Empowered Moms - Moms for America

SERVING ON THE SCHOOL BOARD

Training Modules

Empower Moms - Moms for America

SERVING ON THE SCHOOL BOARD

Training Modules

Serving On The School Board

Dr. Kelly Kohls - Senior Director School Boards Leadership Project - MomForce - A Moms for America Initiative

National School Boards Leadership Council is a nationwide school board member training organization. NSBLC’s goal is to train school board members to be the necessary agents for education system oversight. We equip school board members with the knowledge, ideas, and connections they need to fulfill their job duties and improve public education. School board members will learn a host of skills, from containing costs through innovative programs to writing policies and resolutions all while restoring the ideology of American exceptionalism in schools.

Education in America has declined dramatically in both academic excellence and in financial management. Public confidence in our public schools is at an all-time low. As communities and parents get more involved to help repair education systems, they are met with resistance. Our once revered public education system must change course and bring accountability to an otherwise unaccountable failing education system. Elected school board members, influenced by the education bureaucracy, are often complicit in the failures as they oversee local public education.

This organization offers you the tools you need as a school board elected representative to bring an academic focus back to your school where every child will succeed. We are sure you take your job service seriously and refuse to impart biases instead of intelligence.

Action Item

Get Started

NSBLC provides initial and ongoing training for new and existing school board members. NSBLC offers training so elected school board members are equipped to be more involved in policy advocacy, policy writing, curriculum development and review, classroom materials review and approval, library holdings review and approval, student and parental rights review and approvals, spending, and forecasting management.

Training forums include Children First Education conferences, virtual webinars, special purpose workshops, Zoom and written issue briefings, and private conversations that advise on district difficulties.

Moms for America in partnership with Dr. Kelly Kohls is offering this training free of charge. To get started, review the outlines for each of the training modules below.

Once you are ready to begin, we simply ask you to register before you begin to take the classes. Your registration allows us to get to know you, so we can help you with all your concerns, send you info for upcoming webinars, videos and more. If you’ve already registered … Thank You!

Module One
The foundations of your school board position
Module Two
Preparing for success
Module Three
When results matter
Module Four
Current and emerging issues
Additional Resources
Trusted Resources

The foundations of your school board position

Welcome to Moms for America School Board Training Module 1, during this module you will learn the basics to your school board position. School boards are elected or appointed to represent their community while ensuring the students served by your district get the academically challenging education and excellence they deserve.  Throughout this section of our training you will learn and practice legal and ethical conduct that ensures you will be a successful school board representative that holds your district accountable to the public. As always please send us any questions or comments you have about this content.

MODULE ONE OUTLINE

A. Preparing for your school board position
B. What to expect at your first meeting
C. Your Oath of Office
D. Become very knowledgeable about “Robert’s Rules of Order”
E. Become knowledgeable about your district bylaws and policies
F. Know the laws in your state that pertain to your position
G. School Board Job Description
H. Code of Conduct
I. Sunshine Law
– Open Meetings Act
– Open Records Act
– Executive Session
J. Additional Compensation
K. Influencers to the Board
L. Know your rights and responsibilities
M. Forming Board Committees
N. Making motions and writing resolutions

>> VIEW MODULE ONE RESOURCES

Preparing for success

Welcome to our training Module 2. In this module you will learn some of the nuts and bolts to achieving accountability in your district.  While the district may focus on the management of the capital investments and the personnel, you should be laser focused on how this organization operates. This includes how it could be more efficient, deliver better academic opportunities and outcomes as well as how it can be accountable and transparent to the community it serves. As you become familiar with the formal and informal structure of your district, you will better understand the input from your citizens and others outside your district.

MODULE TWO OUTLINE

A. “Organizational Chart”.
B. Communicating with your community.
C. What is “Transparency”?
D. “Children First Budgeting”.
E. Understanding your negotiated agreements.
F. School board relationships with outside organizations.
G. Legal counsel and memberships.
H. Community input at board meetings.
I. School Choice.
J. Reasons to Avoid School Based Health Clinics.
K. Real Estate Taxes.

>> VIEW MODULE TWO RESOURCES

When results matter

Your school board position holds many responsibilities.  This module will assist you in finding your district academic and financial details. You will need to use the academic and financial details you gather and communicate them to the community you serve as well as to the district personnel. Once you communicate the details of the academic and financial status of your district you will need your board to take action to remedy any academic or financial problems. 

This module teaches you about student and parental rights which must be protected by you and your district.  Use this information to keep your district personnel and board members informed about the rights of the people they serve.

MODULE THREE OUTLINE

  1. District goals that put the students first – you are responsible to set the district direction.
    – Finding and using district financial records
    – Stop education wasteful spending
    – Finding and using district academic achievement records
    – Minimum competencies to progress to the next grade
    – Cut scores performance level recommendations
  2. Protecting student rights
    – Curriculum
    – Student Surveys
    – History
    – Social Emotional Learning
    – Critical Race Theory
    – Sexualization
    – Equity versus equality
  3. Protecting parents’ rights
    – Parents’ rights are being eroded – can they be restored?
    – Opt out forms
  4. School Board functions and culture
    – School Board Functions and Culture
    – When Our Schools Become the Community Center
  5. Deceptive Legislation
    – Legislative Watch
    – Bills/Laws Protecting Children

 

Current and emerging issues

Throughout Module 4 you will learn the details about the listed subjects that the district may not want you to know.  The details listed in this module will give you more information to share with your community, your fellow board members, and your district personnel.

MODULE FOUR OUTLINE

  1. Student Health Issues
  2. Open Campuses
  3. Universal Preschool and all-day Kindergarten
  4. Teacher Tenure
  5. Masks, quarantine and vaccinations – the money
  6. Dangerous Education Programs
  7. Working Towards Unity
  8. State Laws that Put Kids First
  9. Brief History of the US Department of Education
  10. Student Safety
  11. Curriculum Problems

Communicating with your community is a large part of your job. Do not let anyone tell you to forward community comments, suggestions, or complaints to your district administrative staff.  If you feel that the community member simply needs to know who to go to then send the link to your district published organizational chart.  Most community members will reach out because they have already tried to be heard by the district staff and did not get resolve.  It is your job to get the details to the questions so that you may understand if an issue exists and if a policy needs to be changed to remedy the issue.

Trusted Resources

This section is a valuable resource to help you find reliable and trusted resources of information and tools to use while you represent your community by being on the school board. Many people and organizations will try to influence your actions as a school board member.  Your ability to filter this input will help you accomplish your goals of holding your district accountable to the community they serve.

  1. What do experts say?
  2. List of Trusted Organizations

NSBLC State Chapters

NSBLC has a goal to maintain a chapter in every state that trains school board members to be the oversight agent that the community believes they are electing, and to be the final guardian for all district mission components within the district such as curriculum, spending, and personnel.

For speaking arrangements or to talk about the formation of your own statewide school board training organization please click here to call Dr. Kelly Kohls, or click here to email.

Support National School Boards Leadership Council

Learn More About Becoming an NSBLC Member