City School Board members advance in board training

By Staff
Jason Cannon, Franklin County Times
Forty-nine current northwest Alabama school board members are among 262 board members statewide being honored this month for advancing to a new level in the Alabama Association of School Boards' School Board Member Academy.
City school board members Greg Trapp (Level II), Wanda Bain (Level I &II), Jerry Groce (Level III) and Steve DeFoor (Master Level) will be honored July 29-31 for their efforts to improve their boardmanship skills, increase their understanding of education issues and heighten their leadership skills by participating in the Academy.
The Academy, an ongoing "school for school board members" founded in 1986, has four achievement levels based on the number of credit hours board members earn by attending conferences and workshops in eight key areas: roles and responsibilities; policy and planning; financial accountability; the optimal learning environment; academic achievement; staff development; board meetings and school law; and community engagement. Board members who complete the Academy's four levels and continue their commitment to training can earn the distinction Master School Board Member.
The year's Academy training courses covered such topics as fiscal accountability, school climate, student achievement, wellness, communication, vision/planning, technology and decision-making
The Alabama Association of School Boards represents all of the state's local school boards. Founded in 1949, AASB serves education leaders and the interests of local lay control of public education and provides members with a wide array of services, including boardmanship training seminars, insurance programs, information services and policy research.