Local school board members honored
Fifty-one northwest Alabama school board members will be among 317 board members statewide honored this month at AASB’s Annual Convention held Dec. 5-7 for advancing to a new level in the Alabama Association of School Boards’ School Board Member Academy.
The education leaders were recognized for their efforts to improve their boardmanship skills, increase their understanding of education issues and heighten their leadership skills by participating in the academy.
“It is such a pleasure to see our members invest in their development as school board leaders,” said AASB President Steve Foster of Lowndes County.
“With 21 years of experience as a Lowndes County school board member, I know how much of a commitment board service is.”
The 2013 Convention and Delegate Assembly will be held at Hyatt Regency Birmingham-The Wynfrey Hotel.
This year’s theme is “The 3 R’s: Ready. Resilient. Responsible.” Attendees will hear from education expert Dr. Ruby Payne on “A Framework for Understanding Poverty.”
Life coach and bestselling author Valorie Burton will discuss “Resilient & Ready: How to Thrive Through Challenge & Change.”
The 2013 Alabama Teacher of the Year Dr. Alison Grizzle will explore “Teacher Accountability: Ensuring We Reach All Children.”
In “Alabama’s Fiscal Forecast,” the state’s Legislative Fiscal Officer Norris Green will join Rep. Bill Poole and Sen. Jabo Waggoner to share their expectations for the Legislature’s work on the education budget.
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; effective boards and relationships; 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. AASB’s academy year runs from July 1 to June 30.
The 51 board members are from AASB’s District 8, which comprises the Colbert, Cullman, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Morgan and Winston county school boards; and the Athens, Cullman, Decatur, Florence, Haleyville, Hartselle, Muscle Shoals, Russellville, Sheffield and Tuscumbia city school boards.
Below are the local members and the levels they achieved:
Level I (Requires 25 training hours)
- Mike Shewbart, Franklin County
- Terry Welborn, Franklin County
Level II (Requires 50 training hours)
- Bret Gist, Russellville
- Judy Pounders, Russellville
Level IV (Requires 100 training hours, including all eight core curriculum courses)
- John Batchelor, Russellville
Master Level (Requires Level 4 plus 15 hours, including one additional core course)
- Greg Trapp, Russellville, second year
The year’s academy training courses covered such topics as fiscal accountability, good governance, student achievement, communication, community engagement, staff development, vision/planning, technology and decision-making.
