Online Learning
The New York State School Boards Association offers various online learning opportunities to enhance your board knowledge and keep you up-to-date with important topics in education. Each course is designed with opportunities for you to interact with other board members and with NYSSBA staff. Additional resources are built into the courses so you can reference them even after you complete the course. Courses are accessible from a desktop computer, mobile device or tablet.
Our online State Mandated Training is a popular option for completing the required school board governance and fiscal oversight training during the first year of board service.
Microlearning Courses
Welcome to NYSSBA’s library of microlearning courses. Online and on-demand, these brief but in-depth, courses are designed to be taken at home or on-the-go – whatever fits into your busy schedule. Most courses take one to two hours to complete and you have access to the course content for one full year.
Cost: $49 per course (members). $98 per course (nonmembers)
Choose from the courses below and check back often as we’ll be adding new courses on a regular basis.
- Foundations of DEI in Education: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives use data to create change. It is a people-centered strategy that builds bridges within and among communities to foster a culture of respect, trust, understanding and belonging. Diversity, equity and inclusion focuses on people’s lived experiences and cultures and helps them become their best and most authentic selves. Learn more about the foundations of DEI in education and identify what it means to be a diverse, equitable and inclusive school district.
- DEI in Education - The Board's Role: Examine best practices for school board members as their districts implement diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Learn how the board can be an ally and partner, while maintaining its governance role, as it leads the district’s DEI efforts and ensures that all students have the opportunity for success.
- Managing Conflict to Build Board Unity: Serving on a school board can be one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences. However, when tensions flare and spirited debates turn into open hostilities, trust can quickly erode impeding a board’s ability to function and make sound decisions for the students and community in which they serve. When issues of civility and conflict begin to plague a board, it’s important to have strategies in place to mitigate and/or resolve any issues that negatively impact the performance of the board. Explore strategies for managing conflict on the school board through proactive steps intended to resolve differences, build greater understanding, develop unity and strengthen trust on the governance team and with the community.
- Effective School Board Meetings: How school boards conduct business is just as important as the business they conduct. Boards have a fundamental responsibility to ensure board meetings are effective as they carry out the business of the district and make informed decisions on behalf of the community and students they serve. Effective meetings help promote a positive reflection of the board’s ability to govern while instilling confidence, trust and transparency in the district. Learn more about practical strategies, tips and best practices for planning, conducting and participating in successful school board meetings.
- Social Media and You: Learn about best practices for personal social media use, identify potential risks to the district raised through your social media communications, and learn how to utilize social media as a board member. Upon completion, you will have a better understanding of social media use and how to use it effectively in your role as a school board member.
- Onboarding New School Board Members: Examine the benefits of onboarding and accelerate new board member success. Discover the 7 key elements to an effective onboarding process that will empower new school board members, shortening their learning curve and boosting their confidence. Explore team development stages and learn strategies for integrating new members into existing boards. Learn how to optimize onboarding practices beyond the standard orientation and maximize the potential for new member engagement.
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