Spring 2014 SLATE - Idaho School Boards Association by Idaho School Boards Association

Spring 2014

magazine

DAY ON THE HILL REVIEW

IDAHO SCHOOL BOARD STANDARDS

SLATE

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

table of contents

SLATE

10 29

in every issue

features

From the Director’s Chair .................................................5

Day on the Hill ........................................................................16

What happens when we are successful and a resolution becomes law?

President’s Message .............................................................7

The Top 10 Benefits of ISBA Membership..........18

Staying connected

Public Instruction ...................................................................8

Idaho School Boards Association Standards.... 20

Idaho’s transition to an improved assessment

From the State Board of Education ...................... 10

Raise Test Scores in One Fairly Easy Step:

Helping students know how to go on

Hire Certified School Librarians ................................29

Safety Notes .............................................................................11 How safe is your district’s vocational education shop?

Ask ISBA ...................................................................................... 12 Negotiations

Statistic of the Quarter ....................................................13 Students exempted from state vaccination requirements

Policy Update News ........................................................... 14 The Governor’s Task Force Recommendations

Distinguished Student of the Quarter ................ 15

Meet Your ISBA Executive Board ..............................32 Tips From the Trenches: School Safety ................38 Be the Model: Seize the Opportunity for Board Training ......... 40 Meet the ISBA Board Trainers .................................... 44

Trent Perkins, Meadows Valley High School

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

magazine Karen Echeverria

Idaho School Boards Association

ISBA Executive Director From the Director’s Chair

Executive Committee Executive Board

Executive Board Officers

Todd Wells

President President-Elect Vice President Imm. Past President

ISBA President President’s Message

Tom Luna Superintendent of Public Instruction Public Instruction

Todd Wells, Castleford Joint SD #417 Lisa Burtenshaw, Idaho Falls SD #091 John Menter, Troy SD #287 Anne Ritter, Meridian Joint SD #002

Regional Representatives Region I Reps

Archie McGregor, St. Maries Joint SD #041 Kyle Olmstead, Lakeland Joint SD #272

Region II Reps

Kim Campbell, Moscow SD #281 Jennifer Parkins, Genesee Joint SD #282

Region III Reps

Juan (Mike) Vuittonet, Meridian Joint SD #002 Jason Knopp, Melba Joint SD #136

Region IV Reps

Dane Higdem, Kimberly SD #414 Lisa Knudson, Castleford Jt. SD #417

Region V Reps

James (Jim) Stoor, Soda Springs Joint SD #150 Janie Gebhardt, Pocatello SD #025

Region VI Reps

Nancy Arnold, Teton County SD #401 Amy Landers, Bonneville Jt. SD #093

Jessica Harrison

Region VII Reps

Eric Jenson, South Lemhi SD #292 Michelle Zettel, Challis Jt. SD #181

Idaho School Boards Association Policy Update News

Region VIII Reps

Margaret (Marg) Chipman, Weiser SD #431 Barbara Dixon, Meadows Valley SD #011

Don Soltman President, State Board of Education From the State Board of Education

Allan Ranstrom Moreton & Company Safety Notes

ISBA Staff

Editorial Office P.O. Box 9797 Boise, ID 83707-4797 222 N. 13th Street Boise, ID 83702 Phone: (208) 854-1476 • Toll-Free: (866) 799-4722 Fax: (208) 854-1480 Online: www.idsba.org

stay

Board Officers & Executive Director Region Representatives, Board Officers & Executive Director

connected facebook.com/IdahoSchoolBoardsAssociation @ IDSchoolBoardsA www.idsba.org

Check your in-box each Monday morning!

Executive Director Associate Executive Director Policy & Government Affairs Director Office & Finance Coordinator Training Director Research & Policy Coordinator Graphics & Marketing Coordinator

ISBA

Karen Echeverria Misty Swanson Jessica Harrison Kristi Toolson Jackie Hopper April Hoy Rochelle Adams

calendar

Spring Legislative Wrap-Up Webinar

April 9-10

Spring Executive Board Meeting

April 25-26

Summer Leadership Institute 2014

see pg. 42

Fall Executive Board Meeting

Sept. 12-13

2014 ISBA Annual Convention

Nov. 12-14 see pg. 43

For more webinars on pg. 37 and more events at www.idsba.org.

Subscription to the SLATE, published four times per year, is by membership to the Idaho School Boards Association. The material contained herein is for informational purposes only and may be quite divergent in point of view and/or controversial in nature. It is the belief of the Association that the democratic process functions best through discussions which challenge and stimulate thinking on the part of the reader. Therefore, this material does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Association or its members.

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

from the director’s chair

How Does ISBA Establish the Legislative Platform? What happens when we are successful and a resolution becomes law?

BY KAREN ECHEVERRIA ISBA Executive Director

his will be the last in a four part series on how ISBA establishes its legislative platform. The first three parts were; 1.)The resolution process, 2.) Voting on resolutions, and 3.) How a resolution is turned into legislation. In this issue we are going to examine what happens if we are successful and an ISBA resolution actually becomes a law.

The Resolution Process In the May 2013 SLATE

Voting on Resolutions In the August 2013 SLATE

Once a resolution is passed, the goal is to work to turn that resolution into reality. Each year, ISBA staff and lobbyists are successful in getting laws passed that relate to resolutions passed by the ISBA membership. Those new laws assist school districts with the issues that were outlined in the original resolutions. Once passed, it is likely that school districts and charter schools will then need to take some action at the local level. While the work at the Legislature is over, the work at the school district level is just beginning. continued on next page... How the Resolutions Become Legislation

What Happens Next?

In the December 2013 SLATE

In this issue

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

SLATE

from the director’s chair

QUESTION: When Does the Law Go Into Effect?

QUESTION: Will the New Law Cause Changes at the District Level?

ANSWER: Most new laws go into effect on July 1 of the year they were passed. That gives school districts time from when the law was passed until July 1 to do the work at the school district level to be ready to implement the elements of the new law.

ANSWER: Yes, depending on the nature of the legislative change, it will undoubtedly mean changes at the district level. Those changes come in many forms. It could be something as simple as a change in funding or something as complicated as how you do your superintendent’s evaluation, allow for dual credit courses, or how to deal with negotiations.

However, there are times when laws go into effect immediately or retroactively. When that occurs, it is because there is some sort of emergency that requires it or because making the law effective in the current fiscal year is in the best interest of the State or those involved. Emergency clauses make it more difficult for school districts because they need to make changes at the school district level immediately. There is no time to plan or get prepared. QUESTION: How Do Districts Learn About What Has Changed? ANSWER: There are several ways that board members can stay informed. 1. During the legislative session, I write an update every week of what is happening during the legislative session. Those updates can be found in the Capitol Notes posted to our website and sent to you via email on Monday morning in the ISBA Voice. If you read those on a regular basis you will know what has passed and what has not passed. The last issue of Capitol Notes contains a synopsis of all legislation and whether or not it passed. 2. The State Department of Education (SDE) does a “Post Legislative Tour” in the spring every year. Staff from the SDE travel around the State to specific locations where they discuss every piece of legislation that passed and the impact on local school districts. If at all possible, I recommend that you attend the one in your area. If you cannot attend, it is important that someone from your school district attend – your superintendent, business manager, board clerk, administrators, and/or another board member. 6

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

The new laws could also direct the SDE to craft administrative rules. If that is the case, it could be a few more months before you need to implement changes. If your district is a member of ISBA’s Policy Service, we will craft new model policies to help your district comply with the new laws. We encourage you to review and adopt the policies as soon as possible so your district can move forward with the new laws and to be in compliance.

QUESTION: Where Can You Go for Help to Make Sure You are in Compliance? ANSWER: Once again there are several answers to that. 1. We would first recommend that you put an item on your agenda to review all the laws that have passed and what impact they will have on your district. Your superintendent should be familiar with most of the changes and can be of assistance during this meeting. That discussion should occur at your April, May, or June meeting. The sooner the better to allow you to make the changes needed to implement the new laws. 2. You can contact our office. If you aren’t sure about whether or not a law passed or if you are doing what is intended by the new law, it is incumbent upon you to start asking questions. Because ISBA likely wrote the legislation, or we assisted in the law’s passage, we are always very familiar with how they need to be implemented and we are glad to assist.

3. You can contact the SDE. The SDE is also very familiar with any legislation that passed. It is their responsibility to monitor school districts to ensure they are in compliance with all statutory changes and are available to assist you if you have questions or concerns. Ultimately, it is up to you, your superintendent, business manager, board clerk, and administrators to stay informed. You can do that by following the steps outlined above: 1. Read the Capitol Notes every week. It is especially important that you read the last issue. 2. Attend an SDE sponsored Post Legislative Tour meeting that is held in your area. 3. Implement any policies that you receive in a timely manner. 4. Discuss all the new law changes at a Board meeting with your Superintendent. 5. Call the SDE and/or the ISBA if you have any questions about the implementation of the law. I hope this series has been helpful to you as a board member and that it helped to clarify the resolution to legislation process. Because ISBA has been so successful with our initiatives, it is important for school board members to understand that the resolution process is one of the most important parts of the ISBA Annual Convention.

karen@idsba.org

ONLINE ARCHIVE OF THE SLATE To view past issues of the SLATE, go to www.issuu.com/idsba. You can access all parts of the series ‘How Does ISBA Establish the Legislative Platform’, as well as other issues of the SLATE.

SLATE

president’s message

Staying Connected BY TODD WELLS

ISBA President

elcome to 2014, a new legislative session and a new executive board! As we embark upon this year, the ISBA officers and staff are looking forward to the opportunities for furthering educational success in the State of Idaho, enhancing student achievement, and supporting trustees statewide in these endeavors.

Communication with your region representatives provides feedback to the rest of the board and officers, who in turn use that feedback to direct staff as to the wishes of the membership. Certainly the bulk of the direction of the association comes from the resolutions passed at the Convention, but there are many times when the board needs your input for situations that arise during the year. I hope that individual trustees and the executive board communicate with one another as much as possible, allowing true representation to occur.

With the successful, informative, and worthwhile Convention at Coeur d’Alene already several months behind us, it is my hope that you are continuing to use the tools and information from the Regarding the resolutions and business meeting that occur at the Convention to improve Annual Convention, I have We all know the time, energy, and your districts. Day on the heard many comments Hill provided us with a regarding the potential resources required to be a trustee. To unique opportunity to misrepresentation that maximize time and stay in front of meet one-on-one with can occur when districts legislators and share not represented in current educational topics, trustees can are hardships, as well as the business session. keep up to speed with the ISBA through Unfortunately, there are successes, with those responsible for setting districts attending the publications such as the SLATE, the statute and directing Convention that choose Voice, Capitol Notes, and the ISBA social not to participate in State funds. It is the strong relationships the business meeting. media postings. created with these Additionally, there are individuals that makes the ISBA a strong voice in Idaho. many districts that choose not to attend the Convention, altogether. It is important to note that the business session is If you did not have the opportunity to attend either the technically a separate event from the rest of Convention; there Convention or Day on the Hill, I would encourage districts are no registration fees for the annual business meeting. One and trustees to consider growing and learning by taking trustee may choose to represent their district in the business advantage of these opportunities. Hopefully, there will be meeting without attending the Convention. Even if you can’t professional development funds available for trustees to join us for the informative workshops, keynotes, or networking enhance development, either through local or legislative by sharing ideas over meals, you can still have your voice heard budgeting. at the business session. We all know the time, energy, and resources required to be a trustee. To maximize time and information and stay in front of current educational topics, trustees can keep up to speed with the ISBA through publications such as SLATE, ISBA Voice, Capitol Notes, and ISBA social media postings on Facebook and twitter. The topics presented in these forums are the same as those being considered by your executive board. ISBA provides you, as individual trustees and boards, a structure for submitting feedback and direction to the executive board and officers, even at times when physical attendance may not be possible.

Overall, we look forward to hearing from you as we face challenges, celebrate successes, and find new avenues to deal with perceived failures. Through communication, collaboration, and diligent work, we will continue to be the leading voice for student achievement in public education in Idaho.

Todd Wells

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

SLATE

public instruction

IDAHO’S TRANSITION to an Improved Assessment

BY TOM LUNA

Superintendent of Public Instruction

s the State raises its academic standards in English language arts and mathematics, we also must transition to a new test that measures how students are performing against these higher standards.

Giselle Isbell, a teacher at Anser Charter School in Boise, says, “I am looking forward to the Smarter Balanced Assessment because it will give me more in-depth information about my students and their thinking and reasoning.”

The best teachers use assessments in the classroom to effectively monitor students’ progress and inform instruction throughout the school year. At the end of each year, the State administers an assessment for all students as an annual checkup to make sure students are meeting the goals we have set for them each year.

Here are some of the reasons why Smarter Balanced will be a better test than the previous ISAT.

