ASK A SCHOOL BOARD KEYNOTE SPEAKER: WHAT’S NEXT FOR EDUCATION AND LEARNING?

Chat with a school board keynote speaker, and you’ll discover that their work refers to an elected or appointed governing body that oversees a school district and public schools within a jurisdiction. Many typical responsibilities and roles of the group include:

• Setting a vision and goals for the school district. Per school board keynote speakers, contributors establish priorities, objectives, and strategic plans.
• Making policies and rules that govern the operations of schools in the district. Policies address things like curriculum, funding, programs, hiring, student conduct, etc.
• Approving budgets and overseeing finances for the district and allocation of resources to schools.
• Hiring and evaluating the district superintendent, who oversees day-to-day operations, or so school board keynote speakers would explain.
• Setting standards and graduation requirements for students in the district.
• Approving contracts for services, collective bargaining agreements, and other commitments.
• Overseeing bonds and measures that school board keynote speakers recommend for facilities and funding.
• Serving as liaisons between schools and the community they represent.
• Providing oversight and accountability for student achievement, school performance, and equity across the district.
• Ensuring the district follows laws, regulations, and policies set at the state and federal levels.

The way school board keynote speakers put it, boards are intended to provide local citizen governance and direction for public education on behalf of residents and families in the communities they serve. Members may be elected or appointed depending on the district.

In case you want to see examples of where future trends and innovations in the space are going, just a handful of the largest school districts and school boards in the United States would be:

• New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) – Over 1 million students. NYCDOE is the largest school system in the US, school board keynote speakers tell us. It oversees policies for over 1,800 schools.
• Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) – Around 600,000 students. LAUSD is the 2nd largest public school district in the US, with over 1,000 schools.
• Chicago Public Schools (CPS) – About 350,000 students. The third largest school district with over 600 schools. The Chicago Board of Education oversees CPS.
• Miami-Dade County Public Schools – Around 350,000 students in over 470 schools. According to school board keynote speaker, the district serves Miami and surrounding areas.
• Clark County School District (Nevada) – 320,000+ students. Clark County SD serves Las Vegas and vicinity and is the 5th largest in the US.
• Broward County Public Schools (Florida) – 270,000+ students. This district in southeast Florida is one of the largest in the country.
• Houston Independent School District – Around 200,000 students in 280 schools. The largest district in Texas and 7th biggest in the US.
• Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida) – Over 200,000 students. This Tampa area district is the 8th largest in the country.
• Orange County Public Schools (Florida) – Around 200,000 students. The OCPS school board oversees Orlando area schools.
• Hawaii Department of Education – Over 170,000 students in 295 schools across Hawaii.