School Board Member Recognition Month

January is School Board Member Recognition Month in Kentucky

Kentucky will again join take its place alongside many other states in observing January as School Board Member Recognition Month.

For 2007, KSBA has created a special board meeting placemat as a gift for board members. Designed by KSBA staff member Jennifer Wohlleb, the placemat features key dates over the coming year for decisions and/or actions by Kentucky school boards.

The colorful, 11-inch by 14-inch mat also includes the Code of Ethical Conduct for school board members adopted by the KSBA Board of Directors.

The placemats is being mailed this week to all 175 superintendents for inclusion in presentations to board members at their January meetings or other events marking the observation.

Boardcast celebration throughout January

Additionally, KSBA will feature photographs of local celebrations honoring board members in January editions of Boardcast. Districts are invited to send no more than two electronic photographs, in either jpg or tif formats, for use in this project to brad.hughes@ksba.org. Photographs should be e-mailed as soon as possible after the recognition event for inclusion in the next week's edition of Boardcast.

History of School Board Member Recognition Month

NSBA initiated National School Board Recognition Month in 1995 by resolution of its Delegate Assembly. States followed suit by dedicating a time of the year to recognize the contributions of local board members.

While most state associations mark January for the event, some states, including Alaska, Georgia, Minnesota, Mississippi and New York, choose other times of the year for their special recognition of board members.

Quick History on School Boards

In 1721, local government authorities in Boston delegated part of their control over schools to lay citizens. History records that the town selectmen were burdened with the details of education as defined by the Massachusetts Laws of 1642 (establishing the right of the government to demand universal schooling and literacy) and the Old Deluder Law of 1647 (establishing compulsory schools for the young).

In 1826, Massachusetts took the final step in the evolution of a district school board by ordering each town in the state to elect a separate school committee to have "the general charge and superintendence of all the public schools" of the town. This law marks the final transfer of educational functions from the selectmen to the new body, created specifically for administering public education in the towns.

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Kentucky School Boards Association

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