In the past, the State used the ISAT. Now, we are transitioning to the new Smarter Balanced Assessment. Just as we phased in the standards, the State also is phasing in this new test over three years. In Spring 2013, 124 schools in Idaho participated in a pilot. This spring, all public schools will take part in a field test for students in grades 3-11 (grades 9 and 10 will be optional). Next year, the test will be fully operational. Smarter Balanced is replacing the ISAT as the test for English language arts and mathematics, but it will provide so much more than Idaho’s previous test. Many Idaho teachers and administrators are excited about transitioning to this new assessment. Kimberly Schafer, the Language Arts Department Chair at Lake Hazel Middle School in Meridian, said the Smarter Balanced Assessment reflects what she is already doing in her classroom as a teacher. She said, “I gave my students a similar assessment last year with more difficult test questions and performance tasks. They said it was the best test they had ever taken, and they actually enjoyed taking it. One student even told me he thought the test ‘cared about him’ because it was giving him a chance to prove his ideas beyond multiple choice questions, helping him learn. I believe this is what the State and classroom teachers will gain through Smarter Balanced.”

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

Smarter Balanced allows Idaho to move away from a stagnant, multiple-choiceonly test to a test that can measure a student’s learning in many ways through multiple question types. The end-of-year test combine multiple choice, constructed response, technology enhanced and performance tasks to measure students’ ability to think critically, problem solve, research, analyze, and write. Before, we tried to measure a student’s writing ability by asking them to choose a, b, c, or d. Now, we can measure their ability with a writing passage. In this way, the end-of-year test will be an extension of the classroom and what students are learning through the new Idaho Core Standards.

public instruction

Unlike the ISAT, the Smarter Balanced assessment can be broken up into multiple sessions, allowing for greater flexibility in scheduling and reducing student testing fatigue. For example, students can take the Smarter Balanced assessment in 45-minute or hour-long chunks across multiple days or weeks if the school prefers, rather than in one sitting for an entire day.

The Smarter Balanced assessment is more than the year-end assessment. By collaborating with other states, Idaho has been able to realize economies of scale and contribute to building a year-end assessment as well as assessment tools that teachers can use throughout the school year to monitor students’ progress. These assessment tools — known as formative and interim assessments — are something teachers and principals have wanted for years, but will finally be a reality. Teachers will no longer have to wait until the end of the year to know if their students are meeting the standards.

Idaho educators and the State’s education leaders have been deeply involved in the development and direction of the Smarter Balanced assessment from the beginning. To date, more than 100 teachers have helped write test questions, conduct range finding, or other tasks. Superintendent Luna, the Department’s Chief of Staff, the Department’s Assessment Director, and representatives of the Office of the State Board of Education all represent the State of Idaho in decisions made about the Smarter Balanced Assessment System. As a governing member in the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium going forward, Idaho will be able to continue this involvement in the future.

SLATE

I am looking forward to the Smarter Balanced Assessment because it will give me more in-depth information about my students and their thinking and reasoning. - Giselle Isbell Teacher at Anser Charter School in Boise

DON’T MISS THE WEBINAR!

April 23, 2014 at 7:00 PM Luci Willits from the State Department of Education will present. Look in the ISBA Voice e-newsletter for a registration link and additional information.

For the first time ever, Idaho’s colleges and universities as well as other institutions of higher education involved in the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium have agreed to use student scores from the 11th grade test to make placement decisions once those students go on to college. In other words, students scoring at a certain level on the 11th grade test will not have to take remedial courses once they go on to college.

SMARTER BALANCED ASSESSMENT Please visit our website at http://www.sde.idaho. gov/site/common/toolkit. htm to learn more about the Smarter Balanced assessment and take a few practice test questions.

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

SLATE

from the state board of education

Helping Students

BY DON SOLTMAN

Know How To Go On

President, State Board of Education

elping Students Know How to Go Education has received a great deal of attention in the 2014 legislative session, much of that focused on the 20 recommendations of the Governor’s Task Force for Improving Education. The work of that Task Force was guided by Idaho’s goal that 60% of our citizens ages 25-34 attain a postsecondary degree or credential by the year 2020. Idaho’s high school graduation rate is admirable even compared to states such as Massachusetts, Colorado, and Utah. However, the State’s go to college rate is 50th in the nation. For Idaho’s high school class of 2013, only 46 percent of graduates were enrolled at the postsecondary level for the fall 2013 semester. In order to meet the State’s 60% goal, we must not only ensure students are ready for college when they graduate from high school, we must also ensure they know how to take the first steps to go on. Numerous studies have been conducted on the barriers students face to achieve a postsecondary education. Those barriers can be as simple as getting through the process of applying to a school or college and filling out the basic financial aid forms. Last November, the Board piloted a College Application Week program at 21 schools of all sizes from all regions of the State. This pilot was a success with 3,672 college applications submitted and 74% of seniors in participating high schools applying to at least one college. We hope to expand this program to any schools who want to participate in November 2014. In January and February, public service announcements ran on radio stations across the State encouraging students to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the FAFSA. For the last several years, the Board has partnered with high schools and the higher education institutions in Idaho to provide a common calendar for FAFSA completion events so that students and parents have a place to go and experts to help in filling out the application. We know that it will take a coordinated effort on the part of all education stakeholders to help students know how to go on.

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

TO LEARN MORE For information about the last year’s College Application Week, visit www.gotocollege.idaho.gov. For information about the College Connection Calendar, visit www.boardofed.idaho.gov. Information about FAFSA completion events and financial aid resources is available at www.fafsa.idaho.gov.

Don Soltman is the current president of the Idaho State Board of Education. He is a retired health care executive and former trustee in the Lakeland School District. Don makes his home in Twin Lakes.

safety notes

HOW SAFE IS YOUR DISTRICT’S VOCATIONAL EDUCATION SHOP? high school student’s hand was impaled by a nail while using a pneumatic nail-gun. The incident investigation shows that the student never received safety training on the safe and proper use of the pneumatic nail-gun. A high school senior enrolled in a building-trades class falls 15 feet suffering multiple injuries, including a concussion, fractured ribs, and a punctured kidney. These injuries occurred when the student fell from the roof while installing roofing shingles on a house being constructed by his class. Investigations show that the instructor failed to require the students working on the roof to wear appropriate fall protection devices even though they were available at the project. A high school student suffers a severe laceration to the right hand, while ripping lumber using a table saw in the high school wood shop class. The student had not completed any safety training during the school year, because as a fourth-year wood shop student, the instructor thought that the student knew how to safely operate the table saw. Each of these injuries occurred within Idaho schools! School board members and school administrators should all agree that these injuries are preventable and should never have occurred within Idaho schools. Yet these injuries did occur resulting in unnecessary pain and suffering, permanent disabilities, and thousands of dollars in liability losses.

SLATE

BY ALLAN RANSTROM Moreton & Company

Unfortunately these injuries were not the result of isolated exposures, as surveys completed of Idaho school districts by the ISBA Insurance Plan’s Safety & Loss Control Consultant indicate. Improperly guarded power machinery and students working without proper personal protective equipment are a common occurrence. Just in the last month, surveys completed within shops in Idaho schools found; • Unsecured Welding Cylinders • Improperly Guarded • Table Saws • Radial Arm Saws • Pedestal and Bench Grinders • Angle Grinders • Wood Lathes • Students involved in welding and metal fabrication wearing shorts and flip-flop sandals • Students working unsupervised in a Woodworking Shop • Students not wearing safety glasses while working in a Woodworking Shop • Poor Housekeeping So what can be done to improve the safety of our secondary schools Voc-Ed Shops? First of all, ensure that your instructors have received proper safety training. An excellent source of safety information can be found in the Idaho Department of Professional & Technical Education’s Safety Manual. This manual, developed in 2006, contains specific safety rules and standard operating procedures for a wide array of power and hand tools typically found in a secondary education shop class. This manual includes information on proper machine guarding, and the use of appropriate personal safety equipment. It also contains sample safety quizzes along with safety inspection checklists. If you would like to obtain a copy of this manual, please contact Moreton & Company. continued on next page...

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

SLATE

safety notes

Shop instructors should have an acute understanding of all OSHA standards and regulations that pertain to their shop curriculum. These can be found at www.osha.gov. Requiring your shop instructors to complete the OSHA 10 Hour General Safety Course is another good way to educate your staff in proper safety procedures. Because as physical conditions change rapidly in any school setting, it is suggested that districts require instructors to complete weekly documented safety inspections of the shop facilities. Any tool or machinery that is missing its guards or safety devices should be “red tagged” and removed from service. Regular scheduled safety inspections should also be completed by school administrators and campus principals. To help ensure that proper housekeeping levels are maintained, a portion of each shop class should be dedicated to clean-up activities. All students should be required to complete specific safety training on each tool and machine that they use within the shop. All tests should be fully documented including the individual students’ quiz scores. Each shop instructor should be required to develop and implement a written safety program for their class. This program should include specific classroom plans for completing the safety inspections, student safety training, use of personal safety equipment and emergency response procedures. This written safety program should be updated when new equipment or processes are introduced within the shop, and reviewed by the campus principal on an annual basis. By implementing these safety activities you are prepping your students to enter the workplace, because they will have a better understanding of safety procedures that employers require. Most importantly, you will minimize the chances of having one of your students injured.

Questions? If you have any questions or would like additional information related to shop safety, please contact Allan Ranstrom or Pat Pinkham at Moreton & Company. They can be reached at 1-800-341-6789.

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

Question: We will be starting negotiations with our local education association shortly. Is there a limit on how many Board members can sit in on the negotiations team? With negotiations being open meetings (and we post our negotiations as special meetings anyway) having a number of board members present is not an issue anymore – correct? We have five board members, three of whom would like to serve on the team.

Answer: In general, it remains ISBA’s recommendation that a quorum of the board not comprise the negotiations team. In other words, in this situation it would be ISBA’s recommendation that no more than two (2) board members sit on the negotiations team. As we are still in the legislative session and do not know what may occur with laws impacting the subject of negotiations, it would be our preference to maintain an unbiased quorum of the board should there need to be other actions to be taken pursuant to any possible new legislation. The subject of an unbiased quorum of the board remains the main reason ISBA would prefer a quorum not participate in negotiations. If the district were to find itself in the situation envisioned by the two Attorney General Guidelines from last spring – having to impose compensation – you would want any district’s board of trustees to, at minimum, have an unbiased quorum of members who have not participated in negotiations, available to take such imposition action. Likewise, the financial emergency statute does remain a legal option for qualifying school districts in Idaho. This statute likewise has an imposition provision for which it would be better for an unbiased board participate. ISBA receives questions from trustees, superintendents, clerks, and other school district officials on a variety of topics. To help others learn from these questions and answers, previous questions and answers are archived online at www.idsba. org/node/113. You may submit your question at www.idsba.org/node/91. Your name will remain confidential.

SLATE

statistic of the quarter

Students Exempted from State Vaccination Requirements

5.6

of Idaho school children received an exemption from the state immunization requirement.1

The percentage of children exempted from the vaccination requirement has drifted up in recent years across all of Idaho’s health regions. Exemption rates during the 2012-13 school year ranged from 2.9% in Southeast Idaho, which experienced a slight but steady increase over the past four years, to 11.2% in the Panhandle, whose exemption rate nearly tripled during that time.

Idaho law requires that students attending public, private, or parochial school be immunized against infectious diseases specified by the State Board of Health and Welfare, such as pertussis, mumps, and tetanus. Children are exempted from this requirement if their parent submits In 2013, some 2012-13 schools were forced to 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2013-14 either certificate from the child’s 3.5% doctor begin early after6.3% several State of aIdaho 3.8% winter 5.0%break 5.6% Panhandle 7.4% 9.7% diagnosed 11.2% with11.7% attesting that the immunization 6.8% would students were pertussis North Central 5.9% or 6.0% known 7.9%as whooping 8.3% 9.0% endanger the health or life of the child, (also cough), a Central 3.0% 3.3% 4.8% 5.9% 6.7% a statement signed by the parent stating contagious disease that can be deadly Southwest 3.6%infants.4.8% 5.0% 3 that they object on religious or 3.6% other for If current trends 5.6% continue, Eastern 3.1%2 3.3% 4.1% 4.5% 5.1% grounds to their child being vaccinated. we may see more years like 2013. South Central Southeast

2.7% 2.3%

2.9% 2.4%

3.7% 2.6%

4.1% 2.9%

4.5% 3.8%

Students fromState StateVaccination Vaccination Requirements StudentsExempted Exempted from Requirements 12.0%

10.0% State of Idaho 8.0%

Panhandle North Central Central

6.0%

Southwest Eastern

4.0%

South Central Southeast

2.0%

0.0% 2009-10

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

2013-14

Idaho State Department of Health and Welfare. “Exemption Rate (%).” (Data provided by request, 2013).

Exemptions, Idaho Code 39-4802 (1978).

