Conference Agenda

*Used with permission from the song “Twis ter” written by Richard Elloyan of Dayton,
Nevada—singer, songwriter, cowboy, and poet. www.richardelloyan.com

October 11, 2007 (Thursday)

11 am - 2 pm
Executive Committee
Working lunch and business meeting
Second Floor: Aztec Room

2 pm - 5 pm
Board of Directors Meeting
Second Floor: Aztec Room

3 pm - 5:30 pm
Registration materials and name tags available
Second Floor: Hallway outside Aztec Room

When registration materials are picked up, Conference attendees will be asked to complete a survey that will be used in connection with Saturday’s program about the Lighthouse Project and Research conducted by the Iowa School Boards Foundation. These surveys will be collected at the beginning of the NASB business meeting on Friday afternoon at 430pm.

At the same time, attendees will also be asked to sign up for the three breakout sessions that they will attend on Friday afternoon. Participation in each breakout session will be limited to 30 attendees.

Dinner: On your own

6:15 pm (promptly)
Buses depart from front of Airport Plaza for the National Automobile Museum

6:30 pm - 8:45 pm
Reception
National Automobile Museum

Welcome to the Reception and Conference:
Sheila Moulton, NASB President
Clark County School District

Remarks:  
Senator William J. Raggio,
Paul Dugan [Superintendent, Washoe County School District]

Student Entertainment:
String Quartet, North Valleys High School, under the direction of Caroline Karl

Introduction
Paul Dugan

While at the National Automobile Museum, NASB Conference participants may see some individuals who are shining cars. These are Museum supporters who have “adopted” specific cars and who periodically take advantage of the opportunity to polish them.

8:45 pm
Buses depart from the National Automobile Museum for the Airport Plaza Hotel

October 12, 2007 (Friday)

Breakfast: On your own

7:30 am
Registration materials available
Second Floor: Hallway outside Lear, Piper, and Cessna

Each Conference notebook includes an Evaluation Form. Please help us to provide you with the best future Conference possible by completing this form.  You are asked to rate the activities or presentations based upon the usefulness and interest of the information presented as well as the effectiveness of the speaker then share your overall observations about the Conference facilities, food, etc.  Evaluation ratings will be compiled then averaged and distributed to the Executive Committee and Board of Directors, along with all comments that attendees provide.

Thank you in advance for completing the Evaluation Form and returning it to the Executive Director before you leave the Conference.

7:30 am
Meeting rooms open
Second Floor: Lear, Piper, and Cessna

8 am–8:30 am
Welcome to the Conference and Introduction of Special Guests
Sheila Moulton, NASB President
Clark County School District

Welcome to Washoe County School District
Jody Ruggiero, President Board of Trustees
Washoe County School District

What’s Going on Today and Introduction of Corporate Friends
Dotty Merrill, NASB Executive Director

8:30 am - 10 am
Facing the Challenges of the Nevada Open Meeting Law
George Taylor, Senior Deputy Attorney General
Nevada Attorney General’s Office

See chapter 3, “In the Boardroom,” in BECOMING A BETTER BOARD MEMBER, pages 42-63, with special emphasis on “Meeting in the Sunshine,” pages 52-55.

10 am - 10:15 am
Morning break
Assorted Danish and muffins, juices, coffee, tea, and/or milk

10:15 am - 10:45 am
Retiree Health Insurance and SB544
The Good, the Bad, and the Really Ugly
Randy Robison
Lobbyist, Capitol Strategies
[Former NASB Executive Director]

See chapter 14, “Contemporary Issues,” in BECOMING A BETTER BOARD MEMBER, pages 235-260, with special emphasis on “Risk Management and School Insurance,” pages 258-260.

10:45 am - 11:45 am
The Challenges of Nevada Ethics in Government
Rick Hsu, Esq.
Member of the Nevada Commission on Ethics
Attorney, Maupin, Cox and Legoy

See chapter 1, “Getting on Board,” in BECOMING A BETTER BOARD MEMBER, pages 1-23, with special emphasis on “Ethics for Effective Board Members,” pages 18-21.

