Friday Education Opportunities
General Sessions
 | Friday, Oct. 16 8:30 – 10 a.m. Opening Keynote
Thinking on Your Feet: Leadership Lessons from Improv
Katlin Hall, Founder, improv2grow |
 | Friday, Oct. 16 2:30 – 3:15 p.m. MI SoundBoard Live With Dr. Glenn Maleyko, Ph.D.
Hosted by Don Wotruba, CAE, MASB Dr. Glenn Maleyko, Ph.D., Michigan State Superintendent |
Clinic Sessions A
Friday, Oct. 16 10:15 – 11:15 a.m.
In-person participation only.
Clinic Sessions B
Friday, Oct. 16 1:15 – 2:15 p.m.
In-person participation only.
Saturday Education Opportunities
General Sessions
 | Saturday, Oct. 17 8:30 – 10 a.m. Keynote Own Your Swag
Mimi Brown, CSP |
 | Saturday, Oct. 17 12:15 – 1 p.m. Legislative Update
Get the most up-to-date information about the upcoming elections, what to expect on your ballot, and all the legislative happenings in Lansing and Washington, D.C. Jennifer Smith, Director of Government Relations and Brenda Pilgrim, Assistant Director of Government Relations, MASB |
| | Saturday, Oct. 17 2:30 – 3:15 p.m. Closing General Session
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Clinic Sessions C
Saturday, Oct. 17 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
In-person participation only.
Clinic Sessions D
Saturday, Oct. 17 1:15 – 2:15 p.m.
In-person participation only.
Add-on Registration Options
Separate registration required, in person only.
Thursday Preconference
$249 each
Thursday, Oct. 15 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Breakfast and lunch included.
 | Michigan Council of School Attorneys Fall Conference
The 2026 edition of the Michigan Council of School Attorneys Fall Conference includes sessions for school board members and other school officials that focus on trending legal issues impacting school districts. The MCSA Board of Directors invites you to attend this unique conference to learn about the latest updates and details on complying with school-related laws and court decisions from school law attorneys who work directly with boards of education and their superintendents.
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Thursday Board Member Certification Classes (CBAs)
All classes are $125 each except for CBA 101, which is $249.
*Training qualifies for reimbursement by the Michigan Department of Education. School Districts may receive up to $100 per class per board member.
✓ GREAT FOR NEWLY ELECTED BOARD MEMBERS
Morning classes include breakfast, afternoon classes include lunch, and full-day registration includes both breakfast and lunch.
8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
CBA 101: Fundamentals of School Board Service* ✓
Whether you just won your election or have been serving your community for some time now, Fundamentals of School Board Service will provide you with both a broad overview of your role in school district governance and explore key aspects of school board work. Topics include school board responsibilities, school district structure, effective school board meetings, legal considerations and much more. This course is full of the “just-in-time” information and skills you will need to serve with confidence.
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8:30 – 11:30 a.m.
CBA 103: Basic School Finance*
The first portion of this course deals with the current State School Aid Act and its importance to and future impact on local boards of education. The second portion explores development and monitoring phases of a local district's budget and includes some of the pitfalls that board members might face. Please Note: It is strongly recommended that this course be taken before signing up for CBAs 215, 310 or 315 in order to have an understanding of school finance fundamentals and to maximize your learning experience.
CBA 248: Building Board Effectiveness: Team Development, Communication and Conflict
Teambuilding focuses on boards working together effectively to achieve common goals. Topics include characteristics of effective board teams, group dynamics, identifying individual board behavior styles of each member, and learning how to use this awareness to build teamwork, communication skills for team members and handling conflict.
NEW! CBA 304: Empowering Education ✓
This course explores how school boards drive student achievement through effective governance. Participants will learn proven strategies, leadership practices and policy approaches that lead to better educational outcomes. This course serves both individual board members and whole school boards who want to create lasting positive change in student success.
CBA 310: Budget Anatomy and Shortfalls
This course will help board members better understand the budget development process and budgeting during tough economic times. Specifics will be addressed including utilizing program budgeting in allocating available resources, staff and board member involvement in the budget development process, options for reducing costs and securing additional revenues. Learn the process it takes to build a district's educational spending plan from developing priorities and goals to meeting contractual obligation and compliance issues. Participants will learn about financial reporting requirements, grants and categorical programs and discuss budget forecasting and the breakdown of a typical school budget.
