In salute and gratitude to the more than 2,700 Oklahoma school board members, January 2021 is designated as School Board Recognition Month. This is your opportunity to build community awareness and understanding about the crucial role an elected board member assumes in a representative democracy. Their commitment to service and public education affects the present and future lives of our children and our communities.
School Board Recognition Month honors the efforts of thousands of men and women who help to shape the direction of Oklahoma public education and their collective focus on student achievement. School board members voluntarily tackle the enormous job of governing school districts while preserving the core of our democratic values. This observance offers you an opportunity to build a stronger relationship between your school board members and the community.We hope you will take the opportunity to help acknowledge thousands of public servants who make the time to share their vision and voice for the future of Oklahoma’s children. Use this time as an opportunity to highlight the accomplishments of your local board. Encourage community leaders, business partners and local civic groups to join in your recognition efforts. Take advantage of January’s School Board Recognition Month and the resources provided by OSSBA to assure that these dedicated people are recognized for their work on behalf of children, youth and families.
Here you’ll find dozens of ideas that may be used to celebrate School Board Recognition Month. Don’t let this opportunity slip by without some sort of thanks and recognition for your school board members.
Copy and paste the news release on district letterhead and submit it to the local media. Be sure to add information about special ceremonies or events you are planning for your board members.
Use the provided sample letter to let readers know it’s School Board Recognition Month and to send a positive message about public education and your district’s accomplishments.
The article can be adapted for use in your district newsletter, as an article in your local newspaper, as a letter to the editor, or as the foundation of a speech.
Education Quotes to Use During School Board Recognition Month
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
—Robert Frost
—William Butler Yeats
—Malcolm Forbes
—Tom Brokaw
—John F. Kennedy
—Richard Riley, former U.S. Secretary of Education
—Margaret Meade
—Chinese proverb
Burmese proverb
—B.B. King
—Gandhi
—Malcolm X