OSBA Today

Send us Fan Mail What makes OSBA Capital Conference worth attending, and how can school leaders make the most of their experience? On this episode of OSBA Forum, Mark Bobo welcomes Kristi Robbins and Angela Penquite for a preview of the 2026 OSBA Capital Conference & Trade Show, Nov. 15–17 in Columbus. Hear about 130 learning sessions, featured speakers, networking opportunities, the Student A...

Send us Fan Mail What makes OSBA Capital Conference worth attending, and how can school leaders make the most of their experience? On this episode of OSBA Forum, Mark Bobo welcomes Kristi Robbins and Angela Penquite for a preview of the 2026 OSBA Capital Conference & Trade Show, Nov. 15–17 in Columbus. Hear about 130 learning sessions, featured speakers, networking opportunities, the Student A...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a school board member resigns or leaves office? Ohio's rules for filling vacancies have changed. OSBA attorneys Dustin Koslen and Gamy Narvaez explain the new 45-day deadline, how candidates are selected, when a probate court may step in and when voters could have an opportunity to elect a replacement. Additional resource: https://www.ohioschoolboards.org/si...

Send us Fan Mail School law touches nearly every part of a public school district’s work, but the answers aren’t always as simple as they seem. On this episode of Report to the Office , OSBA President Mary Cleveland talks with education attorney Erin Wessendorf-Wortman of Ennis Britton about the rights, responsibilities and legal considerations that come with school board service. They discuss who...

Send us Fan Mail Supporting student mental health is an important part of creating an environment where students are ready to learn. But where should school leaders start? OSBA Forum host Mark Bobo talks with Nancy Eigel-Miller and Tricia Buchert of 1N5 about prevention, recognizing when students may need additional help, using data and student voice, supporting educators and building partnerships...

Send us Fan Mail Student discipline can seem straightforward: A student breaks a rule, the district determines what happened and there’s a consequence. Legally, there can be much more to consider. OSBA attorneys Sara Clark and Dustin Koslen join Scott Gerfen to discuss suspensions and expulsions, students with IEPs and 504 plans, discipline involving younger students and other legal considerations...

Send us Fan Mail A strategic plan shouldn't be something a school board approves and then rarely discusses again. In this episode of Leading the Way, OSBA’s Kristi Robbins and Teri Morgan talk with Scott Gerfen about making strategic planning an ongoing part of a district’s work. They discuss the board’s role, community involvement, common mistakes, measuring progress and keeping a strategic...

Send us Fan Mail What does career-technical education look like today? OSBA President Mary Cleveland talks with Great Oaks Career Campuses President and CEO Harry Snyder about the changing role of career-tech education in Ohio. They discuss growing student interest, opportunities to earn college credit, connections with business and industry and why choosing career tech doesn't lock a student...

Send us Fan Mail Rep. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio knows school advocacy from both sides. Before representing Ohio’s 4th House District, she spent eight years on the Gahanna-Jefferson City Schools Board of Education. She joins OSBA’s Malania Birney to talk about what she learned as a board member, how that experience shapes her work in the Ohio House and what school board members should know when wor...

Send us Fan Mail Five years after Ohio began implementing the Fair School Funding Plan, former Ohio House Speaker Bob Cupp, a Republican, and former state Rep. John Patterson, a Democrat, reunite to discuss how they worked across party lines to tackle one of Ohio’s most complicated public policy issues. Cupp and Patterson share how they built trust, brought school leaders and other experts into th...

Send us Fan Mail Public comment gives parents and community members an opportunity to speak directly to their elected school board. But what happens when comments become contentious, or the audience becomes disruptive? OSBA attorneys Sara Clark and Jennie Hardin discuss the legal boundaries surrounding public comment at school board meetings, including limited public forums, First Amendment protec...

Send us Fan Mail What is an educational service center, and what does it do for Ohio’s public schools? OSBA President Mary Cleveland sits down with Hamilton County Educational Service Center board member Bill Ferguson to unpack the role ESCs play in supporting school districts across Ohio. Ferguson explains how ESCs provide shared services ranging from special education and professional developmen...

