FAQs

Funds are on a first-come, first-serve basis and once the first year’s pool of funds is depleted they’re gone.

The experience won’t change for members or district staff registering board members or scheduling services. Simply submit your registration for an event or schedule services and, if you have also applied for financial assistance from MASB’s Fund, you’ll be contacted with next steps. Just ensure that applications for assistance are submitted 45 days or more before an event or at the time of scheduling services.

District applications are applied toward either a service or workshop that will benefit the entire district. Individual board member requests are funds intended for event registration (events that are included and promoted on MASB's calendar, including but not limited to legal, communications, advocacy, leadership workshops, CBA events and Annual Leadership Conference).

For both the individual member and district options, the application must be submitted 45 days before you wish to use it. 

Every board of education that joins the Legal Trust Fund contributes a one-time initiation fee, which is deposited in a trust. Money in the trust is invested and the interest earned each year, together with a small annual renewal fee paid by Legal Trust Fund members, is available to help districts litigate important cases in the courts.

The Legal Trust Fund’s Board of Trustees is composed of seven trustees, representing school districts of all sizes, seven alternates, and a member of the MASB Board of Directors who serves as liaison with the Legal Trust Fund. Trustees and alternates are appointed by the MASB Board of Directors from among the boards of education who have joined the Legal Trust Fund.

A school board confronted with litigation of statewide significance may apply for Legal Trust Fund support. A short application form, describing the nature and status of the case, is considered by the Legal Trust fund’s Board of Trustees. Application forms are available from the MASB office.

Through the years the Legal Trust Fund has assisted school boards in almost every type of lawsuit imaginable: taxation, student rights, teacher tenure, collective bargaining, sex discrimination, unemployment, special education, open meetings, shared-time programs, the Headlee Amendment, athletics and a variety of other school law questions.

Yes. The Board of Trustees must determine the case has statewide significance for other school boards and districts. In addition, the Board of Trustees considers whether the disposition of the case is likely to serve as persuasive precedent in future litigation and whether aid is currently being provided in other substantially similar lawsuits working their way through the courts.

Generally, the Legal Trust Fund helps an applicant school board by giving financial assistance to help pay the costs of the litigation or by writing and fi ling an amicus curie brief with the court. The purpose of an amicus curie brief is to buttress the school board’s position on the legal issues at stake.

More than 75% of MASB’s member districts are members of the Legal Trust Fund. Membership in the Trust is not a part of a district’s regular MASB membership. All districts are urged to join. The more districts that participate, the greater the resources available to help all districts.

Each local or intermediate school board that joins the MASB Legal Trust Fund makes an initial contribution to the trust. Thereafter, a small renewal fee is assessed annually.

All school districts benefit from the work of the MASB Legal Trust Fund. The resolution of these major lawsuits helps boards of education in two ways. First, the district litigating an important issue receives needed assistance in financing its case. Second, every school board benefits by receiving definitive answers to difficult legal questions confronting all districts.

Standards are commonly agreed upon principles often used as criteria for comparison or measurement. In public education, the standards movement has led to the development of new student standards that describe what students should know and be expected to do at each grade level. There are professional standards for teachers, superintendents and administrators as well.

The Standards provide a shared framework for effective school board governance. Not only do they define the principles that should affect board decisionmaking, they also identify the specific behaviors of school boards and school board members that contribute to positive outcomes for students. And they do so in simple terms so as to be easily understood by board members and the entire school district community. The Standards reflect 30 years worth of research showing a correlation between the work of school boards and student achievement. The State Board of Education endorsed the Board of Education Governance Standards on Sept. 12, 2017.

The intent of the Standards is to support boards in their efforts to govern effectively and to provide a useful tool for the community to assess how its board is doing. The Standards also serve as critical information for citizens who are considering seeking a seat on a school board.

MASB, which represents nearly all public school districts in the state, is committed to providing school leaders with the support they need to effectively carry out their elected role. As part of the statewide and nationwide discussion about accountability, many individuals and entities have been taking a closer look at school board governance. We recognize that any efforts to enhance the effectiveness of boards must be led by the practitioners themselves—locally elected board members—based on research and training that has proven to be effective.

MASB defines governance as the “act of transforming the needs, wishes and desires of the community into policies that direct the community’s schools.” One of the hallmarks of our democratic society is that lay citizens are elected to “govern” our public institutions.

The “governance team” includes all members of the board and the superintendent.

The Standards can enhance the effective governance capabilities of school boards, including promoting greater self-accountability. Also, they define the principles that should affect board decisionmaking and identify the specific behaviors of school boards and school board members that contribute to positive outcomes for students.

