Sharing Common Needs, Ideas with Neighbors at Spring Workshops

It’s not unusual that some school districts have had ties for valedictorians, but TASB Policy Consultant Kristy Birch was surprised when she heard about a three-way tie among identical triplets at a Houston area district. 

“That’s going to go in the story bank,” she told the crowd of 50 school board trustees and administrators who turned out for the recent Houston Spring Workshop, held in collaboration with the Gulf Coast Area Association of School Boards.  

The event is part of TASB’s annual series of workshops designed to bring training and networking opportunities closer to home for trustees across the state. Birch was diving into her session on Trending Policy Topics, when the triplets came up as part of a closer look at EIC(Local), which deals with class ranking.  

The opportunity to share real-world situations and district experiences is one of the key highlights of the Spring Workshops, but this event also offers neighboring trustees the opportunity to earn continuing education credit while connecting with others in their region facing similar challenges.  

“It’s really one of the few opportunities where the group is small enough where you can talk to everyone and have conversations and find out what people are doing in their districts,” said TASB Director Rose Avalos, also an Aldine ISD trustee. “We can share ideas.” 

TASB Spring Workshops feature unique programming depending on the needs of the region hosting the specific event. In Houston, the sessions not only covered policy but also the basics of how to advocate at the Texas Capitol. 

“We work collaboratively to ensure that the trainings offered are responsive to what trustees in each area are requesting,” said Kathy Dundee, TASB’s director of Conference and Event Planning. “We know some school board members may not always have the opportunity to travel far from home to get their training, so we want to make these workshops as relevant as possible.” 

Barbers Hill ISD Trustee Benny May, who also serves as second vice president for the Gulf Coast Area Association of School Boards and chairs the TASB Energy Cooperative Board, traveled some 65 miles to attend the workshop to connect with other board members.

“I think it’s important to see what neighboring school districts are doing,” he said. “You’d be surprised how many of us have the same needs.” 

For trustees interested in attending a Spring Workshop, visit tasb.org to register. 

TASB Spring Workshops

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