Associated Press. “Idaho Schools Close After Whooping Cough Reports.” ktvb.com. December 20, 2013. http://www.ktvb.com/news/health/Idaho-schools-close-after-whooping-cough-reports-236740491.html

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

SLATE

policy update news

POLICY UPDATE

NEWS

BY JESSICA HARRISON

Policy & Government Affairs Director

THE GOVERNOR’S TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS

ne education topic has received more attention this Legislative session than any other and that is the recommendations made by the Governor’s Task Force for Improving Education. In December 2012, after voter defeat of the controversial Students Come First legislation, the Governor asked the State Board of Education to guide the work of a broadly representative group of Idahoans that met throughout 2013 to examine Idaho’s K-12 education system. This diverse group included representatives from the Idaho School Boards Association (ISBA), the Idaho Association of School Administrators (IASA), and the Idaho Education Association (IEA), as well as legislators, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, parents, business officials, and others. Legislators are now grappling with how best to implement the work of the Task Force, including how the recommendations will be funded and what the implementation timeline should look like. The three major education stakeholders referenced above have continued to meet regarding how best to implement these recommendations and to develop a realistic timeline for local district implementation. These stakeholders have voiced general agreement and supported the recommendations as a package, noting that the recommendations should not be considered a menu from which to select individual items. However, the stakeholders have placed the Task Force recommendations in three distinct categories.

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

1) “In Progress; Keep Working Recommendations currently being addressed and implemented, including: • Restoring operational funding; • Idaho core standards; • Literacy proficiency; • Providing additional advanced opportunities for students; • Annual strategic planning, assessment and continuous focus on improvement; • Providing training and development for school administrators, superintendents, and school boards; and • Participation in CCSSO’s teacher preparation. 2) “Begin Now; More Work Needed” Recommendations that should be implemented beginning in the next fiscal year, including: • Empowering local autonomy by removing constraints; • Providing for educator and student technology devices; • Expanding high speed bandwidth and wireless infrastructure; and • Providing for teacher mentoring. 3) “Headed Down the Right Path; Ready for Input and Work.” Recommendations that are require additional input and work, including: • Moving to a mastery based system; • Revamping accountability structures; • Providing for statewide electronic collaboration; • Implementing a new career ladder, compensation model, and tiered licensure;

• Implementing an enrollment model of school funding;

• Providing for ongoing job-embedded professional learning; and

• Providing for site-based collaboration. The Senate and House Education Committee Chairmen have been very receptive to these ideas and are attempting to work with the stakeholder groups to craft legislation based on this timeline. Obviously, implementing the Task Force recommendations will require significant changes at the local level. One change that would be very positive for Idaho’s school districts is the move to empower local autonomy by removing statutory and administrative rule constraints. The ISBA plans to work over the summer to advance this recommendation. ISBA staff is focusing on those sections of Idaho Code that set out what specific duties school board members should be responsible for, starting with existing statutes such as Section 33-512, Idaho Code and other sections in Title 33 that dictate how districts and school boards shall operate. ISBA is hoping to examine each one of those statutes in order to remove constraints on local autonomy and more accurately reflect what the core functions of school boards really are. After the statutory review, a similar process would be followed for all of the administrative rules governing K-12 education.

distinguished student of the quarter

From our initial review, we know that this will be a huge undertaking and that there are many statutes or parts of statutes that can be removed and some that can be kept and/or shuffled around. In this work, we are attempting to remember the true nature of law which is enforceability. Laws have to be easily described, understood, and enforced. This will be difficult work, but we feel that it will be extremely valuable to our members and will help shape the direction of education, with the Task Force recommendations as our guide, well into the future. All of the Task Force recommendations will likely have an impact at the local level, whether this year, next year, or even further into the future and school districts will need to be ready to implement these changes. It will be even more important moving forward that school districts are regularly reviewing their local governance policies and ensuring that these policies are in line with the many changes to both statute and administrative rule that are likely to come out of this, and future, legislative sessions. As local autonomy increases, so does the school board’s responsibility to ensure that appropriate local governance policies are in place in their district. ISBA will continue to lead the charge for local school district governance and advocate for more autonomy. And we will also continue to monitor all of these changes and provide model policies for districts to use as a starting point for local discussions and to help them ensure that they are complying with the most current laws and rules.

SLATE

DISTINGUISHED STUDENT OF THE QUARTER

Trent Perkins

Meadows Valley High School Age: 17 • GPA: 4.0 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS:

• • • • • • •

National Honor Society School Service Award School Leadership Award High Honors - 4 years University of Idaho dual credit Boise State University dual credit College of Southern Idaho dual credit

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES:

Policy Update Service If your district is not currently a member of ISBA’s Policy Update Service, now is the time to join as big changes are on the horizon. To find out more information on this valuable service or becoming a member, contact Jessica Harrison at the ISBA office at 208-854-1476 or jessica@idsba.org.

• • • • •

Varsity Football All Conference Football Defensive Linemen Willow weaving (Green Earth Club) - 3 years Tent set up for Meadows Valley Community Events - 3 years Mentoring younger student athletes at Meadow Valley High School and Salmon River High School • Raking leaves for the elderly • Idaho Power Students for Energy Efficiency • Mountaineer Pride Club Volunteer FUTURE PLANS: College choice still undecided.

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

SLATE

BY MISTY SWANSON

DAY on the HILL 2014

Associate Executive Director, Idaho School Boards Association The Idaho Legislature hears the voices of school board members as they advocate for their schools and students at the Capitol each winter. Nearly 200 school board members, superintendents, clerks, business managers, and others gathered for the annual ISBA Day on the Hill on February 24-25 in Boise to meet with legislators and learn about education legislation this session. “Day on the Hill” is designed for attendees to review pending legislation regarding education and discuss priorities with local legislators. The event began with an interactive workshop on Building Relationships with Legislators presented by ISBA staff including Jackie Hopper, Karen Echeverria, and Jessica Harrison. Following the workshop, attendees went to the Capitol building to attend the Senate Education Committee meeting. There, committee members heard from ISBA

President, Todd Wells, as he spoke about concerns related to education issues. Tuesday morning, attendees networked at a breakfast and then arrived at the Capitol to attend the House Education Committee meeting where President Wells addressed the Committee. Following the committee meeting, attendees were able to meet with their local legislators to discuss legislative issues important to their communities. Day on the Hill concluded with the Legislative Luncheon. This was a great opportunity for board members and other attendees to have one-on-one time with their legislators for further discussion on education issues. “Day on the Hill is an important opportunity for trustees from across Idaho to interact with other elected officials, share the needs of our students and employees, and work to accomplish our shared goal of improved student achievement for all students across Idaho. It is also an opportune time to network and collaborate with colleagues from around the State to share best practices, while learning from each other. I encourage all board members to continue these conversations with each other and State officials. Ongoing relationships and communication will strengthen our voice and lead to continued success at the statehousee,” said ISBA President, Todd Wells. To view the ISBA’s 2014 resolutions and the weekly update of legislation brought via the Capitol Notes, visit the ISBA website at www.idsba.org.

During the Legislative Follow-Up session with ISBA, Nancy Gregory from Boise School District speaks to what she heard from legislators on key issues. 16

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

SLATE

TRUSTEES GATHER ON THE CAPITOL STEPS DURING DAY ON THE HILL

continued on next page...

Steve Haycock and Lisa Willie from Oneida School District attend the Legislative Luncheon.

ISBA Past President, Anne Ritter, and ISBA Vice President, John Menter, have a conversation outside of the Capitol Building following the Senate Education Committee Meeting. SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

SLATE

THE TOP

BENEFITS OF ISBA MEMBERSHIP

Insurance Property & Liability, Automobile & Homeowner, and Travel Insurance are available to ISBA members.

Superintendent Search

ISBA offers various services to school boards seeking to fill a superintendent vacancy, including marketing of opening, interviewing, mentroing and more.

Labor Relations

Board Training

ISBA Job Center, Salary Schedule, and Negotiations Service help you with Labor Relations.

Gain the resources, insights, and tools needed to govern the board to be a highly functioning driver of student achievement.

Policy & Legal Services

Annual Convention

ISBA supports policy decision making and implementation by providing a range of policy services to our members. A block of pre-paid legal services from education and employment law experts are also available for our members.

Legislative Advocacy ISBA works to develop education legislation that represents the views of the membership.

A valuable professional development opportunity for boards, superintendents, administrators and clerks.

Publications ISBA distributes a variety of publications and communications including the SLATE, Policy Update News, Education Directory, Clerks Manual, Board Chair Handbook, Capitol Notes, and Job Descriptions Manual.

Day on the Hill

An opportunity for trustees to visit with their local legislators about education-related issues.

National Benefits National Connection, National School Boards Advocacy Institute, among others.

For a complete list of the nalues and benefits of ISBA membership, go to www.bit.ly/1hxaG03. Download the PDF brochure to share with your board. 18

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

SLATE

PACKAGE

MARKETING OF OPENING

MARKETING +

SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH

SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH +

COACHING

SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH

for Idaho School Districts and Charter Schools In successful districts and charter schools, the board and superintendent work as a team. There is a common goal to improve student achievement, where both sides work to keep the relationship positive and effective. When boards seek a superintendent who will fit their district or charter school and whose professional skills are outstanding, it is prudent to secure outside assistance.

We are in a position to make recommendations as to the professional work, skill level, and instructional leadership experience of those interested in applying for a superintendent position. Because every state has a school board association, and we belong to the National Association of Superintendent Searchers, we also have the capacity to conduct a full national search.

The Idaho School Boards Association (ISBA) is the place to turn for help when selecting a new superintendent. ISBA has skilled, experienced, and helpful staff dedicated to serving local boards.

When a district or charter school decides to use ISBA to lead the search process, it not only gets the skill and experience of the search team, but it can also draw upon our other in-house resources such as legal advice and research data related to the search.

Contact ISBA for pricing and additional options.

Contact Misty Swanson Idaho School Boards Association PO Box 9797 Boise, ID 83707-4797

phone (866) 799-4722 fax (208) 854-1480

web www.idsba.org email misty@idsba.org

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

SLATEI

D A H IOD AS H C O H OSOC LH O B O LA RB DO SA RA DS S OACS I SAOT CI O I ANT I O N

The Idaho School Boards Association Standards provide a foundation for the critical discussions and ensuing decisions that must be made by school boards to ensure student success within their respective districts. daho School Boards Association is committed to meeting the governance challenge by providing every public school board in Idaho with high standards of performance. We believe a straightforward approach to school board quality, accountability, and trust will bring excellence in achievement to both the overall district and the individual classroom.

The Development History In mid-2012, the Board Leadership Development Committee of the ISBA Executive Board began evaluating draft standards and performance indicators for school boards and board members. In November of 2013, these draft standards were presented to the membership at the Annual Convention. A workshop was held during this event to gather feedback and input on these draft standards. From November to February

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014 2 20 Idaho School Boards Standards

the draft standards were vetted by individual boards across Idaho. The draft was further edited for both inclusion and alignment of the Key Work of School Boards as well as readability. In February of 2014, the ISBA Executive Board unanimously approved the Idaho School Boards Association standards upon the recommendation of the Board Leadership and Development Committee.

SLATE

The standards help boards constantly look for ways to become more effective and efficient leaders in local governance.

What do the ISBA Standards mean to me and my Board?

Why are the standards important? The standards matter because quality matters. These standards are designed to better prepare school board members to carry out their governance role. School districts that are high achieving districts know the importance of a strong School Board and a cohesive Board–Superintendent Team. This type of quality in the boardroom helps drive student success.

These standards have been created not only to define the role of the School Board Member but also to provide the specific steps for development and continual improvement of a district’s quality management team. This will allow the Board to monitor the progress of student achievement and district goals and thus ensure success. One cornerstone of the standards is continual improvement. No Board should ever be content with where they are at any given moment. The standards help boards constantly look for ways to become more effective and efficient leaders in local governance. The standards will allow for a systemic evaluation of not only the individuals’ contribution to the district’s success but also of the ability of the Board to govern effectively.

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014 Idaho School Boards Standards

21 3

SLATE I D A H OI DSACHHOO O L HBOOOALR D S AARSDS SO C D TAARNDDS A R D S SC BO A ISAS TOI COI NA TSI TOANN S

The Governance Challenge

Definition of Terms

Local school boards face the challenge of increasing public confidence in Idaho’s system of school districts by improving the performance of school boards and their board members.

Accountability reflects commitment that all functions and resources within the district focus on student learning and achievement. Governance actions promoting accountability include: development of district policies focused on student growth and wellbeing; monitoring of student achievement targets; compliance with local, state, and federal laws; alignment of district operations with the district vision and goals, and transparency with the public.

