BoardCast

This BoardCast episode highlights mental health as a key driver of school safety with a  focus on prevention and long-term wellness. Stacey Warren from Heartland AEA shares how Iowa districts are integrating mental health supports into their safety strategies and what effective programs look like in practice. The conversation outlines the governance role of school boards, including policy, staffin...

In this episode, IASB Advocacy & Digital Media Specialist Taylor McGill sits down with IASB Government Relations Director Michelle Johnson, IASB Lobbyist Emily Piper, and IASB Associate Executive Director, Government Relations & School Finance Mike Guanci for a deep dive into what you can expect this session, key education issues to be on the lookout for, as well as IASB advocacy tools and...

For 25 years, The Lighthouse Study has helped define what effective school board leadership looks like—and why it matters for student success. In this special BoardCast episode, host Jen Woodley sits down with Carolyn Jons, who helped publish the study’s original findings, along with Lou Gvist and Tammi Drawbaugh, who continue to work with school boards to apply its research today.

In this episode, John Shanks from GeoComm joins us to discuss Iowa’s Critical Incident Mapping program. The State of Iowa has contracted with GeoComm to provide schools with detailed indoor and outdoor GIS maps and mapping software to support emergency response. These tools empower schools and first responders to visualize incidents in real time, improve communication, and decrease response times....

In this first episode of the School Safety in Iowa Series , IASB Executive Director D.T. Magee is joined by Tammi Drawbaugh, IASB Associate Executive Director of Board Leadership & Policy Services. Together, they explore why school safety is more than an operational concern—it’s a strategic responsibility for school boards. Learn how governance and management work together to create safer scho...

Join IASB's government relations team, Taylor McGill, Michelle Johnson, and Emily Piper, as they discuss the first funnel of the 2025 Iowa legislative session. For more information, visit: www.ia-sb.org/advocacy . Music: "Happy Alley" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this episode of BoardCast , IASB’s Advocacy and Digital Media Specialist Taylor McGill chats with IASB Government Relations Director Michelle Johnson and IASB Lobbyist Emily Piper about what we can expect from the upcoming 2025 legislative session in Iowa. For more information, visit: www.ia-sb.org/advocacy . Music: "Happy Alley" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative...

In this episode of BoardCast, IASB’s Advocacy and Digital Media Specialist Taylor McGill sits down with IASB Government Relations Director Michelle Johnson and IASB Lobbyist Emily Piper to discuss preschool: why it matters, our proposal, as well as talking points and advocacy tips your district can utilize this upcoming legislative session. To learn more, visit: www.ia-sb.org/preschool . Music: &q...

In this episode of BoardCast , IASB® Executive Director D.T. Magee discusses the 'Four Steps to Success for New Superintendents.' These steps are designed to help you build a solid foundation for your leadership role and to ensure a strong relationship with your board. Drawing from both the expertise of IASB and his personal experience as a former superintendent, D.T. guides you through...

As we gear up for the upcoming legislative session, it’s more important than ever to establish strong relationships with your local legislators. Whether you're a new advocate or a seasoned veteran, building and maintaining these connections can make a significant impact on the success of your advocacy efforts. In this episode of BoardCast , we take a look back at IASB’s webinar covering The B...

In this episode of BoardCast, IASB Executive Director D.T. Magee explores the transformative impact of public education. Join us as D.T. discusses how public education serves as the foundation of our democracy, promotes equity and opportunity for all students, and drives economic growth in our communities. Whether you’re a school board member, educator, or advocate, this episode will inspire you t...

Join Taylor McGill and IASB's Convention and Events Director, Tiffany Rudd, as they sit down with Ava Cranmore from the Alabama Association of School Boards, Sonn Sam with Big Picture Learning and Education Sociologist and Achievement Gap Specialist, Anindya Kundu. Together they discuss the upcoming Summit on Student Success, happening April 27-28 at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny, Iowa....

Join IASB's government relations team, Michelle Johnson and Emily Piper as they discuss the first funnel of the 2023 legislative session. Music: Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3851-happy-alley License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Join IASB's government relations team (including our new Government Relations Director, Michelle Johnson) as they lay the groundwork for the upcoming session. Learn about the key issues legislators will be debating this year, including vouchers, increased flexibility, and addressing the teacher shortage. Music: Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3851-happ...

As we head toward another legislative session, IASB school finance expert Shawn Snyder provides an update on state revenue projections from the December 14 Revenue Estimating Conference (REC) meeting. The REC provided a mostly positive outlook on the state’s revenues that the legislature will use to craft their budget for next year. Music: Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.fil...

Hear from IASB's school finance experts, and featured ISFLC presenters, on everything new superintendents can expect to learn at the New Superintendents' Conference in September! Music: Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3851-happy-alley License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

IASB's government relations team provides a rundown of what survived, what died and what we have to keep an eye on as the legislative session passed its second funnel deadline on March 18. Music: Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3851-happy-alley License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

IASB is excited to introduce our new School Finance Director, Jan Miller-Hook. Hear how she got involved in school finance and will be a valuable member of the IASB team. Plus, Shawn Snyder breaks down what Governor Reynolds’ proposed 2.5% supplemental state aid (SSA) rate means in terms of new money for school districts. Music: Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/s...

IASB Lobbyist Emily Piper provides a recap of Governor Kim Reynolds’ education policy proposals from the Condition of the State address , given on January 11, 2022. The top issues for the governor are vouchers, school transparency initiatives and a plan for teacher recruitment and retention. Music: Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3851-happy-alley License: h...

Join our government relations team as they preview what to expect from the upcoming legislative session: SSA, addressing the teacher shortage, increased dropout prevention and at-risk funding, and a continued fight against vouchers. Music: Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3851-happy-alley License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

IASB’s school finance expert Shawn Snyder provides a breakdown of the Revenue Estimating Conference’s (REC) most recent meeting, including updates on the state’s surplus, reserve funds, and what he thinks the legislature could afford to spend on supplemental state aid. Music: Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3851-happy-alley License: http://creativecommons.o...

Legislative Resolutions Committee (LRC) chair Liz Brennan joins Government Relations Director Phil Jeneary to break down this year’s Delegate Assembly. Learn how we develop our legislative platform each year and what our priorities are for the upcoming legislative session. Music: Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3851-happy-alley License: http://creativecommo...

Listen in to this special BoardCast episode for an insider look at upcoming sessions at IASB's Employee Relations Conference with Ain Grooms (Professor, University of Iowa) and Amy Mayer (Regents Alternative Pathways to Iowa Licensure (RAPIL) Program Coordinator, University of Northern Iowa). Join us October 12 at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny! Visit IASB's website for more informa...

Liz Brennan, chair of the LRC, joins our government relations team to discuss the role of the LRC in developing IASB’s legislative platform and what specific issues they’re planning to focus on this year. Note: This episode was originally a part of the Capitol Chats podcast series. Episodes of the popular advocacy-focused Capitol Chats: Across the Aisle with IASB podcast will now be released throu...

IASB is making a big push to address the inequity in dropout prevention funding, which was created by the legislature. Our Government Relations team provides the background knowledge and tools you need to advocate for equitable funding. Then, Alex Smith, a board member from Waukee, joins us to talk about how his district uses these funds and why additional resources are needed in so many districts...