Send us Fan Mail Amber Ballard saw a problem affecting students with disabilities and decided not to accept that nothing could be done. The Norwood City Schools board member worked with district leaders and OSBA’s legislative team to develop a proposal that ultimately became part of Ohio law. She joins OSBA President Mary Cleveland to explain why students receiving services beyond their traditiona...

Send us Fan Mail Hiring decisions begin with student safety. In this episode, OSBA attorneys Dustin Koslen and Jennifer Hardin explain Ohio's employee background check requirements, absolute bar offenses, rehabilitation provisions and what school districts should consider before hiring applicants with past criminal convictions. They also preview updated OSBA legal fact sheets and the upcoming...

Send us Fan Mail Many school board members are also active in booster clubs, PTOs, alumni associations and other organizations that support their schools. But when does volunteer service begin to overlap with board responsibilities? In this episode of Leading the Way , OSBA board consultants Teri Morgan and Quinn Maceyko discuss how board members can stay involved while maintaining strong governan...

What happens when a bill about school psychologists suddenly becomes the vehicle for some of the most debated education proposals at the Statehouse? That's just one example of the fast-moving legislative action that unfolded before the Ohio General Assembly recessed for the summer. In this episode, OSBA's Jennifer Hogue, Nicole Piscitani and Malania Birney unpack the major education bill...

What role do school levies play in supporting public education? In this episode of Report to the Office, host Mary Cleveland welcomes community advocate Tracey Artis for a conversation about school funding, community involvement and the importance of staying informed. Together, they discuss: • How school levies affect local communities • The relationship between public schools and community well-b...

Can a state require every public school classroom to display the Ten Commandments? Federal courts are currently answering that question in different ways, and the disagreement could eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court. In this episode of Legal Ledger Sidebar, OSBA attorneys Sara Clark and Jennie Hardin break down recent court decisions from Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas involving laws requirin...

Conflict is unavoidable in school leadership, but how leaders respond to it can shape the culture and effectiveness of an entire district. In this episode of the OSBA Forum, host Mark Bobo talks with Sara Clark and Kristi Robbins about the challenges school boards and district leaders face regarding conflict, communication and governance.  The conversation explores:  Why conflict is increasing in...

Property taxes, levies, millage and school funding can be confusing, but they affect every community. In this episode of Report to the Office, OSBA President Mary Cleveland talks with Princeton City Schools Treasurer Christine Poetter about how school districts are funded, why local taxpayers are being asked to carry more of the load, and how those dollars support students, staff, buildings and da...

Social media gives school board members a direct way to connect with their communities, but it can also create legal, governance and communication challenges if it’s not handled carefully. In this episode of Leading the Way , OSBA consultants Kristi Robbins and Quinn Maceyko discuss where board members often get tripped up online and how to avoid creating problems for yourself or your board. The c...

AI is moving fast, and Ohio schools now have a July 1 deadline to have a policy in place. So what should districts actually be doing right now? In this Legal Ledger Sidebar, OSBA policy consultant Gamy Narvaez breaks down the steps schools can take now, what matters most in an AI policy and the biggest legal risks to watch. If your district hasn’t started yet, this is a good place to begin. 00:00...

What if students weren’t just learners — but problem-solvers? At Ridgewood Local Schools, a group of senior honors students identified a growing literacy challenge and decided to do something about it. The result: an AI-powered platform that allows students to generate their own stories, read at their level, and build stronger engagement with reading. In this episode of Leading the Way , host Scot...

Strong schools are built on aligned leadership. In this episode of Leading the Way , host Scott Gerfen is joined by Dr. Elizabeth Lolli and Mike Trego from the Ohio Leadership Advisory Council (OLAC) to discuss collaborative leadership and why alignment among school boards, superintendents, principals and teachers is critical to district success. The conversation explores how leadership teams move...

In this episode of OSBA’s Leading the Way podcast, host Scott Gerfen sits down with OSBA board consultants Kristi Robbins and Teri Morgan — both former school board members — to break down what new members need to know as they step into public service. They discuss:• What to expect during the first 90 days on the board• How to prepare for your first board meeting• Governance vs. day-to-day managem...