IASB Convention 2024

In recent years, public attendance and participation in school board meetings has increased significantly. In addition, Iowa law provides new ways for community members to participate in board meetings beyond the public comment process. During this session, attorneys from Ahlers & Cooney, P.C. will focus on new laws ranging from petitions to place an item on the board’s agenda to challenges to curriculum and library books to good old-fashioned public comment procedures. Board members will also gain a better understanding of legal requirements and best practices as they navigate a tricky topic during a public meeting.

Teacher termination hearings can be challenging, uncomfortable and contentious. During this session, join attorneys from Ahlers & Cooney, P.C., who will lead attendees through a mock teacher termination hearing, focusing on the who, what, when, and how of the termination process under Iowa Code Chapter 279. Names, places, and events are products of the presenters’ imaginations and a combined 30+ years of experience handling termination hearings throughout Iowa.

Need help streamlining and strengthening the superintendent evaluation in your district? Look no further! This interactive session will include processes and tools to ensure the superintendent performance review process is ongoing, practical, and aligned with district priorities. Plus, you'll hear from a second-year superintendent and board team members who used these tools during their first year together, which helped to provide a strong board-team partnership from the start. Join this interactive discussion and network with colleagues to discuss advantages of whole board participation in evaluations and learn benefits of conducting several mid-year progress check ins rather than just one annual summary evaluation.