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By Molly Macek
On October 11, school board members from across the state gathered in Lansing for a training workshop co-hosted by the Mackinac Center and partner organizations. The workshop gave school board members the opportunity to learn alternative perspectives to those generally espoused by the public school establishment.
The Mackinac Center partnered with Salt & Light Global and the Leadership Institute to deliver a full program covering a variety of topics that support effective board governance and leadership. Molly Macek, director of education policy, presented strategies for building a superintendent accountability system that improves student achievement. Mike Van Beek, director of research, gave tips to help board members understand district finances, budgets and collective bargaining.
The Leadership Institute covered topics such as effective governance and school board norms, constituent management and improving outcomes for special education students. SLG led sessions on government transparency, the Open Meetings Act, local control and district authority.
The workshop attendees had the opportunity to learn from experienced school board members and local legal experts, too. In a panel discussion, board members from Birmingham and Rochester shared their personal insights on cultivating board relations, navigating challenging situations and engaging with the public. In another panel, local attorneys and a member of the Michigan State Board of Education responded to questions about parental rights and district policy development.
The panel discussions and presentations sparked in-depth conversation among the attendees and gave them practical tools for improving board governance. The workshop also provided invaluable networking time for board members seeking support from like-minded peers.
School board members expressed immense gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the workshop. It deepened their understanding of board governance and offered them different perspectives on relevant issues from education, policy and legal experts. They valued the opportunity to connect with peers who face similar challenges in their districts and to learn from each other about overcoming these obstacles.
The Mackinac Center plans to work with its partner organizations to offer more events of this nature in the future. It will also continue to collaborate with other local and national organizations, such as School Boards for Academic Excellence, to provide resources that address the needs of reform-minded school board members across the state.
Interested school members can learn more and access helpful resources on the Mackinac Center website: Solutions for School Boards – Mackinac Center.