MASB has provided a toolkit that includes information about adopting and utilizing the Standards. Once adopted, the Board of Education Governance Standards can be utilized in an ongoing manner including having the Standards posted at meetings, revisiting the Standards regularly and respectfully discussing when the conduct of the board, or individual board members, is inconsistent with the Standards. After all, striving to operate effectively as a board is an ongoing commitment. Adopting the Board of Education Governance Standards signals the board’s commitment to effective governance—but the Standards serve as only part of the framework for the board’s ongoing efforts.

Absolutely. Boards that have established a highly effective organizational culture can benefit from adopting the Standards. Adopting the Standards helps to formalize the components of the culture, so that over time the same principles of effective governance can be commonly understood and practiced, even though the membership of the board may change.

The Standards provide a framework for boards to enhance their effectiveness. They are designed to focus a board’s efforts and enhance understanding about what it takes to operate effectively as a team. For a board that has been experiencing challenges, reaching a common understanding about the key building blocks of effective governance is often an essential first step. Many governance teams will want to formalize their commitment to effective governance by adopting the Standards as a guiding document, continually evaluating the extent of their ability to "live" the Standards and engaging in dialogue and training to support continuous improvement.

MASB offers facilitated workshops to assist Boards in adoption and implementation of the Standards as well as a wide range of Board Member Certification (CBA) classes, workshops and three other resources for board members to strengthen their skills in a number of areas. MASB also has a Board Self-Assessment tool that is fully aligned with the Standards.

Yes. The Board of Education Governance Standards are designed to provide a description of what an effective trustee and board should do based on 30 years worth of research. We expect that individuals considering running for a board would want to receive the Standards so they can gain a better understanding up front about what it takes to be an effective member of a governing board.

Board members know better than anyone: there are no magic formulas. The Board of Education Governance Standards for boards are not a panacea. They are a tool, a framework to assist boards in the very complex and difficult job of governing effectively. As such, the Standards can be an important part of a board’s overall commitment to excellence.

The Board of Education Governance Standards are voluntary and advisory. Local and intermediate boards can utilize the Standards in a number of ways to enhance effective governance. We encourage boards to conduct periodic evaluations based on the Standards, and boards should, as appropriate, encourage the local community to assess their progress toward achieving the Standards as part of an effort to engage the public.

No, all MASB’s online classes are designed to be accessed at your convenience. The class will walk you through content, activities and reflective practice at your own pace.

Classes take an average of 60-90 minutes to complete (CBA 101 averages 90-120 minutes).

No, the system will remember where you left off and start you right there when you are ready to begin again. Please note, however, that you must use the same device to access the course in order for this to occur.

EDU/CBA credit submissions will be reviewed and posted to transcripts at the discretion of the Registrar no later than four weeks after the event.

Working collaboratively is nothing new to MASB or our members. MASB has always been an advocate for partnerships that better serve members and elevate public education. Neola has joined MASB in an exciting partnership to better serve school boards and to deliver uniform policy and guideline services to boards of education. This collaboration will result in better service, personalized legal assistance, consistent policies and combined expertise. The added resources that Neola provides with their regional representatives expand the services that both MASB and Neola can provide together.

• The added resources that Neola provides with their regional representatives expand the services that both MASB and Neola can provide together. Neola’s representatives, almost all of whom have served as superintendents, provide most of the direct work with school districts. They establish a close working relationship with their clients during the drafting of the policies, guidelines and procedures manuals, and then enhance that relationship by visiting at least twice per year to review updates and answer questions.
• MASB will provide input and guidance on policies and administrative rules developed by Neola.
• Uniform policies and rules adopted by school boards will allow MASB to provide more comprehensive legal assistance on applying policies and rules to its members.

Neola provides school districts with a complete service for developing and updating board bylaws and policies, administrative guidelines and procedures, forms, staff handbooks and student/parent handbooks. Neola is currently working with more than 750 superintendents and school boards in Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and West Virginia. In Michigan, Neola currently provides about 325 Michigan public schools with policy and guideline services. MASB is happy to partner with a professional group, and together, we can provide schools with the highest quality school policies. Again, the added resources that Neola provides with their regional representatives expand the services that both MASB and Neola can provide together.

Most definitely. MASB staff will continue to serve MASB members on questions relating to, for example, your current MASB policy manual or sample policies.

Further, MASB Legal Counsel can be contacted for assistance with legal questions that relate to policies and administrative rules at any time as part of your MASB membership.