School Board Appreciation Week set for Jan. 24-30

Governor Haslam has declared January 24-30 as School Board Appreciation Week in Tennessee. This week helps build awareness and understanding of the vital functions our locally elected boards of education play in our community. Public school districts from across the state are joining together to celebrate School Board Appreciation Week and honor local board members for their commitment to their local districts and its children.
Members of the DeKalb County School Board are Danny Parkerson, Jerry Wayne Johnson, Jim Beshearse, Kate Miller, W.J. (Dub) Evins, III, Doug Stephens, and Shaun Tubbs.
TSBA Executive Director Dr. Tammy Grissom said that “School systems are the backbone of our communities, and these men and women devote countless hours to making sure our schools are helping every child. They spend time studying the issues and regulations and make the tough decisions when called upon. They provide the type of accountability people expect.”
The key work of school boards is to raise student achievement by:
Creating a vision for what the community wants the school district to be and for making student achievement the top priority;
Establishing standards for what students will be expected to learn and be able to do;
Ensuring progress is measured to be sure the district’s goals are achieved and students are learning at expected levels;
Being accountable for their decisions and actions by continually tracking and reporting results;
Creating a safe, orderly climate where students can learn and teachers can teach;
Forming partnerships with others in the community to solve common problems; and
Focusing attention on the need for continuous improvement by questioning, refining and revising issues related to student achievement.
Dr. Grissom also stated that “our local school boards give every citizen a voice in the education decision making process. Their contribution is a year-round commitment.”
The Tennessee School Boards Association, a statewide, nonprofit organization, is a federation of the state’s local school boards. The mission of the Tennessee School Boards Association is to assist school boards in effectively governing school districts. Through the years, TSBA has helped school boards and their members reach their highest potential through association programs, meetings and services. TSBA also provides school board members a collective voice in matters of legislation and public education concerns. To learn more about TSBA, visit our website at www.tsba.net.