Framework for the Idaho School Boards Association Standards The Idaho School Boards Association (ISBA) is committed to assisting school boards with meeting the governance challenges in their respective districts by creating a new reality in which every public school board in Idaho meets high standards of performance as identified by the Idaho School Boards Association Standards. ISBA has fashioned a straightforward response to public and legislative concerns about school board quality, accountability, and trust. Rather than appointing a task force to spend years studying the problem, ISBA has stepped forward with the development of standards, which we invite the public to use to judge school boards and evaluate their actions. These standards set forth exactly what ISBA believes school boards should be committed to and held accountable for in their governance role. We believe these standards reflect widely held public values, will move public education forward, and will build public confidence.

The Future of Board Standards ISBA intends to utilize the board standards framework in a variety of ways. We are reshaping our board training program to address the following: developing the most locally appropriate form of these standards; providing practical application of standards in local districts, and preparing school board members to carry out their governance role. ISBA is also pleased to provide an evaluation tool to measure school board performance based on the framework within the Idaho School Boards Association Standards.

Alignment refers to the lining up of all district systems and processes towards the vision and mission of the district. Components include: goals, strategic plan, measurable outcomes; standards, curriculum, instruction, assessments, district operations, resources, and staffing. Governance refers to the governing board’s leadership role in conjunction with district administrators, including the superintendent, in making plans, decisions, and judgments that address three major aspects of the district. These aspects include: 1. Strategic planning (long term): In what direction should our school district be headed over time? 2. Operational planning (short term): Where or what should our school district be now and in the near future? 3. Monitoring (current status): How well is our school district working? The types of work to be completed through governance include:

A person cannot teach what he or she does not know or lead where he or she does not go.

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014 4 22 Idaho School Boards Standards

(a) Development and support of a partnership between the board and the superintendent; (b) Evaluation of the superintendent’s performance, (c) Monitoring the district’s performance and, (d) Working together to make strategic and operational planning decisions. The School Board consists of an elected body of community members who, in their governance role, provide democratic oversight and represent public ownership of schools within a school district. The board serves as a bridge between public values and professional expertise.

SLATE

of Idaho School Boards Association

VISION & MISSION Beliefs About School Board Governance

The Board supports the development, articulation, and stewardship of a district vision of learning that is shared and supported by schools and the community.

Actions of school boards should be directed toward: •

Allocating resources effectively;

•

Creating and monitoring systems of student achievement, professional performance, and financial management;

•

Developing sound operational policies based on state and federal laws and applying them consistently;

•

1.1 The Board develops a shared vision for education and student learning that enhances student achievement, incorporates community priorities, and reflects student needs. Indicators •

Educational stakeholders (schools, families, and community) participate in the development and/or revision of school district vision.

•

The Board annually reviews the district’s vision and mission statements when or before adopting board and district goals to support them.

•

Core values to be implemented through the vision, mission, goals and strategic plan are identified and articulated.

Engaging the public in planning processes that: •

Assist with the development of the board’s vision and priorities,

•

Supports query by board members and the public, and

•

Provides accurate interpretation and application of appropriate information;

•

Establishing policies and resources for effective instruction and student learning;

•

Generating community support to provide adequate resources for educational programs;

•

Growth in achievement for all children;

•

Hiring a superintendent (CEO) who is best qualified to accomplish the board’s vision;

•

Providing the policies, expectations, and resources for safe, orderly school environments;

•

School Board actions should incorporate the district’s vision and mission.

2.2 The Board demonstrates strong commitment to shared vision through decision-making. Indicators

•

The Board uses the vision as a guide in planning, decisionmaking, and evaluating district operations.

•

The Board communicates its rationale for decisions to the community as a way to reinforce its commitment to the district’s vision.

•

Board behavior models core values and sets the expectation that core values will drive and shape the climate to be developed within individual schools.

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014 Idaho School Boards Standards

23 5

SLATE I D A H OI DSACHHOO O L HBOOOALR D S AARSDS SO C D TAARNDDS A R D S SC BO A ISAS TOI COI NA TSI TOANN S

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT The Board continuously monitors district progress towards vision, mission, goals, and strategic plan utilizing relevant data to measure growth and promotes shared accountability for improved student achievement.

2.1 The Board ensures that a strategic plan as well as long and short-term goals, aligned with the district’s vision, are developed and in place.

2.3 The Board regularly reviews assessments data on achievement towards high instructional standards, including progress on long and short-term goals.

Indicators

•

The Board engages in annual planning and review.

•

Input is invited from school staff, students, community, and other stakeholders throughout development of the plan.

The Board ensures a variety of indicators are used for evaluating progress.

•

The Board pays close attention to climate and culture within individual schools and the district, realizing that climate significantly impacts the behavior and performance of students and teachers.

•

The Board reviews measurable data to monitor progress and effectiveness.

•

The Board schedules time for periodic review of goals and data.

•

Board members consider all recommendations brought before them against the “IS IT GOOD FOR KIDS” (and student achievement) criteria.

•

Planning involves extensive participation, information gathering, and reflection.

2.2 The Board ensures non-negotiable goals for student achievement are established and aligned to the vision and strategic plan. Indicators

•

The Board allocates resources to facilitate student achievement consistent with school district goals and plans.

•

The Board encourages and supports innovative approaches to teaching and learning in line with the district’s vision, mission, strategic plan, and targeted goals.

•

The Board proactively identifies and/or addresses issues affecting the education of students.

•

The Board sets high instructional achievement goals based on the best available information about the knowledge and skills students will need in the future and their current levels of achievement.

The difference between politics and statesmanship is philosophy. SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014 6 24 Idaho School Boards Standards

2.4 To build or expand capacity to function as a high impact school board, the Board and its individual members model continuous improvement efforts through annual evaluation of Board duties, performance, responsibilities, and its ability to work as a team. Indicators •

Periodically (throughout the year), the Board takes the time to self-reflect, to diagnose, and to examine its strength, limitations, and mistakes.

•

The Board carries out its annual self-evaluation and sets goals for improvement.

•

The Board solicits public input regarding its performance toward achieving performance expectations and reports its findings to the public.

SLATE

3.2 The Board leads in celebrating the achievements of students and accomplishments of others who contribute to education.

ADVOCACY The Board champions the district’s vision by advocating for a thorough and efficient system of public education that reinforces education as a keystone of democracy.

3.1 The Board communicates high expectations for student learning that are aligned with the district vision and mission, have clear goals and include plans for meeting expectations. Indicators • The Board articulates conviction and belief that all students can learn and that student learning can improve regardless of existing circumstances or resources. •

The Board ensures that established non-negotiable goals for student achievement are communicated to staff, families, community, and other stakeholders.

Indicators • Board members attend and/or participate in recognition ceremonies when appropriate. •

The Board establishes policy to ensure individuals and groups are recognized for accomplishments.

•

The Board recognizes students and others for accomplishments as part of their regularly scheduled meeting activities.

3.3 The Board advocates by establishing strong relationships with families, community, and others to help support students. Indicators • Board members weigh actions of individuals and groups that have the potential to impact the school system and act in the best interest of students. •

The Board adopts policy to encourage parent and family, community, and other stakeholders’ involvement.

•

The Board maintains legislative awareness and communicates with members of local, state, and federal legislative bodies.

•

The Board represents student educational interests to other agencies, local authorities, organizations, and state government.

•

The Board supports community resources that provide basic academic or enrichment activities that will extend learning opportunities for students.

•

The Board supports partnerships with individuals, groups, and organizations to promote educational opportunities for all students.

3.4 The Board promotes school board service as a meaningful way to make long term contributions to the local community and society. Indicators • The Board actively informs the community about the role and purpose of school boards. •

The Board involves interested community members.

•

The Board provides information to staff and the public about the features of school board service to promote understanding, increase interest, and to advocate for public school education.

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014 Idaho School Boards Standards

25 7

SLATE I D A H OI DSACHHOO O L HBOOOALR D S AARSDS SO C D TAARNDDS A R D S SC BO A ISAS TOI COI NA TSI TOANN S

Leaders create energy in others by instilling purpose.

ACCOUNTABILITY The Board supports alignment of all district policies, operations, and programs with the district vision, mission, goals, and strategic plan while meeting students’ educational needs.

4.1 The Board adopts a collaboratively developed district strategic plan focused on learning and achievement outcomes for all students.

4.3 The Board authorizes the superintendent to establish district-wide management systems for the purposes of: •

Compliance with local, state, and federal requirements,

Indicators:

•

Effective decision-making processes,

•

Measurement of student academic progress and needs are based on valid and reliable assessments.

•

The Board ensures that multiples measures of assessment are used to monitor student achievement/progress.

Enabling school personnel, families, and community to help the district and individual schools achieve their vision and mission,

•

The Board receives regular updates on overall student progress and needs.

Making recommendations for establishing and/or updating policies,

•

Board reports on student progress are linked directly to district vision and mission, specific goals for student achievement, and the strategic plan.

Maximizing the use of district resources to align with the district vision, mission, goals, and strategic plan.

Indicators

4.2 The Board keeps the district and community focused on educating students.

•

District-wide management systems directly support implementation of the district vision, mission, goals, and strategic plan.

•

Evaluation of district operations ensures compliance with legal requirements and enables the district’s vision, mission, goals, and strategic plan.

•

Policies are developed that support strong leadership by district administration.

•

The Board ensures that financial and human resource decisions are aligned with the district’s vision, mission, goals, and strategic plan.

Indicators: •

The Board clarifies their actions based on established nonnegotiable goals for student achievement and the district’s strategic plan.

•

The Board complies with Open Meeting Law requirements.

•

The Board conducts an annual performance evaluation of the superintendent’s performance and reports their findings to the public.

•

The Board develops written performance expectations for the superintendent based on the district vision, mission, goals, and strategic plan.

The Board establishes policy requiring internal and/ or external evaluations of district operations as well as administrators, teachers, and staff.

•

The Board exercises fiduciary responsibility through alignment of financial and human resources systems with district vision, mission, goals, and strategic plan.

•

The Board ensures that established non-negotiable goals for student achievement guide all Board deliberations and actions.

•

The Board monitors district performance toward accomplishing the vision, mission, goals, and the strategic plan and reports their findings to the public.

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014 8 26 Idaho School Boards Standards

SLATE

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT The Board encourages and seeks collaboration with families and community members, responding to diverse interests and needs and mobilizing community resources.

5.1 The Board establishes and maintains effective communications to inform and engage parents, students, staff, and community members. Indicators: • The Board ensures district information and decisions are communicated community-wide. •

The Board ensures district transparency through processes that are open and accountable.

•

The Board solicits input from staff and a wide spectrum of the community so that a diverse range of interests and perspectives on issues is considered.

•

The Board uses a clear format to periodically report district performance to the public.

5.2 The Board represents the community’s values and expectations for schools. Indicators • The Board engages and promotes community support by seeking input, building support networks, and generating action to support the mission, vision, goals, and the strategic plan of the district. •

The Board establishes policies enabling personnel, families, the public, and other stakeholders to provide input to school programs and activities in meaningful ways.

Leadership is action, not position. SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014 Idaho School Boards Standards

27 9

SLATE I D A H OI DSACHHOO O L HBOOOALR D S AARSDS SO C D TAARNDDS A R D S SC BO A ISAS TOI COI NA TSI TOANN S

BOARD OPERATIONS & TRAINING The Board demonstrates its commitment to improving student achievement through effective governance practices and informed systems thinking and data-informed decision-making while also increasing community engagement.

6.1 The Board and its individual members conduct district business in an ethical, fair, respectful, and responsible manner. Indicators • Board leadership reflects the educational vision and performance set forth by the Board as a whole and the district’s established vision, mission, goals and strategic plan. •

Board members’ actions in and away from the boardroom and ensuing official decisions reflect best practices from professional development trainings.

•

Individual board members support decisions of the majority after honoring each member’s individual right to express opposing views and convictions.

•

The Board and its individual members’ perform in a manner that reflects service to the community on behalf of students.

•

The Board makes decisions as a group, only at properly called meetings, and recognizes that individual members have no authority to take individual action.

•

The demeanor and actions of the Board, as a whole as well as that of individual members, reflect an acknowledgement and acceptance of their role as models for students and as representatives of the community.

6.2 The Board ensures that district operations and Board meetings are effective, efficient, and transparent through policy, established procedures, and proper Board governance. Indicators • Expenditures for board activities are clearly identified in the budget and support the development of a high-impact school board. •

The Board aligns all aspects of its operations with the established Professional Standards of the Idaho School Boards Association.

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014 1028 Idaho School Boards Standards

•

The Board completes periodic review of agenda formulation, meeting protocol, and effectiveness of meetings.

•

The Board hosts informal opportunities for the public to discuss district performance issues.

•

The Board solicits input from the superintendent, staff, and community regarding refinements needed to meet the district’s vision, mission, goals, and strategic plan.

•

The budget for all district expenditures is easily identifiable and available to the public.

•

The Board ensures strong leadership and management of the school system by hiring, setting goals with, and evaluating the superintendent.