Please Note: It is strongly recommended that attendees have already completed CBA 103 before signing up for this course in order to have an understanding of school finance fundamentals and to maximize your learning experience.
NEW! CBA 323: Run the Room
What does it look like when the entire governance team—not just the president—runs the room with confidence? This hands-on, scenario-based workshop immerses board members in a full mock board meeting to practice motions, debate, public comment, and meeting flow. Participants also explore how the board shapes the meeting environment—from welcoming the public before the meeting to building trust after adjournment. The session strengthens governance discipline, teamwork, and positive board culture.
CBA 325: Leadership: Overcoming Obstacles
Difficult times put added stress and pressure on school board members and the leadership team. How do you deal with the changing times? How do we improve communication, trust and professionalism on our boards? This course will be a chance to talk about those topics. Focus areas include board procedures, role of the board president, better school board meetings, trust cycle, role of the board in district leadership, and using board evaluation and superintendent evaluations for leadership improvement.
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12:30 – 3:30 p.m.
CBA 107: Labor Relations*
Board members will become acquainted with the nature and language of labor relations and public schools. The relationship of the Public Employment Relations Act to the Michigan Employment Relation Commission will be emphasized.
CBA 213: Capital Planning for Your District*
School board members will acquire an understanding of their role in the various phases of building and renovating school facilities. You will gain a greater understanding of the election process including conducting community surveys and encouraging community engagement and learning more about facility review, the election cycle, investment needs and the construction phase.
CBA 227: Ethical Challenges* ✓
This course will explore the ethical conduct required of board members who serve local communities through an interactive session using case studies and small group discussions. The class will review the MASB booklet, A Code of Ethical Relationships (provided), and discuss the implications the code has for board members and superintendents.
CBA 264: Shaping Public Opinion
Explore the process of opinion formation, and learn how you and other school leaders can influence public confidence in public schools. This “advocacy skills” course takes you to the heart of perception, trust and credibility issues, giving you tools to build community involvement and lasting support for your school programs and reforms.
NEW! CBA 270: Leadership by Consensus: Confidence in Leadership
This class explores leadership by consensus, emphasizing collaborative decisionmaking, inclusivity and effective communication. Participants will learn the key principles, benefits and challenges of consensus-building through practical strategies and real-world scenarios. By applying these skills across board leadership, teams and organizations, leaders can create an environment of trust, foster creativity and build lasting commitment.
NEW! CBA 299: Leading With Purpose: Advanced Leadership for School Board Members
This class explores essential leadership principles, ethical decisionmaking and conflict resolution strategies. Participants will examine leadership styles, core values and best practices for fostering collaboration, trust and accountability in board governance. Through interactive discussions and real-world applications, this course equips school board members with the skills to lead effectively and navigate complex challenges.
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Friday Board Member Certification Classes (CBAs)
All classes are $125 each.
*Training qualifies for reimbursement by the Michigan Department of Education. School Districts may receive up to $100 per class per board member.
✓ GREAT FOR NEWLY ELECTED BOARD MEMBERS
3:30 – 6:30 p.m.
CBA 102: Governing Through Policy*
This course is designed to teach the necessary skills and knowledge for establishing policy. You will learn how to identify common policy errors, develop procedures, oversee policy and use the Policymaker's Checklist.
CBA 108: Navigating the Legislative Process
In this course, participants will get a detailed account of the legislative process, learn lobbying techniques and get an overview of current legislative issues. Upon completion, board members will be ready and able to take legislative advocacy into their own hands and embrace the role of citizen lobbyist.
CBA 214: Open Meetings Act* ✓
What are all the aspects of the Michigan Open Meetings Act? Is your board in full compliance? What are the latest Attorney General opinions and how do they affect your governance roles? This three-hour discussion/Q & A will explore these and other areas.
