . . . . . . Birmingham, AL and Construction Managers • KPS Group Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Birmingham, AL • Krebs Architecture & Engineering . . . . . . Birmingham, AL • Lathan Associates Architects PC . . . . . . . . Birmingham, AL • M.B. Kahn Construction Co. Inc. . . . . . . . . . . Huntsville, AL • McKee & Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Montgomery, AL Architecture and Design • Osborn & Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Huntsville, AL • Payne & Associates Architects . . . . . . . . . Montgomery, AL • PH&J Architects Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Montgomery, AL • PPM Consultants Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Spanish Fort, AL • SACS CASI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Montgomery, AL • Sain Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Birmingham, AL • School Reach Instant Parent Contact . . . . . . . Fenton, MO • Seay, Seay & Litchfield P.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . Montgomery, AL • Sherlock Smith & Adams Inc. . . . . . . . . . Montgomery, AL • Siemens Building Technologies Inc. . . . . . . . . .Pelham, AL • SKT Architects P.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Huntsville, AL • Southland International Bus Sales . . . . . Birmingham, AL • 2WR/Holmes Wilkins Architects Inc. . . . Montgomery, AL • TAC Energy Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Birmingham, AL • Thompson Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mobile, AL • Transportation South . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pelham, AL • Evan Terry Associates PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Birmingham, AL • Volkert & Associates Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mobile, AL

334/673-7136 205/252-8353 205/458-3245 205/987-7411 205/879-9110 803/360-3527 334/834-9933 256/534-3516 334/272-2180 334/265-8781 251/990-9025 334/244-3163 205/940-6420 800/420-1479 334/263-5162 334/263-6481 205/403-8388 256/533-6617 888/844-1821 334/263-6400 205/970-6132 251/666-2443 205/663-2287 205/972-9100 334/432-6735

256/217-2800 Alabama School Boards • Fall 2009 31

Alabama Association of School Boards Post Office Drawer 230488 Montgomery, Alabama 36123-0488

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