•

The Board engages in ongoing relationship building with the superintendent as part of their efforts to develop a positive and strong Board – superintendent partnership.

6.3 The Board demonstrates a commitment for continuous improvement of decision-making skills, governance function, problem solving strategies, school finances, superintendentboard relationship, teamwork, etc. through an intentional plan for board development. Indicators • Board members attend and fully participate in all board development functions paid for by district funds. •

Individual board members report the results of attended board development activities to other board members and to the community during board meetings.

•

The Board, in collaboration with the superintendent, takes responsibility for orientation of all new Board members.

•

The Board budgets for and participates in board development activities to further develop their governance function and other skills.

•

Individual board members report on attended board development activities to other board members and to the community during board meetings.

•

The Board, as a whole or as individuals, completes core content area trainings in governance, finance, ethics, superintendent evaluation, and strategic planning.

SLATE

ith rumors of funding returning to Idaho’s public schools, perhaps schools can loosen those belts that have been tightening since 2008. Every school district has a long list of priorities on which to spend money: Hire teachers! Well deserved raises! Technology for classrooms! While considering all those important priorities, remember the other classroom in your school: the school library. Factoid: the modern school library is a result of the space race. It’s true! When the Soviets launched Sputnik, America discovered we were behind. School libraries were established and funded to help American students catch up in science and math. Sound familiar? Do We Still Need School Librarians? One school of thought says librarians are not necessary; they are outmoded because everything the 21st Century student could ever need is now available on the Internet, with Google acting as the librarian. Actually, the opposite is true; there are a number of reasons why school librarians are more important than ever:

BY JEANNIE STANDAL

School Library Consultant, Idaho Commission for Libraries

Raise Test Scores in One Fairly Easy Step:

Hire Certified School Librarians

1. While there is an abundance of information available on the Internet, it can be difficult to determine which websites are trustworthy. How can a student distinguish between fact, opinion, hoax, and misinfo, especially when the content creator intends to deceive? School librarians teach website evaluation skills. 2. Not all of the information available through the Internet is searchable with commercial search engines. For example, Google or Yahoo will not search content in the lili.org databases, which are available to every Idaho student through the Idaho Commission for Libraries (ICfL). 3. Commercial search engines aren’t the best tool for student research. They don’t return results with reliability in mind. In addition, how does a student prioritize that much data and ascertain if the search engine’s priorities are the same as the student’s? continued on next page...

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

SLATE

Can’t They Use the Public Library? To save money, some might turn to the public library to take care of students’ and the teachers’ research, reading, and professional requirements. It is a worthy goal for the school and public libraries to work together; however, we must remember they serve different missions and communities. The public library serves the entire community. The school library, on the other hand, supports curriculum and primarily serves students in a narrow age range. So for students, the school library provides certain necessary resources and services that the public library does not: 1. A certified teacher-librarian knows the curriculum, and can prepare for the needs of an entire class. She or he understands the technology used in the school and can help students use tools that are compatible with the technology in the classrooms. 2. The school librarian has developed collections specific to the school’s curriculum and teachers’ assignments, along with professional resources for the teachers and other school staff that may not be found at a public library. 3. The public library might not have the appropriate space for a class of students to work. 4. When a class reads a piece of literature, they should be working from the same edition of the book. Not even a large library in Idaho would carry 30 copies of the same edition of a book. Furthermore, it is not fair to ask them to spend their funds to do so. 5. Most schools are too far from a public library for students to use it during class time or school hours. In addition, students, especially those from lower income families or in remote areas, cannot always get to the public library or may not even live within a public library district. On the other hand, the school library is available to all students.

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

They Check Out Books – How Hard Can It Be? There is some confusion among school board members, administrators, and even teachers about the role and duties of the teacher-librarian. The librarian does much more than circulate books. Some services offered by school librarians: »» Digital literacy and citizenship with 21st century skills »» Technology and software/ application expertise »» Idaho standards support »» Database assistance »» First line trouble-shooting for school technology »» Book recommendations »» Reading incentive program administration »» Book clubs/literature circles »» Book talks »» Read alouds »» Collection development and maintenance »» Planning »» Program development and implementation »» Cataloging and collection maintenance »» School/professional leadership and service »» Budgets and priorities »» Grant writing, fundraising, and book fairs »» Classes of all levels on a variety of library and technology related subjects »» Professional development for staff and faculty »» And more!

The School Library Levels the Playing Field For some students in Idaho, internet access in their school libraries is the only broadband access available to them. According to the PEW Research Center, 37% of Americans do not have access to high-speed broadband at home. In Idaho 7.5% of the population does not have a provider for broadband at home. Anyone who has tried navigating the Internet with

a slow connection knows the frustration of long waits, constant buffering, and timing out. Access to broadband in the school library gives every student the same access to technology. With all of this technology surrounding today’s digital natives, we must remember they know much more about playing on digital devices than working on them. They can post to Instagram in a flash, but might not be able to save a Word document or search a database. The school librarian teaches these and other digital literacy lessons that are essential to college and career readiness. With so much emphasis on technology, we must remember that traditional print books are still being circulated at very high rates in school libraries, especially elementary schools. Kids still need print books for recreational and informational reading. However, many school libraries struggle to keep their collections current. That means the students that cannot buy current titles or get them at a public library won’t get to read them. We Have a Certified District Librarian. Isn’t that Enough? While a certified librarian at the district level is certainly better than none at all, it is far from ideal. While studies show that quality library programs uniformly improve standardized test scores for students, high- and low-income alike, those findings are negated when a library is staffed by classified personnel only. In addition, many elementary libraries have so many classes coming through in a day, that there is very little time for library instruction. Merely giving lip service to the importance of a good library is not enough; a room with some books and someone to check them out does not a good library program make. Districts must put in place the proper resources and personnel to create those programs. A certified librarian will have greater impact on the students if she or he is not responsible for covering several schools and serving as more of an absentee library administrator.

SLATE

This should not be interpreted as disparaging to the dedicated classified staff that currently run Idaho’s elementary and some middle school libraries. These hard-working individuals are given the task of running the library, often with no training. They are the only library staff in the building and figure it out on their own. As classified employees, they are not often invited to training or encouraged to find library-specific training. They are smart people who can assist at every level. Prepare for a Shock! According to a 2012 study commissioned by the ICfL, 62% of Idaho schools reported annual book budgets of under $1,000. 28% of those reported an annual budget of $100 or less. $100 means about five new books each year. That covers the entire year for the entire school. Further, 50% of Idaho’s school children live in poverty, and consequently are not likely to have age-appropriate reading material at home. So those children, who are already at a disadvantage, do not have convenient access to reading materials, and do not have the opportunity to become proficient readers. Students who attend a school with a well-suported school library have access to a large variety of appropriate reading material. Look at it this way: an athlete learns skills at practice, but perfects them practicing in the back yard. The same is true with reading. Students might learn to read at school, but they become proficient readers because they practice at home. To practice, students need access to appropriate reading material. Where’s the Data, You Ask? Idaho, along with many other states, has done studies on the impact of school libraries on student learning. They all have arrived at the same conclusion: quality school library programs are linked to student and school success as measured by standardized tests. Putting it simply, schools with good library programs do better academically.

The Idaho School Library Impact Study 2009 shows: »» “Where librarians teach students – as well as their teacher colleagues – students are more likely to succeed academically.” »» “Where teachers experience librarians as instructional colleagues and technology integrators, students are more likely to excel academically”. »» “Where administrators value strong library programs and can see them doing their part for student success, students are more likely to thrive academically.”

training of the quarter

Data in the Board Room

The Bottom Line Investment in school library programs helps every student, regardless of socioeconomic status. However, schools with libraries that are staffed solely by uncertified staff do not experience the same level of achievement as those with certified school librarians. To help your students, whatever their reading level: Include on your staff a certified librarian and add a media assistant as soon as possible. »» Fund your library adequately. »» Educate your teachers on the benefits of collaborating with the librarian. »» Encourage your library staff to take advantage of continuing education opportunities.

TO LEARN MORE

about school library study results, visit the website below. Links have been shortened for your convenience.

Idaho Kansas Colorado Illinois

www.bit.ly/PANKFy www.bit.ly/1fFeWg7 (PDF) www.bit.ly/OqhSCl (PDF) www.bit.ly/1fFfbaN (PDF)

Many more studies and articles are available at Library Research Service at www.bit.ly/1eAxREm.

Good decision-making is a key driver of sustainable success for any school district. All school districts possess a vision and a desire to instill a core set of knowledge in their students. Setting goals to reach this vision is the work of the boardsuperintendent team. But how do these important decisions get made? A process for decision-making based on data can ensure that necessary and sufficient questions are addressed before a decision is rendered. But what data is available to boards? What data will help the board set goals that reach the vision? What would a good process for data driven decision-making look like? These questions are addressed in the workshop “Data in the Board Room.” This workshop is now available as the Training of the Quarter and can be booked for the low price of $250 plus travel. Book with another district and save even more! This training is two hours long and can be presented in district, in region, or via the IEN. Contact Jackie Hopper to schedule: jackie@idsba.org | (208) 402-LEAD Learn more about the ISBA Training Program on pgs.40-43.

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

SLATE

MEET YOUR ISBA

Executive Board Idaho School Boards Association Executive Committee Board Officers & Executive Director Executive Board Region Representatives, Board Officers & Executive Director

Executive Board Officers President President-Elect Vice President Imm. Past President

Todd Wells, Castleford Joint SD #417 Lisa Burtenshaw, Idaho Falls SD #091 John Menter, Troy SD #287 Anne Ritter, Meridian Joint SD #002

Regional Representatives Region I Reps

Archie McGregor, St. Maries Joint SD #041 Kyle Olmstead, Lakeland Joint SD #272

Region II Reps

Kim Campbell, Moscow SD #281 Jennifer Parkins, Genesee Joint SD #282

Region III Reps

Juan (Mike) Vuittonet, Meridian Joint SD #002 Jason Knopp, Melba Joint SD #136

Region IV Reps

Dane Higdem, Kimberly SD #414 Lisa Knudson, Castleford Jt. SD #417

Region V Reps

James (Jim) Stoor, Soda Springs Joint SD #150 Janie Gebhardt, Pocatello SD #025

Region VI Reps

Nancy Arnold, Teton County SD #401 Amy Landers, Bonneville Jt. SD #093

Region VII Reps

Eric Jenson, South Lemhi SD #292 Michelle Zettel, Challis Jt. SD #181

Region VIII Reps

Margaret (Marg) Chipman, Weiser SD #431 Barbara Dixon, Meadows Valley SD #011

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

TODD WELLS ISBA President

Todd Wells has served on the Castleford Joint School District Board of Trustees for five years. During this time, he has held the offices of board chair and vice chair, and has worked with the board to develop a strategic plan for the district. He has also worked to bring districts such as his to the attention of the State Legislature by testifying before Joint Finance and Appropriation Committee and by communicating regularly with the legislators representing his district. He has served on the ISBA executive board since 2008 and has held the offices of Region 4 chair and vice-chair. Mr. Wells is also involved in the leadership of a number of community and professional organizations. After completing his B.S. in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Idaho and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University, he went on to become president of the Magic Valley Veterinary Medical Association and a member of the Idaho Veterinary Medical Association’s executive board. Additionally, Mr. Wells volunteers his time as a member of the University of Idaho Department of Animal and Veterinary Science Advisory Committee. He is a leader of the Castleford Men’s Club, as well as his church, and also coaches youth baseball. In his spare time he enjoys camping, hunting, and fishing with his wife and two sons.

SLATE

LISA BURTENSHAW President-Elect

Lisa Burtenshaw’s four years of experience on the Idaho Falls School District #91 board of trustees began shortly after her service on a district committee examining new graduation requirements. During her time on the board, the district has passed a $53 million bond to rebuild aging elementary schools, renovate the district’s science labs, and create a magnet high school focused on projectbased learning. She and the board have also made extensive changes to the district’s middle schools, including the implementation of a teaming model. In 2012, Ms. Burtenshaw was elected Chair of Region 6. Ms. Burtenshaw earned her A.S. in Tutoring Math and Chemistry from Ricks College, and her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Brigham Young University. Prior to becoming a trustee of her district, she served as president of the Edgemont Elementary Parent/Teacher Organization. She is currently active in the Rotary Club of Idaho Falls. She is married, has four children, and is a full-time homemaker. In her spare time, she enjoys travel and outdoor recreation.

ANNE RITTER

JOHN MENTER Vice President

Immediate Past President

John Menter has been involved with the Troy School District #287 board of trustees since the district deconsolidated from the White Pine School District, and has been a trustee for 10 years. During this time, he has chaired or served on three superintendent search committees, and has worked with the board to pass a bond to build a junior/senior high school for the district. He has also served as the ISBA Region 2 Vice Chair. Mr. Menter is also active in his community through the Troy Lions Club. He has held multiple offices in the organization including president and scholarship committee chair, and has sat on construction planning committees for projects ranging from a new high school to a softball field. He attended the University of Idaho, is married, and has two children. His hobbies include fishing, camping, hunting, and ATV riding.

