LEADERSHIP & ADVOCACY

Resilience, Perseverance, and Commitment to Alaska’s Public Education

Lon Garrison, AASB Executive Director

As we gathered for AASB’s annual conference last week, whose theme was “Coming Together for Students,” I found myself reflecting on a year defined by extraordinary challenges — but also extraordinary resolve. Alaska’s school boards, superintendents, and district leaders faced one of the most difficult periods in recent memory. Yet in every region of our state, and in every district — large and small, urban and rural — I continued to see three key strengths at work: resilience, perseverance, and commitment.

These aren’t abstract ideals. They are the qualities school board members demonstrate every day as they serve their communities, support their educators, and keep students at the center of every decision.

BOARD DEVELOPMENT

What Strong Boards do to Ensure Success:

Ten Tips for Success

Katie Oliver, Associate Executive Director, and Timi Tullis

We’re pleased to share a special contribution this month from Timi Tullis who retired in 2024 after many years of dedicated service to Alaska’s school boards.

Timi’s work touched countless board members across the state. In this article, she shares her top ten tips for effective board governance – wisdom gathered from decades of hands-on experience and heartfelt commitment to public education.

So for one last reminder, what would Timi say…

CONDITIONS FOR LEARNING

Preparing for Life After High School

Emily Ferry, Family Engagement Manager

North Pole High School senior Liam Wade has a message for school board members. At AASB’s annual conference, he told attendees, “So often in Alaska’s schools we’re teaching for lower-48 jobs; we’re teaching for lower-48 opinions and opportunities.” He called on school boards to meet students where their interests are, as well as where the financial and educational opportunities are. 

Liam echoed keynote speaker Jeff Ultrect’s message; we should teach for careers we’re seeing in the future, not the past. Utrecht noted that 75% of the future jobs will need some sort of training after high school. 



Here in Alaska, we do have a lot of opportunities for employment and to receive additional education. Nearly nine out of ten students who responded to the School Climate & Connectedness Survey indicated that they want more education after high school. But we struggle to connect students with those opportunities. 

Whether you’re just getting started on your board or want to brush up on the basics,

AASB’s First-Term Board Member Webinar Series is for you! 

This series of seven webinars will be held from October through February and will cover topics such as conducting effective meetings, school finance, working with your community, school law, and more.

We invite your school districts to participate in the 2026 School Climate & Connectedness Survey (SCCS). Each year, the majority of Alaska school districts collect and use school climate data to improve and strengthen school environments, relationships, and connections between students, staff and families. Participating in SCCS also opens up additional opportunities for grant programs through AASB to support initiatives to improve school climate. 

Questions? Contact the School Climate team at sccs@aasb.org 

What if your ‘dream school’ isn’t the one everyone tells you it should be?

Join us for a live Q&A on prestige, fit, affordability, and real-world value in making a college decision that’s right for you and your family.

How AI is reshaping recruiting, hiring, and training, and what it means for today’s high school students. What skills and experiences should they focus on, and which credentials will remain valuable? Our experts will answer your questions live.

School board members, superintendents, students, and education partners from across the state gathered November 13–16 at the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center for AASB’s 72nd Annual Conference and Youth Leadership Institute.

Despite a last-minute venue shift from the Egan Center due to Typhoon Halong, the event went smoothly and offered four days of learning, collaboration, and statewide connection.

A special thank-you to the Dena’ina Center staff for their flexibility and outstanding support, and to GCI for providing robust, reliable wireless service throughout the conference.

On Wednesday, exhibitors transformed the second-floor hallway into a vibrant showcase of resources, tools, and services for Alaska’s school districts.

Thursday morning’s pre-conference sessions kicked off with training designed to strengthen governance skills for board members at every level.

The Experienced Board Member Academy focused on financial oversight, including the foundation formula, budgeting timelines, fund balance, Impact Aid, and grants.

Ready, Set, Govern! supported new board members by building their confidence and helping them connect with peers.

General Sessions and breakout offerings aligned with this year’s theme, Coming Together for Alaska’s Students, and provided practical strategies on governance, student success, superintendent and board teamwork, community engagement and legislative advocacy.

Keynotes featured Jeff Utecht, who encouraged leaders to rethink learning for a changing world, and Benjamin Mallott, who emphasized building strong partnerships with Alaska Native communities. Senator Lisa Murkowski provided a congressional perspective on education issues.

One of AASB’s most beloved conference traditions, the Friday night June Nelson Memorial Scholarship Fundraiser, honors longtime Kotzebue school board member June Nelson. The event featured both live and silent auctions to support scholarships for students pursuing college or trade school.

The auctions showcased generous contributions from school districts across Alaska and raised over $15,000 to fund 15 scholarships that students can use toward their post-secondary education.

The Youth Leadership Institute took place alongside the main conference and brought students from across Alaska together for four days of leadership development, teamwork, and advocacy training.

Through hands-on activities and meaningful discussions with board members and guest speakers, students built practical leadership skills and grew more confident in speaking up for their schools and communities. Their active participation brought fresh energy, valuable insights, and a strong student perspective that enriched the entire conference.

Can a Student Be Asked to Remove Clothing Based on Its Message?

Part 4 of the series, Judicial Roundup: Corralling Cases That Affect Schools

Lea Filippi, Sedor, Wendlandt, Evans & Filippi, LLC

Our theme this year for our AASB Commentaries is “Judicial Round Up.” We are highlighting significant court actions that may impact school districts. This month we will examine student dress codes and the First Amendment. 

In B.A. v. Tri County Area Schools, a federal court confirmed that a middle school could reasonably prohibit students wearing sweatshirts emblazed with the phrase “Lets Go Brandon.” The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that ordering students to take off those sweatshirts did not violate their First Amendment rights.

What are the 11 duties of the chair?

Ann Macfarlane, Professional Parliamentarian

Under Robert’s Rules of Order, the chair of a meeting has 11 duties.

These duties are listed in Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, 12th edition, the only official and current version of Robert’s Rules, in section 47:7. Download PDF - What are the 11 duties of the chair?

THE MEETING may be that of a city council, a nonprofit board, a professional society, a homeowners’ association, a fraternal order or any group that is organized as a “voluntary association” (that is, not a hierarchical organization such as the workplace with its “boss.” Read this post to learn about the difference.)

THE CHAIR (the person running the meeting) may be called chair, president, presiding officer, or something else.

Where in board bylaw is it that requests for a large amount of information from one board member needs to be approved or agreed upon by the board as a whole?

Answer: In Board Bylaw BB 9200 BOARD MEMBERS, section “Board Member Requests for Information” it states individual Board members shall submit such requests to the full Board for consideration.

Upon concurrence of the other board members/majority, the request shall then be forwarded to the Superintendent for response. 

Got a question? Email Jenni Lefing or Katie Oliver

Looking for a New Superintendent?

The Association of Alaska School Boards has been conducting successful and economical superintendent searches for over twenty years. Our Superintendent Search Service provides expert facilitation of the entire search process, including identifying the needs of the district, recruiting candidates, conducting background searches, facilitating interviews, and all the steps to help with the hiring process.

If you would like AASB to conduct a superintendent search for your district, or have questions, Learn More or Contact Us