CBA 251: District Strategic Planning and Goal Setting* ✓
One of the major responsibilities of a board of education is setting strategic direction and developing goals for their district. This interactive course describes a process that includes an analysis of the district environment, community and staff input, and essential district data that’s at the core of a successful, functional strategic plan. Learn the board's role in goal-setting, the best approach for planning, how to identify key issues, trends and forces impacting school districts, how to develop goals and key indicators to assess progress, and why they are essential for accountability.
CBA 253: Board Operating Procedures* ✓
Ever wondered about those "unwritten" rules that govern board service in your district? How are these rules created? Who knows about them? This course will help change those "unwritten" rules into a set of team operating procedures for your district. Learn the steps to develop procedures, the difference between procedures and policies, and the benefits of having written procedures for board operations.
CBA 268: Leadership Styles
Research shows that people fall into four distinct personality types, each with different strengths and needs. By learning the characteristics of each, board members will be able to enhance their ability to work as an effective leadership team, and develop techniques to improve communication and reduce conflict.
NEW! CBA 308: A Guide to Understanding the Legislature
Broaden your understanding of how education policy is created and implemented at the state level, and learn how you, as a board member, can participate in and influence that process. By the end of the course, you will be familiar with the role of the state legislature and be introduced to topics such as the school aid budget, the legislative committee process, the role of lobbyists, the role of political caucuses and legislative leadership, and the importance of the lame duck period.
NEW! CBA 363: Leveraging Feedback
This course empowers school board members to skillfully transform diverse feedback sources into actionable insights that inform and guide decisionmaking processes. Through a dynamic blend of interactive exercises, compelling case studies, and practical applications, participants will develop expertise in leveraging feedback to align community needs and district goals.
Please Note: It is strongly recommended that attendees have already completed CBA 263 before signing up for this course in order to have an understanding of feedback tools and sources and to maximize your learning experience.
CBA 365: Collaborative Conversations for Effective Decisionmaking
Board members are entrusted to make important decisions on behalf of their students. Effective decisionmaking requires deliberation. But, have you ever wondered what does that really mean, or how do we know if we are effective? Do your board discussions resemble more of a debate than deliberation? This highly interactive session will provide you and your governance team members with practical tools for effective decisionmaking.
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Saturday Board Member Certification Classes (CBAs)
All classes are $125 each.
*Training qualifies for reimbursement by the Michigan Department of Education. School Districts may receive up to $100 per class per board member.
✓ GREAT FOR NEWLY ELECTED BOARD MEMBERS
3:30 – 6:30 p.m.
CBA 104: Basic School Law*
The school law course gives board members an overview of the school code governing Michigan school districts. Important issues like general liability, conflict of interest, administrators' contracts and current trends and controversies in school law are covered.
CBA 105: Curriculum and Instruction*
The forces that drive changes in curriculum, instruction and assessment in schools are here in the form of global competition and an education gap never before seen in the United States. This introductory course will provide board members with an understanding of the changing world, components of an effective curriculum delivery system, and the board's role in curriculum, instruction and assessment in order to enable student achievement.
CBA 261: Advocacy for Public Education ✓
Hone your skills as an advocate for public education in a nuts-and-bolts session on three critical skills: writing letters to the editor; crafting key messages and sound bites; and participating in editorial boards and public forums.
CBA 263: Collecting Feedback
As a result of taking this course, board members will have a better understanding of and appreciation for the important part of communication we term "feedback.” The course focuses on both formal and informal feedback. It discusses ways to gain feedback, what feedback is appropriate, how to determine the validity of feedback and how to use feedback to better reflect community views.
CBA 274: Board Self-Evaluation for Continuous Improvement
This course offers board members practical experience in understanding the process of board self-assessment, and how it can be used to improve the board’s functions and relationships. Learn about the various assessment tools, the benefits of board self-assessment, when to conduct a board self-assessment and the mistakes to avoid when doing self-assessments.
CBA 298: Professional Learning Communities: A Building Block of High-Performing Schools*
This course will show how boards can be catalysts for increased student achievement when they develop the capacity of educators to create professional learning communities. It is designed to give participants both a conceptual overview of learning communities and examples of the specific policies and strategies boards can adopt to improve learning for students and adults.