Anne Ritter has served on the Joint School District #2 board of trustees for 12 years. During this time, she and her board have focused on ensuring that each child consistently achieves academic growth. Her experience with education ranges from work with at-risk youth as a juvenile diversion counselor and as a teacher at the ABC Unified School District’s continuation school, to teaching law at Ventura College of Law and Santa Barbara College of Law. She has held the offices of ISBA president and vice president, and has volunteered her efforts as chair and vice chair of Region 3. Ms. Ritter was recently elected to the NSBA Executive Board and will represent the Pacific Region for the next three years. In addition to her contributions to public education, Ms. Ritter is active with the Friends of the Eagle Public Library and the Idaho and California State Bar Associations. She earned her JD at Western State University College of Law, and has been both a private practice attorney and a part-time municipal judge. She is now retired from law, and has four children.

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

SLATE

Amy Landers currently serves as the Treasurer of the School Board for Bonneville Joint School District #93, is the Board Representative for the Idaho Leads Project, and is the Vice Chair for Region 6 with ISBA. She has participated in education at the district level by working with the Facilities Planning Committee for the Bonneville School District for the past five years. Ms. Landers has also maintained her teaching credentials, holds a current Teaching Certificate for the State of Idaho, and has advocated for education through her active involvement in various Parent/Teacher Organization positions in the schools that her children attend.

AMY LANDERS Region 6 Vice Chair

Mrs. Landers is originally from Southern Oregon. Upon graduation from high school, she attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education/Family Home and Consumer Science. Mrs. Landers worked as a teacher and track coach in the Bonneville School District for four years until starting her family. She and her husband have five children, all of who are attending Bonneville School District schools.

Archie McGregor has served on the St. Maries Joint School District #41 Board of Trustees since May of 2011. He received a Boardsmanship award in 2012 and 2013. He was elected ISBA Region I Vice Chair in 2012, and in 2013 he became the Region I Chair. He was also appointed ISBA representative on the Idaho High School Activities Association Executive Board.

ARCHIE McGREGOR III Region 1 Chair

Mr. McGregor graduated from Coeur d’Alene High School and the University of Idaho College of Engineering with a degree in Computer Science. He is the owner of two grocery stores: Archie’s IGA in St. Maries, and ID and Dissmore’s IGA in Pullman, WA. When not attending school board meetings he is a 4-H Market project leader, a charter member of St Maries’ Rotary Club, and serves on other local boards. He and his wife Shelley have three children. Mr. McGregor enjoys spending time snowmobiling, camping and enjoying the waters of North Idaho with his family.

Barbara Dixon has been a board member for eight years, and has served as her board’s chair for five years. She has been Region 8’s officer on the board of ISBA for five years. Her involvement with school boards began when she attended a district finance session as a requirement for a finance class she took to earn her Superintendent certification. She was appointed to the board to fill a vacancy, and has been amazed by how much knowledge she has gained about board procedures, district policy, student and staff needs, and the daily operations of a district, as well as by how much more there is to learn. She notes that “I am very proud of our district. Our school is a very important part of our community, and the community shows us how much we mean to the entire town by incredible support year after year. Having come from very large districts, I was really unaware of how much a school impacts a town.” BARBARA DIXON Region 8 Vice Chair

Ms. Dixon was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. She graduated from the University of Washington with degree in Industrial Education and a minor in Art. After teaching Industrial Education and Outdoor Education at a specialty school for the multiply handicapped, she moved to Beaverton and taught sixth grade for six years. She has also taught fourth through eighth grade, earned her media certification, and been the managing librarian for another district. Upon retiring after thirty years of teaching, she moved to New Meadows, Idaho for retirement and to continue ski patrolling, which she has also done for thirty years. As a ski patroller Ms. Dixon served on the National Board in Denver as Division Director and as a Board Representative for twelve years. She loves sports and reading, and has travelled to twentyseven states and twenty-one countries. She and her late husband have seven children and thirteen grandchildren.

Dane Higdem has served as a school board trustee in Kimberly, Idaho since 2009, and on the ISBA Executive board for one year. His family has been involved with education for many years. His parents worked at the College of Idaho for forty years in the Mathematics and Geology Departments, and his grandparents were teachers and administrators in rural North Dakota beginning in the 1920’s. Mr. Higdem has a passion for educating our people. He notes “I grew up with the core value that education brings success…The education of all children in this country is the cornerstone of our society, and what makes the United States of America unique in the world.”

DANE HIGDEM Region 4 Chair

Mr. Higdem earned his Bachelor’s degree from the College of Idaho, and his Master’s degree from Idaho State University. He is the Director of Environment and Health and Safety for Glanbia Foods and is a member of Leadership Idaho Agriculture. His family has lived in Kimberly for thirteen years. He and his wife have two children who currently attend the Kimberly School District. When selecting Kimberly as their home, they researched the area and made the decision to live there based on the strength of the school system.

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

SLATE

Janie Gebhardt has served on the Pocatello/Chubbuck School District Board of Trustees since 2006, and is currently serving as Board Chair. Prior to that time, she spent several years as PTA President for her sons’ school while in southern California. She was involved in the Healthy Pocatello – Healthy Youth project, hearing concerns for the health of children in her community. Regarding her service to local education, Ms. Gebhardt says it has been “a growing experience, working with exemplary leaders - our Superintendent, Mary Vagner, as well as devoted trustees; and learning to work with legislators to make a difference for all our children as well as working with community members to address their concerns. What a privilege to work to provide great educational opportunities and to watch the students in our area reach their potential!” JANIE GEBHARDT Region 5 Vice Chair

Although, or perhaps because, neither of her paternal grandparents were able to attend high school, education was a top priority for Ms. Gebhardt’s family. Her father encouraged her to appreciate her opportunities to receive an education, and her grandfather always quizzed her with brainteasers and problems to solve because he wanted her to be a good student. She came to believe that “education is the foundation of our country’s governance and freedom – something too easily taken for granted.” Beyond her high school years, Ms. Gebhardt went on to college, interrupted for a few years to get married and follow her Navy officer husband, and finished her BA in Psychology at Storrs, CT. She then went on to complete a Master of Divinity from Yale. She launched her work in ministry in 1984 and came to Pocatello, Idaho in 2000 to serve a church.

Jason Knopp has spent the last year as a Melba School Board Trustee and the previous four years running for the district’s Zone 1 seat. He was influential in the passing of supplemental levies, working with the school district in setting up informative meetings at the local fire station, and supporting the creation of high academic standards. Mr. Knopp is currently serving on the Melba School Board’s personnel, policy development/review, and community relations committees. He was recently elected as the Vice Chair for the Region III ISBA, and looks forward to working collaboratively with all Idaho stakeholders and using his skills and knowledge to help create policy for all Idaho school districts.

JASON KNOPP Region 3 Vice Chair

Mr. Knopp works as a Nampa fireman. He has worked for the Nampa Fire Department for the past six years, and has volunteered for the Melba Fire Department for more than ten years, which included four years as a training officer. He has chaired the Melba Community Auction Board for two of the six years he has served on it. Mr. Knopp is a graduate of Kuna High School. Mr. Knopp is happily married with five children, all of who attend the Melba School District. Mr. Knopp enjoys time with his family, and his hobbies consist of hunting, fishing, and golf.

Jennifer Parkins was elected to the Genesee School District board in 2007. She has found it to be a challenging and rewarding experience that has involved “working with a great team of people”. During her time on the board, they have passed a bond election, built an addition to the district’s high school, passed all levy elections, and hired a new superintendent. This year, the Genesee School District had two elementary teachers named teacher of the year, one in math and the other science. She states that “We really feel our students get the best education in the state!”

JENNIFER PARKINS Region 2 Vice Chair

Ms. Parkins graduated from University of Idaho and worked in adult mental health as a Recreation Therapist for 23 years. Recently, she has worked for local companies and spent time as a stay-at-home mother, looking ahead to pursuing a new career in education. She also serves her church as council chair. She and her husband have three children and live in the middle of farmland north of Genesee. She has a large vegetable garden and helps her children raise alpacas. She and her family are active in sports and outdoor activities.

Jim Stoor has served as a school board member since June of 2004. He served as Vice Chair and Chair on his local board and is currently serving as Chair for the next two years. He has been a member of ISBA’s Executive Board for the past two years, has was appointed to fill his region’s vacated Vice Chair seat, and now serves as the Chair of Region 5. He takes pride in serving his community and its students. Of his accomplishments while serving, he is particularly proud that his district has been able to stay on budget, earning the trust of its patrons to pass levies that allowed the District to survive the recent economic downturn.

JAMES ( JIM ) STOOR Region 5 Chair

Mr. Stoor graduated in 1985 from Soda Springs High and considers it a great blessing to be able to give back and serve his home district. He served an LDS Mission from 1986-1988 in the Colombia Cali Mission. He attended Ricks College continued on next page... SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

SLATE

Statistic of the Quarter

and graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Animal Science with a specialized certificate in Beef Management. As of March 2014, he will have been married 25 years. He and his wife have four children, one boy and three girls. Because he lives 35 miles away from his district office and schools, Mr. Stoor spends a lot of time driving back and forth to school and meetings. He has worked for the JR Simplot Company since 2000, is a relief coordinator in the millage facility, and has worked in mining in Nevada and Idaho. He lives where he grew, up in the mountains of Idaho, and loves to hunt, camp, and spend time with his family. He enjoys working with horses and cattle as a hobby and notes that “if my wife was writing this she would say I am a workaholic.”

Kim Campbell has been a member of the Moscow School District #281 Board of Trustees since 2010. She has served as Vice Chair since 2013, and was elected Region 2 representative in 2013. She is married to Tom Campbell and has four children ranging in age from 15 to 25. They have lived in Moscow since 1999. She is a scientist with the United States Department of Agriculture and adjunct faculty member of the Crop and Soil Science Department at Washington State University in Pullman, WA. She enjoys skiing, hiking, and running.

KIM CAMPBELL Region 2 Chair

Lisa Knudson was approached about becoming a board member while she was expecting her third child, and again after her fourth child. She noted “I came to the first few meetings before I was on the board because, to tell the truth, I had no idea what I was getting into…I thought one meeting a month—how hard can it be?” She was excited about the prospect of learning more about school board governance and helping children. Ms. Knudson has now served on her local school board for six years. She cares deeply about decisions effecting children and about the downstream impacts of decisions made by the board. She has helped with the district’s efforts to go digital, bringing iPads, iPods, Kindles, and digital text books to the schools. She hopes to serve on her school board for as long as she can. LISA KNUDSON Region 4 Vice Chair

Ms. Knudson was born in Idaho, and attended school in Heyburn, Paul, Rupert, and Castleford. She met and married her high school sweetheart, with whom she has four children. In addition to being a mother, she is a licensed massage therapist who sees clients from around the United States. She has worked at several different jobs, but healing and helping has been her passion for the past eleven years. Ms. Knudson also helps her children raise 4-H show hogs, and she is an active member of her community and her church.

Born and raised in Moscow, Idaho, Marg Chipman considers herself a Vandal from birth. She was appointed to the Weiser School District Board of Trustees in 1987 and has been a member off and on for twenty years, serving as Chair from 2001 until 2004. She has worked with three of the four Superintendents the district has had, as well as many dedicated teachers and administrators, and her fellow trustees. Ms. Chipman notes that “we in Weiser take great pride in the quality of education provided by our close-knit school family and the support given by our patrons, as we continually struggle to stretch every dollar.” She is currently serving as the ISBA Region 8 Chair and thoroughly enjoys working with ISBA’s staff and learning more about the legislative process. She looks forward to continuing to work to get ISBA’s message out and to do the best for Idaho kids. MARGARET ( MARG ) CHIPMAN Region 8 Chair

Growing up in Moscow, a college town, afforded Ms. Chipman many opportunities, from watching Gus Johnson play basketball in the Memorial Gym to taking courses at the University while she was in high school long before it was the norm. Following her maternal grandmother, parents, and older brother, she enrolled in the University of Idaho. She became a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and graduated with a degree in business. Later in life, she earned an LPN certificate from Treasure Valley Community College. She worked as a bookkeeper for many years while partnering with her husband in the cattle business—they purchased their own ranch in 1998. She is an active member of PEO, Shamrock Club, and just recently, she was appointed to the Idaho Oil and Gas Conservation Commission by Governor Otter. Ms. Chipman has also worked as a nurse and a pharmacy tech. She and her husband Gary, whom she met at college, were married from 1967 until 2013 when he passed away. She has a son and a daughter-in-law, two grandchildren, and a great-grandson.

