In this two-hour webinar, we will discuss the ethical standards established by state law for school board members. The webinar will also include a discussion of state and federal laws related to conflicts of interest pertaining to making and administering contracts and possible legal consequences when these laws are violated. Finally, this webinar will review other well-established legal duties and responsibilities of school board members.

Webinar access is for the entire board and school district.

There will be an ethics sessions for individual school boards members available in May.

The chair of a local board of education is responsible for presiding over meetings of the board, but what other duties does the chair have? Join this webinar for an overview of how board meetings are to be organized, scheduling and calling meetings, setting agendas, permissible reasons for closed session, and other essential topics.

Presented by: Janine Murphy, Assistant Legal Counsel
One-Hour Webinar

Are communications sent via private electronic devices and accounts public records? Can board members be held personally liable for failing to comply with the public records law? What questions should board members ask to assess their district’s compliance with the law? If you don’t know the answer to these questions, make plans to attend this webinar for a primer on North Carolina’s public records law.

Presented by: Kathy Boyd, Senior Staff Attorney
One-Hour Webinar

NCSBA’s 2021 Spring Law Conference will be held April 29-30 via Zoom. This virtual conference is designed for board members, school administrators, and board attorneys. Take a look at our agenda.

The conference is $99 per day. Board members and school administrators who attend the full conference will receive 6 hours of continuing education credit. Attorneys will receive 6 hours of CLE credit. Important note: the conference will not be recorded.

How to Register

Conference registration is through the Envise membership portal. Any board members interested in attending should connect with their board assistant in order to avoid duplicate registrations.

1. Click the registration button above.
2. Log in using your Envise membership portal credentials.
3. In the navigation menu, click Events>Register.
4. Under Select a Contact, choose the attendee.
5. Under Select an Event, choose “2021 Spring Law Conference.” Day 1 and Day 2 will appear under Session. Check the day(s) the individual plans to attend. Click Add Registration to Cart.
6. If registering multiple people, repeat steps 4 and 5 for each attendee.
7. Choose your payment type and click Continue. It may take a few moments to process.
8. Review your shopping cart and click Checkout. Complete any necessary payment information.

If you need assistance, please contact Debbie Shinbara at dshinbara@ncsba.org or 919-747-6698 or Chelsea Sutton at csutton@ncsba.org or 919-747-6713.

Newly and reelected board members can strengthen their core with NCSBA’s Core Training course. Core training is a self-paced, virtual training event that includes all the components of our in-person sessions. Hear our talented staff cover leadership, advocacy, the required ethics training for school board members, and more during eight hours of recorded presentations. Access will begin May 1 and participants will have 60 days to complete the training. The last day for purchase is June 30.

Core training topics include:

• Leadership Training – basic boardsmanship dos and don’ts, board/superintendent roles and responsibilities, school finance, and school board liability.
• Advocacy Training – board members’ advocacy work, a legislative update on current issues, NCSBA’s member-approved legislative agenda, and a how-to talk on effectively engaging legislators.
• Required Ethics Training – School board members are required to earn two hours of ethics training within 12 months of election or reelection.

Those completing all modules of the course will earn 12 hours of training.

Course Video Lessons

• • Welcome, Now You’re a Board Member
    Ed Dunlap, NCSBA Executive Director
    1 hour
  • The Board or the Superintendent? Quiz
    Ed Dunlap, NCSBA Executive Director
    1 hour
  • Common Liability Issues for School Districts
    Donna Lynch, NCSBA Litigation Counsel
    1 hour
  • Ethics for School Board Members
    Attorneys, NCSBA Legal/Policy department
    2 hours
  • Governing the School System Through Board Policy
    Janine Murphy, NCSBA Assistant Legal Counsel
    1 hour
  • Understanding Basic School Budget Issues
    Richard Bostic, NCSBA Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
    1 hour
  • Your Role as a Legislative Advocate for Public Education
    Leanne Winner, NCSBA Director of Governmental Relations
    1 hour
  • Board/Superintendent Roles and Responsibilities
    Ramona Powers, NCSBA Director of Board Development & Technology
    1 hour 

The next Core Training opportunity will be in July 2021 at the NCSBA office in Raleigh.