CBA 302: Understanding Assessments
Successful school districts know and understand that assessment is not the same thing as accountability. Unfortunately, due to years of outside pressure and accountability reform, assessment has turned into a negative term that creates anxiety for teachers, administrators and school district leaders across the country. This course will help school board members gain a deeper understanding of the “why” behind assessment administration, the types of assessment practices that help inform and drive instructional practices, and how data can be used to set direction for entire school systems all while employing a balanced approach to assessment practices.
CBA 370: Managing a Construction Project
Now that the bond campaign has passed, the next step is to organize and manage the construction project. This class will provide board members with practical tips on how to interact with administrators and staff, architect, general contractor or construction manager, and citizen stakeholders. There will be a specific focus on project scope, project oversight, financial accountability, and common mistakes. Participants will be able to apply practical tips learned to either a proposed or current construction project. Participants also will share successful or unsuccessful experiences from a construction project.
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Sunday Board Member Certification Classes (CBAs)
All classes are $125 each.
*Training qualifies for reimbursement by the Michigan Department of Education. School Districts may receive up to $100 per class per board member.
✓ GREAT FOR NEWLY ELECTED BOARD MEMBERS
Breakfast included.
8:30 – 11:30 a.m.
CBA 106: Community Relations*
Learn the basics of building strong community support for schools and education. You will identify internal and external audiences, learn how to establish a key communicator network and develop strategies for communicating effectively.
CBA 109: Data-Informed Decisionmaking *
Education leaders are inundated with new mandates, reporting requirements and unprecedented pressures to significantly elevate student achievement. In order to effectively measure school district success, data must drive how boards of education make decisions. Data can be found virtually everywhere, but accessing the right data, understanding how to use it and supporting their administration are big uncertainties facing board members. This introductory course will provide board members with clarification about the different types of data for the strategic, tactical, administrative and operational roles of boards and districts.
CBA 215: Advanced School Finance* ✓
Find out about the standards and benchmarks used in both the private and public sectors for fiscal soundness. Learn some of the financial and nonfinancial indicators of an economically sound school system and some of the different criteria national rating agencies use when establishing a district’s credit rating.
Please Note: It is strongly recommended that attendees have already completed CBA 103 before signing up for this course in order to have an understanding of school finance fundamentals and to maximize your learning experience.
CBA 258: Conflict Resolution—Techniques for School Boards*
Conflict is a natural and necessary part of communication and interaction. At the board level it is even more challenging to learn to deal with conflict in a constructive and productive way within the public arena. Learn to recognize conflict and come to understand your own style and learn to identify conflict resolution styles of others. Participants will explore two specific areas of conflicts: (a) conflict among board members (and the public) and (b) conflict between the board and superintendent.
NEW! CBA 265: Practical Advocacy
This course is designed to equip school board members with essential skills and knowledge necessary for effective communication with legislators and delivering compelling testimony before committees. It offers a comprehensive, scenario-based learning experience that focuses on advocacy techniques and strategies specific to education policy and reform. Become an advocate for your school district and the students you serve today!
CBA 276: Board/Superintendent Relations*
Learn practical strategies on how to develop or improve board/superintendent relations. Included in this session will be tips for communication, how to “agree to disagree” appropriately, and strategies to help develop the type of trust that is necessary for a board and superintendent to operate together in a very positive manner.
CBA 330: Legal Issues In Interscholastic Athletics
This course will acquaint school board members with the various legal issues a school district must carefully handle in order to operate its athletics program with minimal risk of liability. Among the subjects that will be covered: discipline of school athletes, eligibility rules, personnel issues, drug testing, Title IX and religious issues.
CBA 375: Board Leadership: A Case Study Approach ✓
While the complex problems that school leaders face can't always be resolved, they must still be carefully anticipated and managed, so the primary mission of educating children remains at the forefront. An engaging case study will allow you to observe how others have navigated through challenges, planned solutions for complex and real life problems and utilized the expertise and experience of one another. This case study experience serves as not only an effective strategy to sharpen your problem solving skills and enhance your judgment, but intended to provide school leaders skill sets on how to anticipate problems before they arise and work through them as a team.
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