COSSBA Update for May 2025
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Date PostedMay 29, 2025
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CategoryCOSSBA
Speakers Announced for COSSBA Safety Symposium in St. Louis
COSSBA, the Consortium of State School Boards Associations, has announced an exceptional lineup of speakers for the upcoming National School Safety Symposium, June 25-27 in St. Louis.
Frank DeAngelis, retired principal of Columbine High School and current safety and emergency management consultant for Jeffco School District, will deliver the opening keynote. DeAngelis will also participate in the anticipated “Essential 5” panel discussion, sharing firsthand experience and leadership lessons from one of the most pivotal events in school safety history.
John McDonald, chief operating officer of the Missouri School Boards Association’s Center for Education Safety, will lead the “Essential 5” panel discussion. McDonald will explore the most defining windows of decision-making in a school crisis: the first 5 minutes, 5 hours, 5 days and 5 weeks—and how they shape the next 5 years.
Steven McDonald, director of training and development at Safer Schools Together, has trained professionals across North America, including those from DHS, the FBI, law enforcement agencies, K-12 schools, and higher education. His presentation is “Decoding Digital Leakage to Prevent Real-World Tragedy.”
Melissa Reeves, Ph.D., senior advisor at Safe and Sound Schools, will serve as the day two keynote speaker. A national expert in mental health and crisis recovery, Dr. Reeves will focus on how districts can proactively support student mental health and implement recovery strategies after a traumatic event.
The National School Safety Symposium is designed in collaboration with the Missouri School Boards’ Association Center for Education Safety and the Pennsylvania School Boards Association’s Pennsylvania School Safety Institute and hosted by COSSBA’s Unified Board Alliance. The event is designed for superintendents, district safety personnel, school resource officers, communication professionals, school board members, and district safety teams, with the goal of empowering education and safety leaders with the knowledge, tools, and connections needed to protect students, staff, and communities.
Registration and details are available on the COSSBA event webpage.
COSSBA Webinar Series
The next event in the COSSBA/UBA webinar series, Integration of AI in Education, will take place August 13 from 11 a.m. to Noon (CST). Details on that, and access to previously recorded webinars, are available via the COSSBA Upcoming Webinars page.
Federal Advocacy Conference
Registration is open and planning is underway for the COSSBA Federal Advocacy Conference, September 7-9, 2025, in Washington D.C.
COSSBA and IASB will be working with attendees to set up meeting opportunities with federal education policymakers and Illinois Congressional officials. The conference includes panel sessions and advocacy training to prepare school board members for Lobby Day on September 9, during which school board members will attend meetings with Illinois federal legislators and legislative staff.
Learn more on the COSSBA Federal Advocacy Conference webpage or email the IASB Governmental Relations team for info.
About COSSBA
COSSBA is a non-partisan, national alliance made up of state school board associations to share resources and information to support, promote, and strengthen school board associations that serve local school districts and school board members. Membership in the Consortium is only available to state school board associations, which then provides local districts and state association members access to COSSBA training opportunities, resources, and services. IASB is a founding member of the COSSBA.
COSSBA, the Consortium of State School Boards Associations, has announced an exceptional lineup of speakers for the upcoming National School Safety Symposium, June 25-27 in St. Louis.
Frank DeAngelis, retired principal of Columbine High School and current safety and emergency management consultant for Jeffco School District, will deliver the opening keynote. DeAngelis will also participate in the anticipated “Essential 5” panel discussion, sharing firsthand experience and leadership lessons from one of the most pivotal events in school safety history.
John McDonald, chief operating officer of the Missouri School Boards Association’s Center for Education Safety, will lead the “Essential 5” panel discussion. McDonald will explore the most defining windows of decision-making in a school crisis: the first 5 minutes, 5 hours, 5 days and 5 weeks—and how they shape the next 5 years.
Steven McDonald, director of training and development at Safer Schools Together, has trained professionals across North America, including those from DHS, the FBI, law enforcement agencies, K-12 schools, and higher education. His presentation is “Decoding Digital Leakage to Prevent Real-World Tragedy.”
Melissa Reeves, Ph.D., senior advisor at Safe and Sound Schools, will serve as the day two keynote speaker. A national expert in mental health and crisis recovery, Dr. Reeves will focus on how districts can proactively support student mental health and implement recovery strategies after a traumatic event.
The National School Safety Symposium is designed in collaboration with the Missouri School Boards’ Association Center for Education Safety and the Pennsylvania School Boards Association’s Pennsylvania School Safety Institute and hosted by COSSBA’s Unified Board Alliance. The event is designed for superintendents, district safety personnel, school resource officers, communication professionals, school board members, and district safety teams, with the goal of empowering education and safety leaders with the knowledge, tools, and connections needed to protect students, staff, and communities.
Registration and details are available on the COSSBA event webpage.
COSSBA Webinar Series
The next event in the COSSBA/UBA webinar series, Integration of AI in Education, will take place August 13 from 11 a.m. to Noon (CST). Details on that, and access to previously recorded webinars, are available via the COSSBA Upcoming Webinars page.
Federal Advocacy Conference
Registration is open and planning is underway for the COSSBA Federal Advocacy Conference, September 7-9, 2025, in Washington D.C.
COSSBA and IASB will be working with attendees to set up meeting opportunities with federal education policymakers and Illinois Congressional officials. The conference includes panel sessions and advocacy training to prepare school board members for Lobby Day on September 9, during which school board members will attend meetings with Illinois federal legislators and legislative staff.
Learn more on the COSSBA Federal Advocacy Conference webpage or email the IASB Governmental Relations team for info.
About COSSBA
COSSBA is a non-partisan, national alliance made up of state school board associations to share resources and information to support, promote, and strengthen school board associations that serve local school districts and school board members. Membership in the Consortium is only available to state school board associations, which then provides local districts and state association members access to COSSBA training opportunities, resources, and services. IASB is a founding member of the COSSBA.
