Chartwells

ASBA’s upcoming training events will be hybrid

Participants in the ASBA/AAEA Joint Leadership Conference and the New Board Member Institute this year can attend in person or virtually, but the Southern Region Leadership Conference will be in person only.

The Joint Leadership Conference is scheduled for May 3 at the Wyndham Riverfront in North Little Rock, while the New Board Member Institute will be at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Hot Springs on June 30. ASBA will be offering an administrative assistant training seminar July 21 at the Wyndham Hotel. The Southern Region Leadership Conference will be July 24-26 in New Orleans.

Last year’s New Board Member Institute was the first in-person ASBA professional development event since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Since then, the association has tried to be flexible with its offerings. Its recent events, including the Annual Conference Dec. 8-10 and the School Law Seminar Feb. 8, have had virtual options. There were 125 virtual attendees at the Annual Conference and 181 at the School Law Seminar.

Dr. Tony Prothro, ASBA’s executive director, said the association wants to give school board members options for how they attain their professional development.

“School board members are unpaid servant leaders,” he said. “Many of our board members have obligations and/ or time restrictions that limit physical attendance at professional development opportunities. The advent of virtual offerings has been a welcomed opportunity for many of our board members who are able to gain valuable information and experiences at their preferred location and time frame.”

Plans for the upcoming events are still taking shape under the leadership of ASBA’s new board development director, Tammy Reitenger. ASBA’s previous board development director, Dr. ASBA calendar

May 3 ASBA/AAEA Joint Leadership Conference Wyndham Riverfront North Little Rock

June 30 New Board Member Institute DoubleTree by Hilton Hot Springs

July 21 Administrative Assistant Training Wyndham Hotel Little Rock

July 24-26 Southern Region Leadership Conference New Orleans

Dec. 7-9 ASBA Annual Conference Marriott Hotel and Statehouse Convention Center Little Rock

Anne Butcher, retired following the ASBA Annual Conference in December.

The Joint Leadership Conference brings together school board members with the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators, which serves and represents superintendents, principals and other full-time school leaders. The agenda is still being developed. It certainly will include an overview of education-related laws passed by the Legislature during this year’s budget-focused fiscal session, and a look ahead to next year’s regular session.

Reitenger

The New Board Member Institute introduces newly elected school board members to their roles and duties.

The Southern Region Leadership Conference has involved Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi, which host the conference on a rotating basis. This year’s event will include participants from other states.

Prothro said organizers are prepared to have several hundred more registrations than past conferences.

BEEBE SCHOOL BOARD members received their award at the ASBA Annual Conference. Pictured left to right are Clay Goff, president; Janet Hines, secretary; Dr. Kathy Pillow-Price; Jason Smith; and Dr. Chris Nail, superintendent. Not pictured is Harold Davis, vice president.

Beebe receives School Board of Excellence Award

The Beebe School Board received the School Board of Excellence in Leadership Award at the ASBA Annual Conference.

The award was created to showcase best practices in organizational leadership in support for educational performance, support for educational improvement projects, commitment to a code of ethics, maintenance of harmonious and supportive relationships among board members, functioning as a policymaking body with adherence to adopted policies, provision of financial support for their district, participation in training and other performance improvement programs, and supporting and practicing effective public relations and community awareness.

Beebe board members recognize that it is their duty to stay informed, remain fair, and make decisions in the best interest of all students and staff. The board