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

SLATE

Michelle Zettel has been a trustee of the Challis Joint School District for almost three years, and has been the board chair the last two years. She decided to serve on her board so that she could help improve her local schools for all students. Describing her goals for the board, Ms. Zettel noted “My hope is that I can help our school district reach its full potential for our students and staff. Education is vital to our success as a whole. I look forward to working with everyone that wants to make education better for all our students throughout Idaho. You never know where the next great idea is going to come from, so I always try to listen and learn so I can be a part of the solution, not the problem.”

MICHELLE ZETTEL Region 7 Vice Chair

Ms. Zettel and her husband operate a rafting business on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River which allows her to have a flexible schedule and fulfill her obligations to the board. She has two sons who are in high school.

Mike Vuittonet has been a board member for the Meridian Joint School District for thirteen years. He moved to Idaho from Southern California in 1999, and all of his children attended schools in the Meridian Joint School District. He takes great pride in his service as member of his local school board, and also relishes participation in state-level education policy, stating “I truly enjoy the legislative process, and the running of bills and opposing of bills when it comes to education.” Mr. Vuittonet attended vocational school for the power industry, appraisal, and real estate sales; and holds state licenses for each of these. He is currently a real estate appraiser and real estate sales agent, and has his own appraisal firm. He was widowed and remarried, and now has seven children in his blended family. His hobbies include camping and reading.

JUAN ( MIKE ) VUITTONET Region 3 Chair

Nancy Arnold has served on the Teton School District board of trustees since 2006. She currently serves as vice-chair of that board. She has served on the ISBA Executive Board for the past three years and currently is serving as the chair of Region 6 of ISBA.

NANCY ARNOLD Region 6 Chair

NOT PICTURED:

Ms. Arnold has a Master’s Degree in Experimental Psychology from Idaho State University. She has been a service provider for the American Red Cross; in that capacity she owned and operated a swimming program in Teton County for many years. She has served as Chair of the Teton Valley Hospital board of directors. She is a native of southeast Idaho and currently resides in Felt, which is located in Teton County. Ms. Arnold and her husband Bruce owned and operated a seed potato and grain farm for over 40 years. They are the parents of three children; and are the grandparents of twelve grandchildren. For many years Ms. Arnold, along with her husband, were involved in the Boy Scouts of America. She is actively involved in her church and other community organizations. Kyle Olmstead, Region 1 Vice Chair and Eric Jenson, Region 7 Chair.

spring 2014 webinars Register for any ISBA Webinar at www.anymeeting. com/idsba

ISBA Legislative Wrap-Up Webinar Wednesday, April 9, 7:00 - 9:00 PM ISBA Legislative Wrap-Up Webinar Thursday, April 10, 7:00 - 9:00 PM School Finance Webinar Tuesday, April 15 Smarter Balanced Assessment Webinar Wednesday April 23, 7:00 PM School Safety Webinar Thursday, April 24 Getting Ready for Your Budget Hearing Thursday, May 1

save the dates!

Paperless Board Meeting Options with BoardDocs April 30, 10:00 - 11:00 AM MT Reserve your webinar seat: www.bit.ly/1i9z7lU Paperless Board Meeting Options with BoardDocs April 30, 3:00 - 4:00 PM MT Reserve your webinar seat: www.bit.ly/Ne6Sav

ISBA BUSINESS AFFILIATE BoardDocs is an ISBA Affiliate! See pg. 47 for more info.

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

SLATE

Joseph Bergant II Superintendent of Chardon Schools in Ohio, where, in February 2012, a 17-year-old student opened fire in the high school cafeteria, killing three and wounding three others:

School Safety BY STEPHEN SROKA

School safety was a front page story following the tragic shooting deaths of 28 people, including 20 children, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Students need a safe school to learn. Most of these “Tips from the Trenches” regarding school safety were written before the Connecticut shootings.

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

•

“Be prepared and practice school safety plans. You never know when you may need them.”

•

“Cell phones were effective in dealing with the safety evacuation plans, especially students notifying parents with texts.”

•

“Stress the positive, not the perpetrator. Emphasize safety, learning, and services available. And don’t forget to take care of your staff, too.”

•

“Use one spokesperson to avoid mixed messages.”

•

“It takes a community to respond to school violence. Schools cannot do it alone. ‘One Heartbeat’ became the city’s mantra.”

Jeff Kaye Director of Security and Safety Services at the Desert Sands Unified School District in La Quinta, Calif.: •

“Training is paramount to school safety. Train the school staff and the student body in areas related to school safety and emergency operations, especially lockdown and evacuation procedures. The training should be realistic and employ visualization techniques to promote mental muscle memory.”

•

“In times of stress, the students and staff will react the way they were trained. Training promotes a feeling of safety in schools, and education cannot occur in an environment where students and staff don’t feel safe.”

•

“Parental education should be incorporated in all training.”

•

“Effective emergency preparedness training cannot occur until the attitude of denial is eliminated.”

Ken TrumP Author, speaker, national consultant, and President of National School Safety and Security Services: •

“The first and best line of defense in school safety is a well-trained, highly-alert staff and student body.”

•

“The fourth ‘R’ in education today is ‘relationships’: Adults having solid professional relationships with kids and school leaders having strong relationships with their public safety, mental health, and other community partners.”

•

“School crisis teams must plan, prepare, and practice. Dusty crisis plans on shelves are not worth the paper they are written upon.”

SLATE

Every child has the right to come to school and get the education that she deserves. If she feels unsafe being there for any reason, she cannot get her education. - Curtis Clay, Associate Director of the Texas School Safety Center at Texas State University–San Marcos

Mark Behrens

Scott Gilliam

Director of the Safety, Security and Emergency Procedures Branch of the Hawaii Department of Education in Honolulu:

Director of Training at D.A.R.E. America:

•

“Schools are part of the community, a very important part of the community. Therefore for schools to be as safe as they can be we need to involve the community ... parents, first responders, neighborhood boards, churches, etc. This is the best way we can ensure schools are places of honor, dignity, and respect and prepared for both natural and man-made incidents.”

•

“Education not only opens doors to your future, it sends you in the right direction to find those doors.”

•

“Without education you will experience the door-to-door salesman’s plight: many doors will be shut in your face.”

•

“For nearly 30 years, specially trained law enforcement personnel have taught children how to make good decisions when faced with difficult choices. The greatest derivative of D.A.R.E. has been the relationship between youth and law enforcement. Many chiefs of police and sheriffs have acknowledged the decrease in crime among youth when D.A.R.E. is present in their communities.”

“Schools need to create a climate of safety and respect filled with opportunities for adults and students to have meaningful relationships and open communication.”

Curtis Clay

Mo Canady

Associate Director of the Texas School Safety Center at Texas State University–San Marcos:

Executive Director of the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO):

•

“Every child has the right to come to school and get the education that she deserves. If she feels unsafe being there for any reason, she cannot get her education.”

•

“Take the issue of bullying very seriously. Teasing, joking, and playing around is normal. Bullying is not. The first step we have to take sometimes is examining our own beliefs as they pertain to this matter.”

“NASRO comprises school-based law enforcement officers, school administrators, and school security/safety professionals working as partners to protect students, faculty, staff, and their school communities.”

•

“Treat each person the way they want to be treated. What doesn’t bother Johnny may have a completely opposite effect on Jimmy.”

“A well-trained, armed school resource officer is one of the best defenses against an active shooter. We provide training to school-based police officers on sound tactics that save lives during a shooting attack.”

•

“While a school resource officer is essential, school safety requires collaboration between multiple agencies and parties. No single group or person, including a school resource officer, can effectively improve safety alone. We urge involvement by parents, cafeteria staff, janitorial staff, counselors, nurses, and even students, as appropriate.”

•

CurTis S. Lavarello Executive Director of the School Safety Advocacy Council: •

“When working with youth, I think one of the most important traits for professionals is to maintain a sense of empathy and compassion.”

•

“[For school-based law enforcement,] while you carry many important weapons to work each day, including a firearm that can take a human life, it’s important for you to remember that the most important tool you carry each day is your brain and the ability to use common sense.”

•

“Zero tolerance should not remove common sense from the equation.”

Stephen Sroka, PhD, is an adjunct assistant professor at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, and president of Health Education Consultants. He has worked in schools for more than 30 years. Connect with Sroka at www.wholechildeducation.org or drssroka@aol.com. © 2013 Stephen R. Sroka, PhD, Lakewood, Ohio. Used with permission.

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

SLATE

E H T E

BY JACKIE HOPPER

ISBA Training Director

THE E Z I SE

OPP

NIT U T R O

Why call ISBA for training in our district?

hen I was a little girl one of my chores was to dust the living room furniture. When I was done, my dad would come and “inspect it” and if all the furniture passed muster, I would get a nod, a hug, and he would tell me, “You did a good job.” But if it wasn’t up to his specifications, I would have to redo all the dusting. I would try to negotiate dusting only those pieces, I missed, but he would not tolerate that. He would tell me “There is a difference between doing a job, and doing a job well. Be proud of the work you do and never compromise the outcome. You are better than that!” And so I would begin again, determined to pass the inspection! This might explain why I believe so passionately about trustee training. We can just do the job or we can do better than that and truly make things better. As Director of the Training Development Department I want to bring to the Membership of the Idaho School Boards Association a Department that ensures you have all the tools to make a difference in your local community. So that is why I would like to share with you training and the ISBA. I know you didn’t sign on for board service just to do the job, but to do the job well. These resources I am sharing here will help you do just that.

ISBA believes in the importance of board service. More than that, we believe in the power of good governance: trustees and boards who not only know what to do, but know what’s right. Who take extra steps to be as effective as they possibly can, and who encourage their fellow trustees to do the same, by networking, mentoring, and embodying the principles of effective board service. »» »»

»»

»» »» »»

We design training that focuses on your district’s specific needs. We offer an array of training in board governance, fiscal responsibility, superintendent evaluation, and strategic planning. In-district workshops allow for discussion about your district practices and specific suggestions for improvement. In-region workshops allow for a broad discussion with your fellow trustees from your geographic area. We can customize retreat like experiences in order to focus on and build team operations. We have a cadre of trainers with a wide and diverse background to be able to offer a unique and affordable experience no matter the topic or location.

Embrace life-long education, govern with passion and conviction, and lead our schools to excellence! 40

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

L E OD

OAR B R FO

NI I A R T

What kinds of training can we get in our district? »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »»

Boards roles and responsibilities Governance and oversight Superintendent evaluation Meeting management Ethics Effective teamwork Data driven decision making Effective patron input process Conflict resolution Media and public relations Emergency response preparedness And More!

The Training Department can help your district plan more systematically, integrate board goals with site-based improvement planning, and move from plan development to measuring results for real improvement. We can assist with WISE Tool planning and RTI. Services and time frames are customized to meet a district’s specific needs.

What training can we get in our region? The most effective topics delivered in a region setting include the following: »» »» »» »» »»

Boards roles and responsibilities Governance and oversight of management Superintendent evaluation Meeting management Summer Leadership Institute continued on next page...

SCHEDULE

WITH US

Trainings may be delivered in-district, via IEN, by webinar, and regionally. In-district and regional trainings incur the trainer’s travel cost in addition to the cost of the module. Because trainers are located in different parts of Idaho, ISBA will book

the closest available trainer to keep your travel costs low. Upon booking a training with ISBA, you will receive a memorandum of understanding (MOU) which details the training and estimated costs. To schedule a training, contact Jackie Hopper.

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

SLATE

Statistic of the Quarter

SEIZE the Opportunity With 12 training formats (and growing) there are a variety of ways your board can benefit from ISBA-delivered training.

FOR BOARD TRAINING New Board Member Packet

Board Continuing Education Program This service provides Boards with a continuing education plan to use at Board meetings throughout the year through articles, webinars, and mini-modules on current Board topics.

The new Board member packet includes articles, books, handouts, forms, and webinars. In addition, you will receive support from an ISBA trainer during the first six months of service.

$200 per packet

Summer Leadership Institute

Governance Workshop This two hour training, delivered regionally, covers roles and responsibilities, finance, policy, effective meetings, effective Boards, superintendent evaluations, and ISBA and its resources. FREE

Annual Convention This event is a valuable professional development opportunity for Boards and the district leadership team. Through highquality general sessions, five sessions of workshops, and networking events, you will develop your leadership skills and discover proven solutions to take back to your community.

