ASBA introduces new online course
ASBA has developed another online course to help school board members improve their effectiveness. The new course is Key Work of School Boards: Vision. This is a two-hour course with a registration fee of $50. Credit is awarded after successful completion of an online exam. Board members should advise the superintendent about the course and fee prior to completing the online course exam so that the superintendent will anticipate receiving an invoice. Click here to access all online course materials and exam links.

School board candidate filing dates

• June 10 is the first day for candidates for circulate a petition.
• July 3 is the first day a candidate may file a petition of candidacy, the political practice pledge and the affidavit of eligibility with the county clerk.
• July 10 at noon is the deadline for a candidate filing by petition to file a petition of candidacy, the political practice pledge and the affidavit of eligibility with the county clerk.

ADE provides new date for rezoning
The Arkansas Department of Education has advised ASBA that the date for rezoning has changed. Because the Legislature passed Act 1185 which extended the school board filing period by an additional ten days, school boards are now required to adopt and file their zoning/rezoning resolutions no later than Friday, June 8, 2012. The resolutions must be published no later than Sunday, June 10, 2012. A Commissioner's memo will be distributed with annual school election guidance and timelines.

Fayetteville schools earn digital recognition
Top-ranked school districts have been announced in the eighth annual Digital School Districts Survey by e.Republic's Center for Digital Education, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) and convergemag.com. The survey showcases exemplary school boards' and districts' use of technology to govern the district, communicate with students, parents and the community and to improve district operations. Fayetteville Public Schools earned second place honors in the mid-sized student population category. The top ten rankings reflect those school boards/districts with the fullest implementation of technology benchmarks in the evolution of digital education, as represented in the survey questions.

UCA Leadership Institute 2012
The University of Central Arkansas is hosting Leadership Institute 2012 on June 15. The conference will focus on district leaders as school improvement agents. Topics will include:

• School audits as an information source for academic improvement
• Social networking as a positive tool to promote learning
• Social networking tools and cyber-bullying: Strategies to combat cyber-bullying
• Parental involvement: Strategies for improving positive participation
• Panel Discussion: Teacher Evaluation Instrument: Perspectives from the field

Registration costs $50 in advance and $65 on site. Click here to learn more and to register.

NSBA Annual Conference training documentation form
Arkansas school board members who attend the April NSBA Annual Conference in Boston should submit to ASBA the training record from NSBA. You may download your training record from NSBA using this link: http://ceu.experient-inc.com/NSB121/Login.aspx. Please e-mail NSBA training record to Kathy Ivy at kivy@arsba.org or fax the form to 501.375.2454.

ADE develops mobile app
The Arkansas Department of Education developed a new mobile app for smart phones and tablets that provides easy access to information on Arkansas school districts, schools and educational cooperatives. It can also be used on desktop and laptop computers. It includes handy contact information and quick links to maps locating each school. The app is available for use by the general public, including educators, news media and anyone interested in Arkansas schools.
To access the site, open a browser and navigate to: https://adedata.arkansas.gov/mobile/. Apple Devices (iPhone and iPad): Using the device options, click the action button and select “Add to Home Screen,” which will save an app shortcut icon on your iPhone or iPad, allowing quick access.

New Freedom of Information Act handbook available
The Arkansas Press Association released the 15th edition of the Freedom of Information Act handbook, dated January of 2012. Click here to view a copy. Click here for information on ordering copies.

Upcoming Training:

NSBA Southern Region Conference
July 23-26, 2012
Biloxi, Mississippi

ASBA Annual Conference
Dec. 5-7, 2012
Peabody Hotel & Statehouse Convention Center
Little Rock