On Board Online • February 8, 2010

Is your school district doing something distinctive or noteworthy that could help other school boards and superintendents govern their districts more effectively, efficiently and economically? If so, NYSSBA invites you to share your knowledge and expertise with your counterparts throughout the state at NYSSBA’s 91st Annual Convention and Educational Trade Show.

Seminars will be conducted on Thursday, Oct. 21, Friday, Oct. 22, and Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010, at the Sheraton Hotel & Towers in New York City.

Proposals must be submitted online at www.nyssba.org/cfp by March 8, 2010. A minimum of two concrete learning objectives must be included in your online application. Please be certain that learning outcomes are clear and succinct.

Please bear in mind:

• Each seminar will be 75 minutes in duration. Members seek highly interactive seminars with extensive dialogue; no lectures, please.
• Successful proposals will address what school board members and superintendents should know and do to help students achieve academic excellence.
• Topics must be of statewide interest.

Individuals or organizations may submit several proposals.  However, any individual or organization will be selected and scheduled for only one seminar.

If your proposal is accepted, you are obligated to deliver that content. No substitutions, please. Please identify no more than two speakers.

Presenters must provide their own laptops. LCDs will be provided. Should you require Internet service, you will be responsible for the prevailing hotel set-up charges for Internet usage.

NYSSBA pays no fees or expenses for persons conducting seminars.

Topics of interest to NYSSBA members include, but are not limited to:

• Attracting and developing diverse and highly engaged board members.
• Setting direction – vision, mission and goals that are embraced and understood by the board, administrators, staff and community.
• Communication strategies – solid communication plans, maximizing existing communication services, use of surveys, and working with the media.
• The Key Works of School Boards – local boards who employ and understand the role of vision, standards, assessment, alignment, continuous improvement, climate, accountability,  and collaborative partnerships in ongoing board work.
• Best governance practices – proven policies and programs which produce successful  governance and management outcomes.
• Monitoring student achievement – through data dashboards, growth models, and teacher quality.
• BOCES and its relationship to component school district – programs, services and best practices.
• Board and superintendent relationships – strategies and practices that address governance team conflict, improve team communications and keep the team focused on its mission.
• Effective superintendent evaluation process which employs quality standards.
• Ethics and conduct – students, staff, administrators and school boards.
• Optimizing district resources – shared services, cooperative purchasing and long-range financial planning.
• Facilities – school building/renovation, green schools, energy solutions.
• Community engagement – successful strategies that engage and motivate parents and community businesses and leaders.
• Student, faculty and board diversity – successful programs that promote cultural, racial and student identity awareness.
• Arts and education – successful programs that employ fine arts in to the district’s educational program.
• School climate and safety – programs that promote awareness on bullying, cyber bullying, and the impact other social media products (Twitter, Facebook, etc) have on school climate and safety. Gang identification.
• Student mental health and substance abuse – successful community partnerships and programs that employ best practices in addressing primary adolescent mental health, suicide and substance abuse/addiction.
• Student health – nutrition, exercise and child obesity.  Defining and implementing comprehensive student wellness programs and initiatives.
• Education and curriculum – new and invigorating educational programs/curriculum that engage students and teachers.
• School technology – successful technology plans and resources that keep pace with student learning needs and emerging technology trends.
• School consolidation and mergers – understanding the future of your school – projected student enrollments, local tax base support, sustaining current or aging infrastructures, consolidating schools within a district, transportation and geography constraints, local identity.
• School building use – before and after school programs, community use of facilities.
• Running highly effective and productive school board meetings – solid  operating procedures, meeting access and availability online (streaming video), and paperless board meetings.
• Fiscal stewardship – building and monitoring the budget, safeguarding district assets, employing and evaluating qualified  individuals to perform claims auditing and internal auditing,  organized and effective school Audit Committees.
• Federal and state legislative initiatives – school aid and funding, reform measures, accountability and Race to the Top.

To submit a proposal, visit www.nyssba.org/cfp. Direct questions to Debra McDermott, convention and training coordinator, at (800) 342-3360 or debra.mcdermott@nyssba.org.