A one-day training conference to provide new school board members with the training they need to lead effectively, and to provide experienced board members with current practices and information about the key concerns facing Idaho school districts. see prices below

Facilitation Services Our experienced facilitators have assisted groups both small and large composed of board members, district employees, and community members in exploring issues such as bond elections, changing attendance zones, and consolidation. We’ll guide the process for managing group input and decision making.

cost varies

ISBA SUMMER LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE 3 LOCATIONS. 3 DAYS. COEUR D’ALENE

1 CALDWELL | JULY 16 |1PM-6PM Caldwell School District Office 1502 Fillmore Street, Caldwell

2 IDAHO FALLS | JULY 17 |1PM-6PM Compass Academy 955 Garfield Street, Idaho Falls

IDAHO FALLS

3 COEUR D’ALENE | JULY 24 | 1PM-6PM Midtown Meeting Center 1505 N. 5th St., Coeur d’Alene

EARLY REGISTRATION

13042

REGULAR REGISTRATION

160

$ SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014 Register before 7/8

LATE / ONSITE REGISTRATION

175

REGISTRATION OPENS APRIL 1, 2014 Agenda At Www.idsba.org

SLATE

10 Minute Trainers These brief, self-conducted trainings are available through the ISBA website. FREE

Mini Modules A subscription service as part of the Board Continuing Education Program, these Mini Modules include a wide variety of trainings designed to be self-directed learning or as trainings done in the Board Room by the Board members. included in Board Continuing Education Program

Regular Training Modules There are over 30 training modules offered by ISBA. These modules are offered as two-hour or four-hour workshops. These modules include topics such as Board Chair Selection and Role, How to Talk to Your Legislator, Common Core, and Using Committees in the Board Room. cost varies

Custom Modules ISBA works with districts and charter schools to present new and innovative trainings, customized on an individual basis. Some of these modules can include: strategic planning, Board retreats, setting Board goals, and Board superintendent teams. cost varies

Free Phone Consultation ISBA has a vast wealth of knowledge and experience in working with and/or serving on school boards. Call us anytime you have questions or concerns about how your team is working together or performing its responsibilities. We can provide advice on effective practices for conducting board business or help you work through a problem to identify options and solutions. We can point you toward additional resources that may help you with particular issues you are facing, too. FREE

Other Consultation Services »»

Follow-up consultation with the superintendent and board chair, key administrators, or a board committee after district planning or team-building workshops

»»

Feedback on the superintendent performance goals you’ve drafted

»»

Advice on identifying measurable objectives or action plans to achieve goals you’ve developed

»»

Review of team operating procedures you’ve drafted to identify potential problems cost varies

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

SLATE

MEET THE ISBA BOARD TRAINERS Jackie Hopper Jackie moved to Idaho in 1980 to attend the College of Idaho. Jackie’s undergraduate degree is in Business Management and she has a MBA from the University of Phoenix. While at University of Phoenix Jackie was awarded the Outstanding Student Leadership Award in 2010. In 2011 she was awarded the Women of the Year Award from The Idaho Business Review. She is also a member of Delta Mu Delta, a business honor society, which works to mentor students in all levels of education. When presented with the opportunity to meld her passion for public education excellence

Lynn Trantow Lynn served on the Central Valley School Board in the Spokane Valley for five years. While on the CV school board, she held various positions, including legislative representative, Vice President and President. She graduated from WSSDA’s Leadership Academy and is a member of the WSSDA training cadre. Her expertise is in board roles and responsibilities, board standards, board/superintendent relationships, meeting protocol and community engagement. She joined the ISBA’s training cadre June 2013. Lynn holds a B.A. from the University of Washington in Communications.

and her love for teaching adults, she jumped at the opportunity. Jackie has spoken to crowds of five thousand, done workshops for hundreds of people all over the country, on a myriad of subjects, but none of these opportunities are as fulfilling to her as talking to school boards about how to do the job of educational oversight for our children to the best of our ability. Jackie’s credo is there are no do-overs in education. We get one chance to be the difference in a child’s life. Jackie cannot tell you how excited she is to be able to help our entire State reach educational excellence.

Jacque Hyatt Jacque, with over 30 years of experience in education, brings her knowledge and skills in the areas of education leadership, policy, and professional development. The focus of Jacque’s career has been to create and sustain educational environments that provide effective supports and instruction for all students regardless of ability, economic situation, or culture. In addition to her thirteen years of classroom teaching in pre-school through high school levels, she has taught in teacher preparation at the university level, developed education policy at the national and state levels, and directed multiple professional development projects. During 15 years at the Idaho State Department of Education she held leadership positions in special education, statewide system of support and instructional technology integration. Jacque is currently providing professional and resource development on the creation of education systems that prepare students to be successful in college and career. Through her experiences she has learned the important leadership role school boards provide at all levels of education but especially in their communities. She is looking forward to sharing her knowledge with Idaho school boards to increase their ability to create and support an effective education system for their district.

Susan Scherz Susan has spent most of her adult life as an educator in the Mountain West; Idaho, Arizona, Wyoming, and Nevada as well as a short time period in Alaska. She is an active member of the National Rural Education Association and has spent most of her career working with schools and educators in rural locations. Susan began her teaching career in Arizona teaching high school English, English as a Second Language, and reading as well as working with the children of migrant farm workers, especially with youth at risk of dropping out of school. Since then, as a county education administrator, principal, and superintendent she has worked in almost all aspects of education including curriculum, instruction, assessment, and operations. In addition to working 44

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

with public schools, she has also worked with a charter school, an alternative school, jail education programs and has participated in facilities lawsuit efforts (Arizona). Having also taught in higher education programs in Idaho, Arizona, and Wyoming, Susan’s research work has included superintendent and board relationships in rural schools as well as cultural and language issues impacting parental involvement in K-12 education. Susan and her husband moved from Arizona to Idaho eight years ago. They currently reside in Pocatello where her husband, Mike, is self-employed. They enjoy upgrading older homes, traveling and exploring the outdoors in the Mountain West and the Southwest. In addition, Susan reads extensively, enjoys quality movies, and activities that explore language(s) and culture.

SLATE

ISBA

PROMOTE YOUR JOB Online Job Center Listing

$30

$50

$75

Voice Newsletter Listing

add $20

add $25

add $30

SLATE Advertisement

add $70

add $30

add $40

add $50

Front Page Website Feature

Does your district or charter school have a position to fill? ISBA offers a service for member districts and job-seekers.

Online Job Center Listing

Your job listing will be posted in the ISBA Job Center for 4, 8, or 12 weeks.

Optional Add-Ons Voice Newsletter Listing Your job listing will be listed in the Voice, ISBA’s weekly e-newsletter, for 4, 8, or 12 weeks. SLATE Advertisement Your job listing will be advertised one time in the next SLATE magazine. Please contact ISBA regarding deadlines for this option. We request a six week notice prior to the print of the next SLATE. Front Page Website Feature Your job listing will be added to the front page of www.idsba.org for 4, 8, or 12 weeks. Our website receives a high volume of traffic.

Credit Packs Do you want to get the most bang for your buck? Purchase a “pack” of job postings to use now or at any time. This is a great option if you have only a few listings now but expect to have other listings in the future, or, if you have five listings now and want to advertise all of them. Sold in Packs of 5: • Listed for 4 weeks - $135 Listed for 8 weeks - $200 Listed for 12 weeks - $325

•

For More Information If you have any questions regarding this service or would like additional information, please contact Misty Swanson at the ISBA Office: (208) 854-1476 | misty@idsba.org.

SLATE

National Connectio

ISBA Business Partners

Image Placeholder

Idaho Dairy Council

I SBA

DIAMOND BU SI NESS PARTNER

A non-profit nutrition education organization providing science Federal Insider High-quality national resources designedPohley Richey based materials to health care providers, schools, and consumers (208) 332-1644 State of Idaho. Federal Insider p to keepthroughout yourthedistrict on the leading edgeprichey@idahodairycouncil.org analysis from NSBA www.idahodairycouncil.org experts. NSBA’s tea in American public education, brought rules and regulation Moreton & Company beltway” insights in a straightfo to you by your state school boards format that can save districts bo understanding and addressing fe Moreton & Company provides association property and liability insurance as in partnership with NSBA: Allan Ranstrom papers cover federal regulation well as risk management services to member districts through the ISBA endorsed insurance plan. Most recently, Moreton & Company launched a group auto and homeowner insurance program that is available to district employees as well as school board trustees.

IS BA

(208) 321-9300

DIAMOND BUSINE SS PART NE R

allan@moreton.com www.moreton.com

• Get the real story from Washington: In-depth, timely analysis on federal policy.

Zions Bank

• Focus on results that matter: Improve A leader in financing school district projects at the lowest overall student achievement with national research cost. Since 1994 Zions has assisted Idaho districts in financing over projects totaling over $200 million. and 60best practices. • Meet the experts on innovation: Keep your on the cutting edge. Hutchison Smithdistrict Architects • Create commitment: Build support, engage Angelia Healy communities. (208) 338-1212

Hutchison Smith Architects is a full service architectural firm that has been providing responsive, creative, value-driven building solutions for more than 15 years. HSA specializes in educational facility design, having worked with over 20 school districts and completed over 900 successful education projects. We will assist you on a wide array of project types, from bond passage for new buildings and remodels to systems upgrades, historic renovations, and repair and maintenance work. Each project, no matter how large or small, is important to us. We offer you the commitment to give each project the attention that you expect and deserve.

ahealy@hsaarchitects.com

www.hsaarchitects.com • Make a difference: Participating helps advance NSBA’s advocacy agenda. IS BA DIAMOND BUSINE SS PART NE R

Hummel Architects PLLC Established in Boise in 1896, Hummel Architects PLLC is a general practice architectural firm whose history touches nearly every Idaho community. Over the decades Hummel has built a solid reputation on the design of educational, institutional, civic, industrial, governmental, retail, office, and corporate structures.

Piper Jaffray Piper Jaffray is an investment bank and broker-dealer specializing in tax-exempt bond underwriting and sales. Providing financing solutions custom tailored to its clients’ capital financial needs.

SLATE / Volume 32 / Spring 2014

Eric Heringer (208) 344-8577 eric.a.heringer@pjc.com www.piperjaffray.com

I S BA

BRONZE

BU S I N E S S PARTNER

Department of Education and a issues, and more. Federal Ins

• A quarterly resource package that combines comprehensive analysis, practical implications I SBA and more. DIAMOND

BU SI NESS LegalClips, the weekly source Cameron•Arial PARTNER in school law. (208) 344-9522 cameron.arial@zionsbank.com • Supplemental briefing papers www.zionsbank.com on timely issues.

Public Engagement T

The Public Engag a national resource help school boards strengthen support for Americ toolkit starts with an overview public is imperative, as well as h models on public engagement p toolkits include fact sheets, sho message templates and other t boards and districts explain nat citizen-friendly language, as wel and citizens around these issue NSBA’s national public relation Engagement Toolkit is a w Aubry Briggs messaging on the value IS B A of publ SILVER (208) 343-7523 governance to school board m B US IN E S S abriggs@hummelarch.com www.hummelarch.com

PA R T N E R

provides in-depth, timely A’s legislative and legal am translates federal ns and delivers “inside the orward, easy-to-understand oth time and money in ederal policy. The briefing Rodger Regele ns and policy issues, (888) 726-0015 administrative rules, legal rodger.wa@comcast.net sider includes:

Moreton & Company Allan Ranstrom (208) 321-9300 allan@moreton.com www.moreton.com

Solveras Payment Solutions

e on major federal issues e legislative and legal s, detailed resources, for recent developments

s or bulletins with guidance

JOB DESCRIPTION SERVICE COMING IN APRIL! The ISBA Job Descriptions Manual provides qualifications, reporting structures, job goals, scope of responsibilities, and more for the many jobs in your district.

BoardDocs Michael E. Hanahan (800) 407-0141 mhanahan@boarddocs.com www.boarddocs.com

Toolkit USBA Flex

erless e in between.

gement Toolkit is Paula Summers with practical tools to (801)districts 878-0671 and school psummers@usba.cc can public education. The w of why engaging the highlights of research and processes. Issue-based ort articles, graphics, tools to help school Mike Elder tional education issues in (888) 587-2665 ll as guidelines for parents Ext. 6413 es. In complement with mike.elder@boardbook.org ns strategy, the Public way to provide consistent lic education and localdistribute agenda eparation and members nationally. your board prefers with BoardBook.® Rochelle Adams (866) 799-4722 Onlinerochelle@idsba.org presentations just for ISBA members:

BoardBook

BuyBoard

Thursday, October 17, at 9 a.m. MDT Tuesday, November 12, at noon MST

National Connection

Image Placeholder

SLATE

ISBA Business Affiliates

(866) 799-4722

Each job description includes citations of any state laws or administrative rules pertaining to the qualifications, contract length, and evaluation for the position. Email April Hoy at april@idsba.org for a complete listing of the positions for which we have job descriptions.

Full Set of Job Descriptions The full set of job descriptions includes more than 100 certified, classified, and administrative positions. They are in editable Word document form to allow you to customize them to meet the needs of your district.

425

Individual Job Descriptions Individual job descriptions can also be purchased. Just specify which description you need.

rochelle@idsba.org Volume 32 / Spring 2014

IDAHO SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION P.O. BOX 9797 • BOISE, ID 83707-4797 PH: (208) 854-1476 • FAX: (208) 854-1480

Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage PAID Boise, ID Permit No. 136