Noon-1:15 pm
Lunch
Ultimate Salad Bar - everything you could want in your salad, including tomatoes, onions, olives, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, carrots, celery, baby corn, etc., plus Chef’s choice of dessert, beverage
Second Floor: Concord Room

Guest Speaker
Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley

1:15 pm - 1:30 pm
Setting up for afternoon workshops

1:15 pm - 4:30 pm
Photo Opportunity

Scott Nelson, Regional Director for Herff Jones/Ross Photo, and his assistant will be available on the Airport Plaza’s Second Floor in front of the Landing Bar to take photographs of all NASB officers, the Executive Committee, Directors, school board members, superintendents, school board secretaries/administrative assistants, and other Conference attendees. Business or business casual dress is preferred. Please be sure to get your photograph taken for use on the NASB website, in the NASB Directory, and for other purposes in your local school district.  Please stop by for your photo opportunity after lunch, before and/or between breakout sessions, or before the business meeting.   We hope that everyone in attendance will take advantage of this opportunity; however, please do not skip the breakout sessions!

1:30 pm - 4:30 pm 
Breakout Sessions

When registration materials are picked up, Conference attendees will be asked to designate three sessions that they will attend from these provided. Each session will be limited to 30 participants and will be repeated three times.  Each session will be last 45 minutes to be followed by a 15 minute break to facilitate moving from one session to another and taking advantage of the photo opportunity.

(1)  Empowerment Schools in Clark County School District and Their Effectiveness — Dr. Karlene Lee, Clark County School District [Lear]

(2)  The Nevada Growth Model for Measuring Student Achievement — Dr. Paul LaMarca, Washoe County School District [Cessna]

(3)  Capital Financing and Bond Elections in the Post-Abatement World — Marty Johnson, JNA Consulting Group, and Dr. Mary Pierczynski and Mike Mitchell, Carson City School District, and Jennifer Stern, Swenseid and Stern [Aztec]

See chapter 12, “Fundamentals of School Finance,” in BECOMING A BETTER BOARD MEMBER, pages 202-219, with special emphasis on “Referendum Strategies That Work,” pages 215-218.

(4) What works? What doesn’t? Pay for Performance Incentives for Educational Staff — John Soderman, Retired Superintendent, Douglas County School District [Piper]

(5)  School District Emergency Preparedness — Dr. Steve Mulvenon and Chris Smith, Washoe County School District [Gulfstream]

See chapter 14, “Contemporary Issues,” in BECOMING A BETTER BOARD MEMBER, pages 235-260, with special emphasis on “Keeping Schools and Students Safe,” pages 244-249.

4:30 pm - 5:30pm
NASB Business Meeting and Election of Officers
Second Floor meeting rooms
Sheila Moulton, NASB President
Clark County School District

6 pm
No host cocktails available
Second Floor: Landing Bar

6:30 pm
Dinner Buffet
Prime rib or salmon with baked potato, condiments, green vegetable, salad, Chef’s choice of dessert, and beverages
Second Floor: Concord Room

Guest Speaker
Assemblywoman Debbie Smith

7:30 pm
Student Entertainment:
Churchill County Junior High School Greenwave Chorus and Drumline
Under the direction of Tom Fleming Introduction
Carolyn Ross, Superintendent Churchill County School District

October 13, 2007 (Saturday)

7:15 am
Meeting rooms open

7:30 am-8 am
Continental Breakfast - Assorted house-baked Danish and muffins, assorted dry cereals, yogurt, granola, fresh fruit, orange juice, coffee, tea, or milk
Second Floor: Concord Room

8 am - 8:30 am
Welcome to the Conference and Introduction of Special Guest
Sheila Moulton, NASB President

What are Utah school boards doing to promote improved student achievement?
Sarah Meier, Granite School District, Utah President, Utah School Boards Association

8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Special Workshop for School Board Secretaries/Administrative Assistants
Sherry Miceli, Administrative Services Coordinator, Office of the Superintendent
Washoe County School District 
Second Floor: Gulfstream

8:30 am - 8:45 am
What’s Going on Today and Recognition of Corporate Friends
Dotty Merrill, NASB Executive Director

8:45 am - 10 am
The Lighthouse Project and Research
Conducted by  the Iowa School Boards Foundation
Matt Ludwig, Principal
Sioux Center Middle School—Sioux Center, Iowa

See chapters 4, 6, and 13, “Exercising Board Leadership,” “Boards and Superintendents,” and ”Curriculum: The No. 1 Program,” from BECOMING A BETTER BOARD MEMBER, pages 64-85, 109-133, and 220-234.

