Application
introduction
Congratulations on your decision to pursue the Master School Board DirectorRecognition, which honors those individuals who have demonstrated significantcontributions as members of their governance teams.This application is to be completed in its entirety, with complete accuracy and in full compliance with allof the requirements.Applications will be reviewed objectively and anonymously bythe Applicant ReviewCommittee, which is comprised of five past award recipients and one superintendent.
Please read the application completely and reflect on your board work and fully review the requirements and documentation required before beginning to respond to the personal statements.
The individual board member must complete the application and have a signed copy returned to PSBA by June 30.If the deadline falls on a weekend, the deadline will be the following Monday.The Applicant Review Committee will review all applications after the deadline has passed.The recipients will be notified in August and will be recognized during the annual PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference.A notice of the award will be made in PSBA publications and the website, and a news release will be issued to the local media of the recipients.
Each applicant must meet all the criteria stated in the application, and must verify all the activities listed.If you need more space for personal statements or other requested documentation, please include a separate document that is marked with the section with towhich it corresponds. Answer clearly and concisely and, to the extent possible, limit each response to 350 words. You are not required to use the entire word limit, nor will you be penalized for exceeding it; however, please answer the question with enough depth so the Applicant Review Committee fully understands your accomplishments and/or leadership approach in a given response.Each application will be carefully validated and may includecontacts with references and others familiar with the applicant’s board service. Deserving applicants are given the recognition.
The committee’s decision is in no way a judgment of the value of your board service and is based solely on the quality of your application.
As you complete the application, please remember to review the PSBA Standards for Effective School Governance and the PSBA Code of Conduct for Pennsylvania School Directors to guide your responses.
Letters of reference should be written from the vantage point of board service, rather than from the perspective of an outside group.In other words, those writing letters must speak to the individual’s accomplishments as a school director.Each letter must be sent to the applicant in a sealed envelope.The letter will then be sent to PSBA headquarters as part of the final application.The letter must address three major areas:character (one’s honesty, integrity and ethics); competence (specific ways the applicant pursues his personal and professional development), and contribution (specific contributions the applicant has made to the improvement of the governance team, the school system, the industry of public education, and to student achievement).Any additional comments the writer would like to include that he/she feels is germane to the applicant’s quest to become a Master School Board Director may also be included.
Cover Page
Please type or print clearly
Name:
School District:
Datesof board service:
I, ,asa member of the ,Board of School Directors, certify the truth and accuracy of all the statements and representations made in this application.My signature indicates that I have met all demonstrated requirements indicated in this document.
I hereby grant the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, its staff and officials permission to review and verify any information submitted as part of this application or any subsequent renewal.
Signed:______
Date: ______
Application
I. STUDENT SUCCESS AND ACHIEVEMENT
A. Personal Statement
□ Explain the relationship between the work of school boards to student achievement, educational goals and needs of all students, including an example from your own board experience.
II. ETHICS, STANDARDS AND BOARDSMANSHIP
A. Demonstrated Requirements
□ I have served on the board for at least two consecutive years (dates of board service).
□ I have attended at least 80% of the regularly scheduled board meetings in the last two years (Attach board secretary certification).
□ I have attacheda total of four letters of recommendation.
- Two letters must come from your local school district, which can be from two board members or one board member and the superintendent.
- NOTE:Letters of recommendation must be signed by the author, outline specific examples of effective leadership, follow the specific sequence outlined in the introduction of the application, and otherwise comply with a professionally written letter.
B. Personal Statement
□ Explain how your adherence to the best practices of good boardsmanship has encouraged andcontributed to help your board fulfill its responsibilities in accordance with accepted ethics and standards of behavior, using a particular issue to illustrate your approach.
III. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND GOVERNANCE
A. Personal Statement
□ Explainhow the professional development in which you have participated has impacted your work in school governance.
IV. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, COMMUNICATIONS
A. Personal Statement
□ Discuss your participation incommunications efforts and community outreach and explain how it affects the quality of your school system and its value to your community.
V. ADVOCACY AND SERVICE
A. Demonstrated Requirements
Identify those activities that you have accomplished or in which you regularly participate.
□ Metor corresponded with your legislator(s) (topic(s) discussed, name of legislator(s).
□ Provided testimony to the legislature or legislative committee (date and topic).
□ Responded to Action Alert posted in the PSBA Legislative Action Center(date and topic).
□ Participated in Federal Relations Network.
□ Served on a regional cabinet or other PSBA committee.
□ Attended county, regional or other local meeting.
□ Voted at PSBA Delegate Assembly(previously Legislative Policy Council).
□ Served in a leadership position on my board as an officer, committee chair and/or board-appointed representative to significant district committees and/or to a related LEA or other educational partner. Please list position(s) and date(s) served.
Position(s) Date(s) served
B. Personal Statement
□ Discuss how your advocacy efforts and that of all school directors contribute to the improvement of public education and to your district specifically?
VI. STEWARDSHIP OF RESOURCES
A. Personal and Final Statement:
□ For what reason did you run for the school board in your districts and are you achieving the goals that motivated your candidacy?
Submission Instructions
Complete the application and return with all required backup material and documentation byJune 30.
To:Pennsylvania School Boards Association
400 Bent Creek Blvd.
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
Attn: Member School Board Director Recognition
FINAL NOTE:If you are selected to receive the recognition, you will be asked to provide a short biography for promotional efforts related to your candidacy.
1