Advocacy Angle: Resolutions Process Guides IASB Advocacy
By Mary Ellen Buch
To affect change for K-12 public education, members can advocate. Each year, school board members have multiple chances to advocate for the good of public education in our state, working with the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB).
One option is to take part in the annual process to update position statements which then determine the legislative topics that the IASB Governmental Relations team will prioritize. A Call for Resolutions is sent out every April and each member district has the opportunity to make their voice heard by proposing an idea, through a resolution, to create or make changes to current Position Statements.
The IASB Resolutions Committee consists of one member from each division. In addition, the IASB vice president serves as chair of the committee. In 2023 the committee met in early August to make recommendations on each of the nine submitted resolutions. Submitting districts provided testimony to the committee, and after in-depth discussion on each resolution, the Resolutions Committee made recommendations on each of them.
Submitted resolutions this year, and the Committee’s recommendations, include
- Fremont SD 79 (Delegate Assembly Mail-In Voting) Recommend Do Not Present
- Wilmette SD 39 and Wheeling CCSD 21 (Schools as Polling Place Choice) Recommend Do Not Present
- Pleasantdale SD 107 Industrial Construction) Recommend Do Not Adopt
- Naperville CUSD 203 (Fully Fund IDEA) Recommend Do Not Present
- Homer CCSD 33C (School Resource Officer Funding) Recommend Do Adopt
- Mercer County SD 404 (Bus Driver Regulations) Recommend Do Adopt
- Warren THSD 121 (Suicide Prevention Education) Recommend Do Not Present
- Geneseo CUSD 228-Alternative (Safe School Funding) Recommend Do Not Adopt
- Unity Point SD 140 (Employment History Review) Recommend Do Not Adopt
Per the IASB Constitution, the committee then has three options. It can recommend “do adopt,” “do not adopt,” or “do not present.” A “do adopt” recommendation goes to the Delegate Assembly floor for a vote. In the case of a “do not adopt” recommendation, the appeals process begins, and the submitting member may appeal to the Resolutions Committee.
The Committee can also exercise its prerogative to determine that a proposal will not be presented to the Delegate Assembly for consideration with a “do not present” motion. In this scenario, the resolution would not move forward in the process and would not be subject to the appeals process. Reasons a resolution might receive a “do not present” recommendation include a few districts being affected by the resolution, a duplicate of a current Position Statement, or the Resolution committee not being the correct pathway for the proposal.
After the August meeting, the Resolutions Committee Report was created and sent electronically to members. This document lists all the resolutions submitted and the school district’s analysis, as well as the Resolutions Committee analysis and its recommendation for each submission.
Illinois school boards are tasked with reviewing the document at their September and October board meetings to discuss how they will vote on each proposed resolution. At this time, the board should also determine which board member will represent the district at the Delegate Assembly (held in November) to vote on the resolutions. That member must be registered prior to the Delegate Assembly, and pick up credentials at the Joint Annual Conference in order to vote on the floor of the Delegate Assembly.
On the Friday of the Joint Annual Conference, the Resolutions Committee meets to discuss any appeals and prepare for the Delegate Assembly, which takes place the next morning.
At the Delegate Assembly, only registered, credentialed delegates sit in the voting section of the room. Credentials are handed out to registered delegates before the assembly and include a dated delegate pin and a brightly colored card with their school district name on it. Along with voting on the resolutions, this meeting includes the annual business meeting and the election of IASB officers.
After the Delegate Assembly, IASB mails the updated Constitution and Position Statements booklet to all board members. In addition, the IASB Governmental Relations team begins planning for the upcoming legislative session and sets legislative priorities using the updated Position Statements.
The adopted resolutions become Position Statements which provide direction for advocacy and carry the weight of the delegates behind them to direct and inform Association legislative priorities. The IASB Board of Directors prefers to focus advocacy on a limited number of issues that are the most impactful to the full membership, which unite the membership, and that help position the Association for legislative success.
By participating in the Resolutions Process, you, as a part of your full school board, can advocate for your local school district as well as other districts across the state.
Mary Ellen Buch is Director of Governmental Relations for the Illinois Association of School Boards. The 2023 Delegate Assembly is November 18. Resources associated with this article, including the IASB Advocacy Core Values, are available at iasb.com/Journal.