6 Things for Trustees to Focus on at the End of Year

Heading into the final months of 2024, it may be hard to believe how quickly the year has gone by. Now is a great time to reflect on what's been learned, ongoing challenges, and what districts and trustees might expect in 2025. 

Here are six items to consider as you reflect on your year in service:  

1. Revisit What You Learned 

If you attended Summer Leadership Institute or txEDCON24, you gained a lot of great resources to support you in your board service. You probably felt recharged and ready to implement new ideas, but as with anything in life, you may have been sidetracked, stowed your notes away, or made a plan to revisit topics with your board, only to get busy with other tasks. 

Many of the sessions offered at SLI and txEDCON24 provided access to best practices and put the spotlight on innovative programs from districts across the state. Why not break out your notes and give the information another review? Then, consider what ideas might benefit your board and district in the new year. 

2. Check Your Training Requirements 

You accomplished a lot in 2024. It’s easy to forget all that you’ve done and easy to put off all that you need to do.  

Trustee Training Requirements: With all the training sessions you’ve attended, now’s a great time to make sure you are on track to meet your annual and biennial requirements.  

New trustee? There is an online course you can take that will give you an overview of the requirements. The Training Requirements Guide is designed to give you an overview.  

You may also want to reference the information found in the New Board Member Handbook, which includes quick access to resources you can use to check your progress. 

3. Review Your Continuing Education Credits 

Tied in with all the work you’ve done over the year, you should review your current Continue Education Credits to ensure they are on track to meet your state requirements. If your district’s school administrator collects this information, you may wish to double check with them to verify your status.  

Note: Trustees should review this e-source document (TASB login required), which explains that the board president must announce the status of board members’ continuing education credits during the last board meeting prior to an election.  

4. Prepare for the Legislative Session 

The 89th Legislature will be back at work in January. Take some time to learn how you can be a supportive advocate for your district. 

If you’re new to advocacy, you may want to start with the on-demand course Advocacy 101, which will share the importance of advocacy and some of the basics you need to know. For trustees more experienced with advocacy, review Advocacy 201: Knowing the Game. Both courses are available on the Online Learning Center and both earn continuing education credits.  

5. Stay in the Loop  

If you haven’t already joined TASB’s School Board Action Network, be sure to sign up today. SBAN is designed to help you stay informed and up to date on important legislative and education news so you can successfully speak out on issues of importance to your school district and Texas public schoolchildren in general. 

Another great resource for trustees is the Legislative Report, which monitors happenings at the Capitol so you can stay up to date on important issues and get up-to-date information and news on public education policy. 

You can also get timely updates and calls to action by subscribing to Texans for Strong Public Schools, a monthly newsletter. 

6. Plan Ahead for the New Year 

Governance Camp is coming soon! The event is being held March 5-8 in Galveston. Governance Camp brings governance, leadership, and student voice together for a one-of-a-kind learning experience. Learn more about this year’s event and start making your plans to attend. 

Have a positive story about a program in your district? Let us know. Email us at tasb@tasb.org.