Welcome, New Trustees: Let the Good Work Begin

Congratulations to all the new trustees who are taking on board service for the first time! Now that the campaign is over, the real work begins.  

The veteran trustees we talk with tell us how rewarding their service is. While there is no better feeling than giving back to your community and serving others, the work of a school board member is sometimes challenging and time consuming, especially as you acclimate to your role. 

If you’re new to your board, you may be wondering where to begin and what you need to know right now. We have answers and resources to support you as you start to tackle the list of to-dos! 

The First 120 Days 

TASB offers a myriad of resources to support our members, from on-call legal support to in-district board training, annual training events to advocacy opportunities. Within your first 120 days you have requirements that you must complete. Some of these requirements include: 

• Attending Open Meetings Act training 
• Attending Public Information Act training (if applicable) 
• Completing a form to withhold personal information   

These are just a few of the items that must be done within your first three months. TASB has the expertise to offer our members and trustees the required training to meet the state’s requirements. Be sure to check out our resource, Your First 120 Days as a School Board Member, for complete details. 

As you get started, there is a lot to sort through, which is why the following resources can be helpful. 

• New School Board Member: What’s Next? 
• New Board Member Checklist 
• 5 Common Questions New School Board Members Ask 

New trustees are also required to participate in a local orientation at your district. The Best Practices for Onboarding New Trustees offers guidance, which may help you prepare questions you may have for your district’s administrative team and your board president. 

Professional Development 

To meet your training needs, TASB offers several events throughout the year where member districts are able to earn continuing education credits. Also, districts have the opportunity to share their best practices in sessions.  

Training opportunities and offerings include: 

• Governance Camp 
• Summer Leadership Institute 
• txEDCON 
• Spring Workshops 
• Texas Trustee Institute 
• Board Officer Institute 
• TASB’s Online Learning Center (You can find a wide range of courses to meet your training needs) 

Advocacy Tools 

As a new school board member, you may be unfamiliar with how to advocate on behalf of your district and its students. Advocating is one of the most important duties you have. It’s so critical, it is an essential component in the State Board of Education’s Framework for School Board Development. 

Getting your footing on your board is a task in itself, so you may think that learning about advocacy will be too complicated, but TASB is here to help.  

The Association makes a number of resources available to our members to support them with their advocacy efforts. Benefits of membership include: 

• Access to specialized tools, training, and legislative alerts to help advance and strengthen public education  
• Exclusive invitation to join the School Board Advocacy Network and attend members-only legislative conferences in Texas and Washington, D.C. 
• As part of SBAN, you also receive a subscription to The Legislative Report, an e-newsletter dedicated to the latest happenings at the Capitol. 
• Access to the Toolkit for Community Advocacy, and its associated activities and helpful resources. 

Also, the TASB Advocacy Agenda is made possible through a member-led grassroots process that takes place at the local, regional, and state levels.  

The information included within this article is meant to help new trustees feel more confident knowing they have tools and resources to support them through their board service. As a new trustee, you can also learn more about the Association and its 75-year history. 

As you continue to learn more and expand your knowledge you will likely have questions or concerns. Please contact us; we’re your member organization and ready to support you. Call us at 512-467-0222 or 800-580-8272.