Welcome New School Board Members!
Congratulations on officially becoming a school board member. You join a vast network of dedicated South Dakotans who believe in public service and the promise of public education. Thank you for donating your time, talents and energy to the students of South Dakota.
As part of our welcome, we've gathered a few resources that will help you become more familiar with your new roles and responsibilities. To get an overview of the resources, watch the welcome video from ASBSD President Neil Putnam (right).
GET STARTED NOW
If you've talked to some of your fellow school board members, chances are you've heard about the learning curve that comes with your introduction to school board service. As your school board association, we strive to make your transition as smooth as possible. Check out the resources below to start learning more about serving on a local school board.
- School Board Handbook: A comprehensive introduction to school board service and read up on your new role and responsibilities (click here to download).
- Five Characteristics: A short, two-page primer that helps get you up to speed on effective school board practices (click here to download).
Your ASBSD Board of Directors has made it a priority to provide quality training for our state's school board members. Under their leadership, ASBSD staff has worked to create the state's only professional training program created by school board members for school board members. We call it the Governance Academy for Visionary Education Leadership, or GAVEL for short. Learn more about GAVEL by visiting the links below.
- Register Now: We are now accepting registrations for GAVEL School Board Governance, the first in a series of three GAVEL professional development opportunities that are ideal for new school board members (click here to learn more and to register).
- Three Birds, One Stone: Attending the ASBSD and SASD Convention is a great opportunity to learn about the range of issues you'll face as a school board member. As a bonus, you can complete two of the three GAVEL programs during your time in Sioux Falls (click here to learn more).
- GAVEL Program Overview: Learn more about the knowledge and skills that are essential to school board service (click here to read more).
- GAVEL Learning Opportunities: ASBSD staff leads GAVEL training at statewide and regional events, and can also lead an in-district workshop (click here to learn more).
- Research Review: Your GAVEL program is backed by leading research that reveals the roles school boards can play to improve student achievement (click here to download).
- Get Certified: Set a goal to complete all three GAVEL I programs during your first term and earn GAVEL Certification, a recognition that says you're preparing yourself to lead locally (click here to learn more).
LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR ASSOCIATION
ASBSD is the only statewide education organization that specializes in providing services and programs designed for school board members and the districts they govern. Learn more about your association by visiting the links below.