Rules & Regulations of the State of Tennessee
Title 0520 - Education
Subtitle 0520-01 - State Board of Education Rules, Regulations, and Minimum Standards for the Operation of the Public School System
Chapter 0520-01-02 - District and School Operations
Section 0520-01-02-.11 - SCHOOL BOARD TRAINING
Universal Citation: TN Comp Rules and Regs 0520-01-02-.11
Current through September 24, 2024
(1) Approval of Training Courses.
(a) Local school board
member training courses ("Training Courses") shall be approved by the State
Board.
(b) Training Course hours
will be recognized only for Training Courses approved by the State Board in
accordance with this rule.
(c) The
State Board shall appoint a School Board Training Advisory Committee ("Advisory
Committee") responsible for evaluating and recommending Training Courses for
approval. The Advisory Committee shall include a member of the State Board of
Education, the Executive Director of the State Board or his/her designee, the
Commissioner of Education or his/her designee, and at least one (1) local
school board member. The Advisory Committee may also include others appointed
by the State Board for terms designated by the State Board.
(d) Beginning in 2022, the Advisory Committee
shall evaluate proposed Training Courses and recommend Training Courses for
approval to the State Board. The Advisory Committee shall require prospective
Training Course providers to submit an application for Training Course approval
to the Advisory Committee by February 15 prior to the fiscal year in which the
Training Course will be offered. The application for Training Course approval
shall include, but is not limited to, the following information:
1. Name of the prospective Training Course
provider (individual(s), entity, and/or LEA);
2. Experience of the prospective Training
Course provider in providing school board member training;
3. Instructor qualifications;
4. Title, proposed agenda, and length of
Training Course(s);
5. Intended
audience for the Training Course(s) (New Board Members and/or Experienced Board
Members);
6. Description of content
to be delivered and learning objectives;
7. Description of instructional strategies,
activities, and presentation materials;
8. Method of delivery of Training Course
content (webinar, in-person, etc.);
9. Fees, if any, to be charged;
10. Methods used to evaluate the achievement
of stated learning objectives and Training Course provider effectiveness;
and
11. If an LEA proposes Training
Courses for approval, the proposal shall state whether the Training Courses are
restricted to members of the LEA's Board of Education or if Training Courses
will be open to any Board of Education member who wishes to
participate.
(e) Any
Training Courses not recommended for approval may be re-submitted by the
provider to the Advisory Committee during the next application cycle.
(f) Training Courses that meet the
requirements of this rule and are recommended by the Advisory Committee for
approval shall be submitted by the Advisory Committee to the State Board for
approval.
1. Beginning in 2022, the Advisory
Committee shall submit recommended Training Courses for approval to the State
Board no later than May 1 prior to the fiscal year in which the Training Course
will be offered.
2. Training
Courses recommended by the Advisory Committee and approved by the State Board
shall be included in State Board Local School Board Member Training Policy
2.100.
3. Training Course approvals
are valid for three (3) years, unless the provider or State Board indicates the
Training Course is proposed or approved for a shorter period of time.
4. Approved Training Course providers shall
notify State Board staff if any changes to information outlined in subparagraph
(1)(d) are made to approved Training Courses during the approval period. State
Board staff shall determine if reapproval by the State Board is required as a
result of the changes.
(g) When submitting recommended Training
Courses for approval to the State Board, the Advisory Committee shall include a
summary of the reasons for the approval recommendation.
(2) Training Requirements.
(a) Training Requirements for New Board
Members. Beginning on July 1, 2022, newly elected or newly appointed members of
a local board of education ("New Board Members") shall, at a minimum,
participate in twenty-one (21) hours of training during their first year in
office. The twenty-one (21) hours shall include fourteen (14) hours of
orientation Training Courses covering topics outlined in subparagraph (2)(a)1.;
however, if a New Board Member has been elected to a local board of education
with a ., break in service of more than four (4) years, the New Board Member
may choose to substitute any orientation Training Course with any other
approved Training Course to count toward the required fourteen (14) hours of
orientation training. The remaining seven (7) hours shall be selected from any
additional approved Training Course(s). All required training hours shall be
completed within twelve (12) months of joining the local board of education.
1. Orientation Training Course Content. New
Board Members shall complete orientation Training Courses covering the
following topics:
(i) Education's governance
structure, including an overview of the roles and responsibilities of the State
Board of Education, Department of Education, and the Public Charter School
Commission;
(ii) School data and
finance;
(iii) Communication and
engagement;
(iv) Board
policies;
(v) Strategic
planning;
(vi) School
law;
(vii) Board/Director of
Schools relations;
(viii)
Board/staff relations;
(ix)
Board/student relations;
(x)
Tennessee open meetings and open records requirements; and
(xi) Conflict of interest and
ethics.
(b)
Training Requirements for Experienced Board Members. Beginning on July 1, 2022,
experienced local school board members with one (1) or more years of service on
a local board of education with a break in service of no more than four (4)
years ("Experienced Board Members") shall, at a minimum, complete seven (7)
hours of training each fiscal year.
1.
Training Course Content. Experienced Board Members shall select any approved
Training Course(s) to meet the required seven (7) hours each fiscal
year.
2. Local school board members
who are re-elected to a local board of education with no break in service shall
be considered Experienced Board Members for training purposes.
(3) School Board Member Stipends and Monitoring.
(a) Local school
board members may receive a stipend for completing approved Training Courses,
subject to available funding. The Department of Education may be responsible
for administration of any stipend payments utilizing state funds.
(b) The Department of Education shall be
responsible for monitoring local school board member compliance with these
rules. Approved Training Course providers shall provide a list to the
Department of Education of all local school board members who have completed
approved Training Courses during the fiscal year. This report shall be
submitted to the Department of Education by July 15 following each fiscal
year.
(c) If a local school board
member is unable to complete all required training hours due to an
unanticipated hardship, the Commissioner of Education may reduce the number of
hours required for the board member under this rule upon receiving explanation
of the unanticipated hardship and request for reduction. Any reduction granted
by the Commissioner of Education shall only be valid for one (1) year. If a New
Board Member is granted a reduction by the Commissioner, any orientation
Training Courses not completed by the board member shall be made up in the
following year. If a local school board member was unable to complete any of
the required training hours due to an unanticipated hardship, the local board
of education may request that the Commissioner of Education waive the annual
training requirement for that board member. The waiver request shall include an
explanation of the unanticipated hardship that prevented the board member from
completing any required training hours.
(4) Until June 30, 2022, local school board members shall comply with Training Course requirements through participation in the School Board Academy program administered by the Department of Education. Beginning on July 1, 2022 and thereafter, local school board members shall comply with Training Course requirements outlined in this rule.
Authority: T.C.A. § 49-2-202(a)(6).
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Tennessee may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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