School Board Training

(1) Approval of Training Courses. (a) Local school board member training courses (“Training Courses”) shall be approved by the State Board. (b) Training Course hours will be recognized only for Training Courses approved by the State Board in accordance with this rule. (c) The State Board shall appoint a School Board Training Advisory Committee (“Advisory Committee”) responsible for evaluating and recommending Training Courses for approval. The Advisory Committee shall include a member of the State Board of Education, the Executive Director of the State Board or his/her designee, the Commissioner of Education or his/her designee, and at least one (1) local school board member. The Advisory Committee may also include others appointed by the State Board for terms designated by the State Board. (d) Beginning in 2022, the Advisory Committee shall evaluate proposed Training Courses and recommend Training Courses for approval to the State Board. The Advisory Committee shall require prospective Training Course providers to submit an application for Training Course approval to the Advisory Committee by February 15 prior to the fiscal year in which the Training Course will be offered. The application for Training Course approval shall include, but is not limited to, the following information: DISTRICT AND SCHOOL OPERATIONS CHAPTER 0520-01-02 1. Name of the prospective Training Course provider (individual(s), entity, and/or LEA); 2. Experience of the prospective Training Course provider in providing school board member training; 3. Instructor qualifications; 4. Title, proposed agenda, and length of Training Course(s); 5. Intended audience for the Training Course(s) (New Board Members and/or Experienced Board Members); 6. Description of content to be delivered and learning objectives; 7. Description of instructional strategies, activities, and presentation materials; 8. Method of delivery of Training Course content (webinar, in-person, etc.); 9. Fees, if any, to be charged; 10. Methods used to evaluate the achievement of stated learning objectives and Training Course provider effectiveness; and 11. If an LEA proposes Training Courses for approval, the proposal shall state whether the Training Courses are restricted to members of the LEA’s Board of Education or if Training Courses will be open to any Board of Education member who wishes to participate. (e) Any Training Courses not recommended for approval may be re-submitted by the provider to the Advisory Committee during the next application cycle. (f) Training Courses that meet the requirements of this rule and are recommended by the Advisory Committee for approval shall be submitted by the Advisory Committee to the State Board for approval. 1. Beginning in 2022, the Advisory Committee shall submit recommended Training Courses for approval to the State Board no later than May 1 prior to the fiscal year in which the Training Course will be offered. 2. Training Courses recommended by the Advisory Committee and approved by the State Board shall be included in State Board Local School Board Member Training Policy 2.100. 3. Training Course approvals are valid for three (3) years, unless the provider or State Board indicates the Training Course is proposed or approved for a shorter period of time. 4. Approved Training Course providers shall notify State Board staff if any changes to information outlined in subparagraph (1)(d) are made to approved Training Courses during the approval period. State Board staff shall determine if re- approval by the State Board is required as a result of the changes. (g) When submitting recommended Training Courses for approval to the State Board, the Advisory Committee shall include a summary of the reasons for the approval recommendation. DISTRICT AND SCHOOL OPERATIONS CHAPTER 0520-01-02 (2) Training Requirements. (a) Training Requirements for New Board Members. Beginning on July 1, 2022, newly elected or newly appointed members of a local board of education (“New Board Members”) shall, at a minimum, participate in twenty-one (21) hours of training during their first year in office. The twenty-one (21) hours shall include fourteen (14) hours of orientation Training Courses covering topics outlined in subparagraph (2)(a)1.; however, if a New Board Member has been elected to a local board of education with a break in service of more than four (4) years, the New Board Member may choose to substitute any orientation Training Course with any other approved Training Course to count toward the required fourteen (14) hours of orientation training. The remaining seven (7) hours shall be selected from any additional approved Training Course(s). All required training hours shall be completed within twelve (12) months of joining the local board of education. 1. Orientation Training Course Content. New Board Members shall complete orientation Training Courses covering the following topics: (i) Education’s governance structure, including an overview of the roles and responsibilities of the State Board of Education, Department of Education, and the Public Charter School Commission; (ii) School data and finance; (iii) Communication and engagement; (iv) Board policies; (v) Strategic planning; (vi) School law; (vii) Board/Director of Schools relations; (viii) Board/staff relations; (ix) Board/student relations; (x) Tennessee open meetings and open records requirements; and (xi) Conflict of interest and ethics. (b) Training Requirements for Experienced Board Members. Beginning on July 1, 2022, experienced local school board members with one (1) or more years of service on a local board of education with a break in service of no more than four (4) years (“Experienced Board Members”) shall, at a minimum, complete seven (7) hours of training each fiscal year. 1. Training Course Content. Experienced Board Members shall select any approved Training Course(s) to meet the required seven (7) hours each fiscal year. 2. Local school board members who are re-elected to a local board of education with no break in service shall be considered Experienced Board Members for training purposes. DISTRICT AND SCHOOL OPERATIONS CHAPTER 0520-01-02 (3) School Board Member Stipends and Monitoring. (a) Local school board members may receive a stipend for completing approved Training Courses, subject to available funding. The Department of Education may be responsible for administration of any stipend payments utilizing state funds. (b) The Department of Education shall be responsible for monitoring local school board member compliance with these rules. Approved Training Course providers shall provide a list to the Department of Education of all local school board members who have completed approved Training Courses during the fiscal year. This report shall be submitted to the Department of Education by July 15 following each fiscal year. (c) If a local school board member is unable to complete all required training hours due to an unanticipated hardship, the Commissioner of Education may reduce the number of hours required for the board member under this rule upon receiving explanation of the unanticipated hardship and request for reduction. Any reduction granted by the Commissioner of Education shall only be valid for one (1) year. If a New Board Member is granted a reduction by the Commissioner, any orientation Training Courses not completed by the board member shall be made up in the following year. If a local school board member was unable to complete any of the required training hours due to an unanticipated hardship, the local board of education may request that the Commissioner of Education waive the annual training requirement for that board member. The waiver request shall include an explanation of the unanticipated hardship that prevented the board member from completing any required training hours. (4) Until June 30, 2022, local school board members shall comply with Training Course requirements through participation in the School Board Academy program administered by the Department of Education. Beginning on July 1, 2022 and thereafter, local school board members shall comply with Training Course requirements outlined in this rule.