10 am - 10:15 am
Morning break

10:15 - Noon
Continuation of the Lighthouse Project and Research
Conducted by the Iowa School Boards Foundation
Matt Ludwig, Principal
Sioux Center Middle School—Sioux Center, Iowa

Noon - 1 pm
Lunch
Ultimate Salad Buffet: almost everything you could think of for a salad plus Caesar salad options, Chef’s choice of dessert, and beverages

Speaker: 
Assemblywoman Bonnie Parnell

1 pm - 1:30 pm
Update on Nevada Statewide Issues re K-12 Public Education
Dr. Keith Rheault, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Panel Discussions: Policy Decisions That Nevada School Boards Have Made That Have Positively Impacted Student Achievement

Clark County School District
Carolyn Edwards, Board of Trustees

Douglas County School District
Nancy Bryant, Assistant Superintendent
Sharla Hales, Board of Trustees

Lander County School District
Susan Davis, Board of Trustees

Washoe County School District
Nancy Hollinger, Board of Trustees    

2:30 pm - 2:45 pm
Afternoon break
Assorted cookies and brownies, herbal teas, and assorted sodas

2:45 pm - 3:30 pm
Overcoming the Challenges of Involving the Community in Student Achievement
Dr. Rob Roberts, Nye County School District
Dr. Rob’s Ranger Readers
Antoinette Cavanaugh, Elko County School District
Elko County Reads

3:30 pm - 4 pm
Introduction of Special Guest
Sheila Moulton, NASB President

Special Guest
What are California school boards doing to promote improved student achievement?
Joanne Yee
California School Boards Association

4 pm - 5 pm
Small group discussions and sharing other ideas

Wrapping up the Iowa Lighthouse Project and Research
Matt Ludwig, Principal
Sioux Center Middle School—Sioux Center, Iowa

6 pm
No host cocktails available
Second Floor: Landing Bar

6:30 pm
Dinner Buffet
Pork loin or smoked turkey, wild rice, green vegetable, salad, Chef’s choice of dessert, and beverages

NASB Awards Ceremony

Sheila Moulton, President
Clark County School District

Norm Scoggin, Immediate Past President
Carson City School District

Sharla Hales, President Elect
Douglas County School District

Special Entertainment
Richard Elloyan
Singer, Songwriter, Cowboy, and Poet

Introduction
Dotty Merrill, Executive Director

October 14, 2007 (Sunday)

7:15 am
Meeting rooms open

7:30 am - 8:15 am
Classic Breakfast Buffet
Scrambled eggs, apple wood smoked bacon, fresh fruit, home style breakfast potatoes, assorted muffins, orange and grapefruit juices, and coffee, tea, or milk
Second Floor: Concord Room

8 am - 8:30 am
Discussion about NASB Future Activities and Vision
Sharla Hales, NASB President

8:30 am - 9:45 am
Panel and Shared Discussion:
School Boards and the Superintendent Evaluation - Facing the Challenges of an Effective Evaluation

Questions will include: How do different school districts handle this process?  What has worked well? What hasn't worked as well as anticipated? How do you know that an evaluation works well? How the community is involved--if involved? Do district staff provide input? Does the superintendent do a self-evaluation? What specific measures of effectiveness are used? How has the evaluation process changed (if it has) because it must be done by the board in a public meeting?  How evaluation may be different for a superintendent new to the position vs. that for a superintendent who has been in the position for a number of years?

Murry Whipple, Moderator
Former NASB President
Lincoln County School District

Irene Chachas, Vice President
White Pine County School District

Paul Hinz, Board of Directors
Churchill County School District

Norm Scoggin, Former NASB President
Carson City School District

Carolyn Edwards, Board of Directors
Clark County School District

Harold Tokerud, Board of Directors
Nye County School District

See chapter 8, “Evaluating the Superintendent,” in BECOMING A BETTER BOARD MEMBER, pages 152-161.

9:45 am - 10 am
Morning break

10 am - Noon
Developing District Goals and Measuring Outcomes: Overcoming the Challenges of Superintendent Evaluation
Jim Huge, Huge & Associates

See chapter 6, “Boards and Superintendents,” in BECOMING A BETTER BOARD MEMBER, pages 109-133.

Noon 
Farewell

Submission of Conference Evaluations
Sharla Hales, New NASB President