Logon to schoolboardnet:

Welcome to schoolboardnet – the most advanced means of communication for an association and its members! You now have easy password-protected access to current, customized information from your school board association.

Among the features of this new IASB member service are:

Schoolboardnet was launched in October 2004 with the intention of creating an online site where every Illinois school board member and superintendent could participate in and share information pertaining just to them.

All school board members, superintendents and board secretaries of IASB member districts are automatically included in this free service. There is no additional cost to you or your district to use schoolboardnet.

Members are listed by and participate within groups, i.e. how each person is identified by title, designation or duties on their personal Interactive Business Card. Current online groups include Board Members, Board Presidents, Superintendents, Board Secretaries, Targeting Achievement through Governance districts, IASB's 21 divisions, LeaderShop, and numerous others.

The opportunity for expanding the number of groups is endless. Content and usage will determine the need for more groups. Most members, in fact, will be part of several groups.

Schoolboardnet is not a substitute for IASB's expansive Web site. Rather, it is a complimentary site to alert members to what's new on www.iasb.com or at the association; to search archives for older documents; to participate in online surveys; and for other interactive exchanges between you and your association staff and among members of each group.

Whenever something new is posted to schoolboardnet, you will be notified by email. And by clicking on the corresponding link, you will go directly to your password-protected group. Then, just log in and you open the door to schoolboardnet and your latest news, calendar events, surveys, etc.

Information about schoolboardnet has been mailed to all member districts. Demonstrations are available for division meetings and at the Joint Annual Conference. For immediate assistance with passwords or log-in instructions, contact Loretta Cotten, lcotten@iasb.com; for technical assistance, contact Janice Kidd, jkidd@iasb.com; and for general questions about schoolboardnet, contact Cathy Talbert, ctalbert@iasb.com.

e-tools for Boards and Districts

At the same time IASB launched schoolboardnet, it also announced a similar service, e-tools for Boards and Districts would be available for boards and districts to operate in their own communities.

This fee-based service (annual subscription plus a nominal one-time setup fee) allows boards to manage their own documents and information in the same way schoolboardnet works. You can add, delete or archive news, events and surveys in your own community.

No Webmaster skills, additional computer software or hardware are needed; it's entirely Web-based and content is created on easy-to-use templates. Training is provided with online seminars and easy-to-follow printed brochures.

The primary purpose of this fee-based service is to prepare and distribute board packets electronically. This includes agendas, minutes, correspondence, reports and any other documents you would typically prepare and distribute to board members.

Imagine, no more bulky board packets for board members to carry or store; no more printing and distribution costs for the district! All the board meeting information in one secure location, to be released when and as needed.

For a virtual tour of these features and others, visit schoolboardnet at http://www.schoolboard.net/about/tour.html

For more information or to learn how you can qualify for a free 90-day trial of e-tools for Boards and Districts, contact Cathy Talbert, at 630/629-3776 or 217/528-9688, ext. 1234.