School board members are invited to boost their Joint Annual Conference experience by participating in targeted training at the IASB Friday Focus Workshops on November 20.

These multiple half-day sessions (morning and afternoon) are designed to help board members develop their governing and board leadership skills and gain in-depth knowledge from education experts on current issues impacting school governance.

New for 2026, IASB’s Conference equity workshop will be offered as two Friday Focus sessions. EQUITY 26: Listening Across Difference is a morning session that will pose the questions, “Can you truly hear viewpoints that challenge your own? Can you react in ways that build trust, not division?” In the afternoon session, EQUITY 26: Writing Ourselves Into Being will help leaders move from competing perspectives toward shared understanding and collective action. Both sessions are based on john a. powell’s Belonging without Othering framework and are presented by Sabine Denise Jaques and Thomas Chang from Joy & Justice in Schools.

Regeneration: Reimagining and Revitalizing Rural Education is an interactive workshop that moves beyond the “deficit model” of rurality. Participants will engage with the latest data trends, dissect systemic barriers, and explore scalable, innovative solutions. Regeneration is presented by Todd Dugan, Ed.D., President-Elect, Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools (AIRSS), and Superintendent, Bunker Hill CUSD 8.

This year, two of the Conference’s keynote speakers will also be leading Friday Focus Workshops.

In The Future-Proof Catalyst: From Inspiration to Implementation, leaders will define what future-proofing looks like for their communities, map key stakeholders who blend veteran wisdom with fresh energy, craft audience-specific messaging that stays authentic, and leave with a complete 30/60/90-day action plan and ready-to-use tools. The presenter is Mary Hemphill, Ph.D., CEO & Founder of The Limitless Leader, who is also the Sunday General Session Speaker.

Tech, AI & Student Achievement: How Students Learn Best asks, “Why is digital technology so often detrimental to learning, and what are the mechanisms driving negative effects?” With a deeper understanding of why these tools so often disappoint, participants will be better poised to consider when and how we choose to use tech meaningfully. Presenting is Jared Horvath, Ph.D., Neuroscientist, educator, author, and Director, LME Global. He is also the Saturday General Session Speaker.

The Future-Proof Catalyst and Tech, AI & Student Achievement will both be offered twice, once each in the morning session and again in the afternoon. Several other Friday Focus Workshops are scheduled and presented by IASB staff.

Friday Focus Workshops are available to individuals registered for the 2026 Joint Annual Conference. The price of each half-day training is $225. Workshops include breakfast (a.m.) or lunch (p.m.). Contact Miranda Sexton with questions about Friday Focus Workshops.