The Tennessee School Board Association will focus on the role School Boards can play in student achievement as it brings together members from across the state for its three-day Convention this week.
TSBA President Jayson McDonald said this year’s theme is “Student Excellence, All Voices, One Goal.” McDonald said focusing on student excellence will make sure students have everything they need to succeed once they graduate.
“Make sure those kids get an education, learn how to read and write, and do math, and learn maybe a different language or a trade once they get into high school and get them ready for the workforce and ready to be productive citizens in our communities,” McDonald said.
McDonald said the convention will have several speakers who will speak to school board members across the state, teaching them how they play a role in student excellence. McDonald said many may not think about the role school board members have in contributing to student excellence.
“As a school board, we set the policies and procedures that the director will then implement across his supervisory staff,” McDonald said. “And then once it goes from there, we are kind of the forefront. In White County, right now, we are in the process of a strategic plan. Getting a five-year strategic plan on what we want to do with our buildings and how we want to upgrade our buildings, so it really starts at the top and works its way down to the folks that are in the trenches every day.”
McDonald said networking is very important for school boards. McDonald said school boards from across the state will do a lot of networking during the convention.
“Talking about whether their media programs are working, or how their mechatronics program is working, whatever works great in their schools, so that they can branch that out,” McDonald said. “And maybe get some folks across the state some ideas to take back to their home districts.”
McDonald said he looks forward to networking with other school board members during the convention. The convention begins Thursday.