The Governance Strategy and Practice strand aims to equip school district and county board of education members with the leadership skills, qualities, strategies and techniques to become a high-functioning team and advocate for all students.

Topics could include: board member role in developing a positive school culture; shared governance; leadership and decision making in crisis; board self-evaluation; superintendent contracts, hiring and evaluations; conflict resolution; use of data in making decisions; policy and protocols to support good governance; goal setting and budget alignment; redistricting; leadership role of the board president; engaging the voice of student board members; how to be an advocate; understanding and following parliamentary procedure; Form 700 and conflict of interest; ethics and transparency; California Public Records Act; the Brown Act; orienting new trustees; charter school oversight; candidate orientation; trustee role in negotiations; accountability; advocating and understanding the complexities of K-12 funding and budgeting; pension planning; health care and labor negotiations; collective bargaining; declining enrollment and attendance issues; school closures; facilities, bonds and tax campaigns; small school district issues; transportation; facilities; grants; affordable teacher housing; special education funding.

The Mental Health, Wellness and Student Safety strand encompasses the conditions of learning that address how student wellness, school culture and campus security contribute to educating the whole student and creating a nurturing, safe and respectful environment.

Topics could include: addressing student needs; suicide prevention; anti-bullying/harassment programs; human trafficking awareness; fentanyl, drug/alcohol prevention and response; mental health and the impact on students, families, teachers and staff; supporting LGBTQ students; mental health services and community partnerships; access to mental health services; social and mental health resources for teachers and school board members, including stress and decision fatigue; board member role in promoting healthy school climate; programs that address student mental, nutritional and physical health; social-emotional curriculum including mindfulness as a discipline; wraparound services including before school, after school and summer programming; community schools; localized mental health services in underserved communities; trauma-informed services including adverse childhood experiences; school-based health clinics; issues related to legalization of marijuana; vaping; open dialogue with law enforcement and government agencies; role of school counselors; and wellness interventions.

The Student and Community Engagement strand addresses board members’ leadership role in enabling authentic engagement and strengthening collaborative relationships with students, stakeholders, community partners and decision-makers to generate support for public schools and student achievement.

Topics could include: engaging student voice; Local Control and Accountability Plan and authentic parent and stakeholder participation; community schools; connecting with faith-based communities to reach families; marketing and promoting schools; personal and collective accountability; building positive school culture; student-centered schools; strategic planning; cultural literacy; programs and strategies for welcoming and engaging families, including parent resource centers or multilingual parent/family liaisons; local and grassroots advocacy; community organizing; legislative advocacy; forming political partnerships; business, nonprofit, philanthropic and corporate partnerships including health and wellness providers and partnerships between county offices of education and school districts to support student success; programs and partnerships addressing climate resiliency or climate action plans and/or sustainability.

This strand addresses the importance of ensuring that all students have access to the digital technology, programs and resources needed to prepare them for the future and explores the challenges of cyberattacks, plagiarism, loss of privacy, social media bullying and the law. Workshops will provide board members an opportunity to learn about the latest information on security risks, research and trends for the K-12 education system.

Topics could include: professional development; one-to-one devices; funding; access to technology; student data and privacy; technology challenges and solutions; disabilities and devices; plagiarism; artificial intelligence (AI); cybersecurity; social media and digital communications; social media use by students, teachers and schools; privacy issues and use of cameras; student voice; extended learning; and accelerated learning.