Kentucky School Advocate
June 2023
By Brenna R. Kelly
KSBA Publications Manager
How can I nominate someone to be next year’s School Board Member of the Year? KSBA’s Board Member of the Year Award began in 2021 as a way to honor a board member who has made significant contributions to public education through service on their local boards.
The Board Member of Year is someone who:
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Exemplifies leadership best practices.
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Passionately advocates for needs of his/her district and public education.
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Demonstrates the highest ethical standards and celebrates the values of public service.
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Actively engages in KSBA training and events.
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Exhibits a keen understanding of district governance and operations.
KSBA will begin accepting nominations for the 2024 Board Member of the Year this fall. It’s never too early to start thinking about a worthy board member and preparing the nomination, which includes biographical information and open-ended questions about the nominee’s board service. Also, note that board members cannot nominate themselves. To be eligible for the award, a board member must meet the following criteria:
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Must actively serve on his/her district’s board of education, having been elected or appointed, at the time of nomination.
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Must be in at least the fifth year of board service. This could include an elected board member in the first year of a second term or an appointed member whose total service equates to being in his/her fifth year of service or more. This could also include school board members who have served multiple districts. Nominees with gaps in board service will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
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Must be an active KSBA member and in good standing with the association.
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Must comply with prior years’ state-mandated board training requirements.
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Must have achieved a minimum of Level 2 in the KSBA Academy of Studies.
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Incomplete nomination packets or those that do not adhere to nomination instructions may be removed from consideration.
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Association members currently serving on the KSBA Board of Directors during the nomination period are not eligible.
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Nominee cannot represent the district of the previous year’s winner.
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Nominee cannot be a previous winner of the award.
Who selects the Board Member of the Year?
The nominees will be carefully considered by a panel of judges who are appointed by KSBA’s president, Karen Byrd. The panel is comprised of former association presidents and major award winners, and is assisted by KSBA staff. The winner will be notified in January 2024 and the award will be presented at KSBA’s Annual Conference March 1-3, 2024, in Louisville.
Does KSBA have other awards for individuals or districts? Since 1997, KSBA has honored districts with the PEAK Award, (Public Education Achieve in Kentucky) as a way to focus statewide attention on outstanding public school efforts aimed specifically at enhancing student learning skills and to promote the positive impact of public elementary and secondary education in the Commonwealth.
Nominations for the PEAK Award will open this fall. For more information go to:
https://www.ksba.org/PEAK.aspx.
This year, the Kentucky Organization of Superintendents’ Administrative Assistants (KOSAA) awarded the inaugural “KOSAA KUP” designed to recognize the exemplary service of KOSAA members and to celebrate their contributions to public education. KUP stands for, knowledge, understanding and passion.
Nominations for the KOSAA KUP will also open this fall.