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Election winners set to hit ground running
(by Sue Hoffman - November 25, 2009)
Election winners set to hit ground running
By SUE HOFFMAN
Less than a week after candidates Beth Krause and Thomas Fussner were elected to the Kenston School Board, they headed to Columbus to attend the Ohio School Boards Association 2009 Capital Conference.
They attended several sessions during the two days they were there, learning everything from the role of a school board member to the latest reflections on the impact of technology on students.
The conference ran from Nov. 8 to 11 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Kenston School Board members Joan Hamilton and Anne Randall and School Superintendent Robert A. Lee attended this year's conference, as they have in the past.
"What was wonderful about the conference was the variety of things I had an opportunity to be exposed to," said Dr. Krause, who has a doctorate in pharmacy administration and is the mother of three school-age children. "You couldn't possibly go to all the things you wanted to go to. The sheer volume of topics that fall under the umbrella of public education" was impressive.
The capital conference boasts over 100 breakout sessions organized in 15 tracks, along with general sessions, trade show, student achievement fair and other special events.
Dr. Krause said she attended sessions on school finance, the state budget and "essential policies for 2010," as well as large, general sessions on education and technology. One speaker stressed the need to understand children in the digital age, she said. Another recommended that educators take a step back to make sure students are able to process and use the information they receive through technology.
Mr. Fussner, a retired business executive who once served as senior vice president of the General Motors Terex plant in Hudson, said he also was impressed with the conference's offerings. "I found it interesting, informative and helpful," he said.
His first session was "basic boardmanship," he said. "We went over the roles and functions of board members. I listened attentively. School boards function differently from other boards I have been on, which were mainly work related. School boards are supposed to work toward unanimity."
Like Dr. Krause, Mr. Fussner said he was interested in the general sessions on the digital age. "Today's kids think in digital form. They can multi-task," studying while watching television and texting, he said. "His message was, we'd better get with it."
Mr. Fussner said he enjoyed a seminar on using one's leadership style to bring about change. "We have different strengths and have to learn to listen." Another seminar he attended was on passing bonds and levies in difficult times.
Mr. Fussner, who stayed with his son and his family in Dublin, a suburb of Columbus, said he also was impressed by the trade show at the convention, which featured about 400 vendors. "They covered everything imaginable that a school might need, from books and desks to a football field."
The capital conference, attended by thousands of school board members and school administrators, was not Dr. Krause's first time attending an OSBA program. She said she also attended a "pre-candidates workshop" in September. "We spent time learning about our roles and responsibilities as a school board member. They wanted to train us how not to micromanage."
Regarding the capital conference, Dr. Krause said, "I look forward to going to it next year with a year of experience under my belt."
Both Ms. Hamilton and Mrs. Randall attended the entire capital conference. Ms. Hamilton was attending her ninth conference and Mrs. Randall was there for the fourth time.
"We're all about education and this is education for board members," Ms. Hamilton said. In addition to attending sessions, Ms. Hamilton serves as a delegate to the business assembly at the conference, which sets OSBA's legislative agenda. She also attends the board leadership institute in May for board members in a focus group.
In addition to its many course offerings, the conference showcases school programs in "a wonderful student achievement fair," she said. The conference "is always worthwhile," she said. "It reinvigorates us."
Mrs. Randall agreed. "I use it to get energized. It helps me better define Kenston's purpose and gets me thinking in innovative ways for the district. Every time, I come back with new ideas."
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