On Outreach & Training: Anytime, Anywhere Learning
By Sandra Kwasa and Linda Zulaski
The Illinois Association of School Boards is pleased to welcome you to the world of school board service. We acknowledge that there is a lot to learn and hope we can play a role in getting you off to a strong start.
One way IASB assists all school board members, and new members especially, is through Online Learning, which got a major refresh over the past few months, just in time for the wave of newbies joining their boards of education for the first time.
Since 2016, IASB has worked with Freestone as its Learning Management System (LMS), chosen because it was marketed to be compatible with our Association Management Software (AMS), NetForum. At the time, we had limited technical expertise and a small user base. We would experience a few bumps and bruises along the way. However, with patience, perseverance, and communication, we were able to collaborate with Freestone and develop a suite of products for our more than 5,000 board members.
In 2020 when the pandemic hit, all training went online and we were able to offer our members “access anytime, anywhere.”
And now, 98% of our approximately 1,200 new board members register for the state mandated training through IASB’s Online Learning Center every two years. We offer the most complete and efficient way for new school board members to meet state requirements for training as they begin school board service.
IASB offers a New Board Member Online Training Bundle, designed to meet the needs of recently elected school board members. Three comprehensive courses deliver everything a new board member needs to get started on the road to success.
The bundle includes
- Basics of Governance, a highly recommended course that will help any board member identify the role and work of the school board; distinguish board work from that of the superintendent and staff, understand how each member relates to the full board, and discuss effective board and board member best practices. Basics of Governance leads to high functioning districts and makes a positive impact on student learning.
- Open Meetings Act Training focuses specifically on the law as it applies to school board meetings and members. This course meets the state-mandated requirements for OMA training (5 ILCS 120/1.05).
- Professional Development Leadership Training (PDLT) and Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA) Training for School Board Members includes instruction in education and labor law, financial oversight and accountability, fiduciary responsibilities, trauma-informed practices, and, new for 2025, improving student outcomes. In addition, it includes training on PERA evaluations for school board members who will participate in a vote on a dismissal based upon the Optional Alternative Evaluation Dismissal Process. This course enables board members to meet state-mandated training requirements (105 ILCS 5/10-16a, 105 ILCS 5/24-16.5; 23 Ill. Admin. Code §51.235).
There’s more. IASB offers on-demand courses in leadership and board work via Online Learning. Frequent webinars, free to members, cover a variety of topics. Livestreams, including “IASB Welcomes You to the Board” are on the agenda for new board members, as are Waypoint Webinars for new board members in the spring and summer. Plus, we are looking forward to a new event, Super Saturday, in September. Stay tuned for details on that!
You can find more information on all of this at www.iasb.com/newmember and www.iasb.com/online-learning. We look forward to meeting you, and until then, we are happy to assist with your learning anytime, anywhere.