Oklahoma State School Boards Association

board development

Boards ask staff and students to seek life-long education. Why should it be any different for board members?

Equipping school board members with information and learning to become effective leaders is at the core of OSSBA’s mission. 

OSSBA offers several opportunities for school leaders to improve governance:

Virtual, Live and Blended Workshops

Whole Board Development (in your district)

Fall and Spring Region Meetings

Annual Conference

Recorded On-Demand Learning

Online Board Bundle

Board development will build your capacity and skills to:

  1. Understand and effectively carry out the legal and financial oversight responsibilities of a board member.
  2. Govern as a team to establish policies with a focus on students as the foremost concern for all decision making.
  3. Learn, analyze and evaluate how your decisions and actions support and strengthen the classroom.
  4. Establish an organizational framework and environment to support and align all resources to your district’s mission and goals.
  5. Collaborate with all members of your community to establish standards for student performance using data.
  6. Honestly examine and evaluate current district strengths and weaknesses to make meaningful changes.
  7. Acquire techniques to process information you receive productively.
  8. Build a climate for success.
  9. Use principles of ethical management for your district.
  10. Celebrate all successes and make student success a top community priority.

Let us come to you!

Whole board development sessions are a great opportunity for boards and district leaders to work together on issues that will improve the board’s effectiveness. Let our team customize a training based on your board’s needs that can be delivered in-person or virtually. Common whole board development topics include:

● Roles & responsibilities

● School finance

● Evaluating the superintendent

● Goal-setting

● Facilities & bond issues

● Board-superintendent relations

● Board’s role in student achievement

● Advocacy

● Budget and legislation (spring only)

● Board’s role in managing change

● Open Meeting Act

● Board retreats

Our programs use facilitators to serve as mentors to the board and superintendent. Facilitators use inquiry and probing questions to guide the leadership team to strategies for confronting and solving problems within an organized framework. In this manner, future issues can be resolved in a thoughtfully reasoned, data-based way using the techniques acquired through board development.

Contact Us

Contact us for more information about board development opportunities or to schedule whole board development.
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School Board Member Code of Ethics

Adopted by the Oklahoma State School Boards Association

As a member of the board of education I will:

  1. Remember always that my first and greatest concern must be the educational welfare of all students attending school in our district, and ensuring that they have the opportunity to reach their highest potential;
  2. Strive to improve boardsmanship by studying educational issues and participating in board training opportunities;
  3. Respect and obey the laws of Oklahoma and the United States, working to bring about desired changes through policies adopted by the board of education and through legal and ethical procedures;
  4. Formulate legislative goals, policies, and strategic plans for the district, delegating to administrators the administrative functions of the school(s);
  5. Recognize that I, as an individual board member, have no legal authority outside the meeting of the board and will take no private action that will compromise the board or administration;
  6. Refrain from local board actions locally that would substantially interfere with or injure the program of education elsewhere;
  7. Make every effort to be prepared, punctual, and in attendance at every board meeting;
  8. Respect the confidentiality of privileged information and refrain from disclosing information that may be injurious to individuals or the school(s);
  9. Encourage the free expression of opinion by all board members and staff, seeking systematic communications between board members and the public inside and outside the school district;
  10. Be committed to promoting a cooperative atmosphere in order for the board to effectively serve the students;
  11. Recognize and reward excellence in student achievement, teacher performance, and administrative leadership;
  12. Refrain from using my board position for personal or partisan gain.