Policy 2:120
Development of Members of the Board of Education
The Board desires that its individual members learn, understand, and
practice effective governance principles. The Board is responsible for
Board member orientation and development. Members of the Board of
Education have an equal opportunity to attend state and national
meetings designed to familiarize members with public school issues,
governance, and legislation.
The Board President and/or Superintendent shall provide all members
of the Board of Education with information regarding pertinent education
materials, publications, and notices of training or development.
Mandatory Training for Members of the Board of Education
Each member of the Board of Education is responsible for the member's own compliance with the mandatory training laws that are described
below:
- Each member of the Board of Education, elected or appointed to fill a vacancy of at least one year's duration, must complete at least 4 hours
of professional development leadership training in education and labor
law, financial oversight and accountability, fiduciary
responsibilities, and (beginning in the fall of 2023) trauma-informed practices for students and staff within the first year of the member's first term. This
requirement is applicable to members of the the Board of Education who
are elected after June 13, 2011 or who are appointed to fill a vacancy
of at least one year’s duration after that date.
- Each member of the Board of Education must complete training on the
Open Meetings Act no later than 90 days after taking the oath of office
for the first time. After completing the training, each member of the
Board of Education must file a copy of the certificate of completion
with the Board. Training on the Open Meetings Act is only required once.
- Each member of the Board of Education must complete a training
program on evaluations under the Performance Evaluation Reform Act
(PERA) before participating in a vote on a tenured teacher’s dismissal
using the optional alternative evaluation dismissal process. This
dismissal process is available after the the District’s PERA
implementation date.
The Superintendent or designee shall maintain on the District website
a log identifying the complete training and development activities of
each member of the Board of Education, including both mandatory and
non-mandatory training.
Board Self-Evaluation
The Board will conduct periodic self-evaluations with the goal of continuous improvement.
New Members of the Board of Education Orientation
The orientation process for newly elected or appointed members of the Board of Education includes:
- The Board President or Superintendent, or their designees, shall
give each new member of the Board of Education a copy of or online
access to the Board Policy Manual, the Board’s regular meeting minutes
for the past year, and other helpful information including material
describing the District and explaining the Board’s roles and
responsibilities.
- The Board President or designee shall schedule one or more special
Board meetings, or schedule time during regular meetings, for members of
the Board of Education to become acquainted and review Board processes
and procedures.
- The Board President may request a veteran Board member to mentor a new member.
- All new members are encouraged to attend workshops for new members conducted by the Illinois Association of School Boards.
Candidates
The Superintendent or designee shall invite all current candidates
for the office of members of the Board of Education to attend:
- Board meetings, except that this invitation shall not extend to any closed meetings, and
- Pre-election workshops for candidates, if any.
Adopted: October 20, 1997
Revised: January 25, 2016; November 15, 2021