The Texas Association of School Boards’ bills its summer leadership institutes as a way of training new board members, but critics warn the institutes spread the left-wing, taxpayer-funded lobbying organization’s influence. TASB held its first conference last week in San Antonio, and organizers scheduled this week’s conference for Fort Worth.
TASB’s website describes the summer leadership institute (SLI) as the group’s “flagship training conference designed to offer new and experienced school trustees a place to create their own learning journey.” The events allow trustees to earn required continuing education credits.
The organization is drawing renewed scrutiny after the Texas GOP condemned both TASB and the Texas Association of School Administrators. The party’s resolution accused the groups of advancing “systematic intimidation, coercion, and attempts to force trustee recusal from legitimate governance and oversight duties,” often through use of association-tied legal counsel and risk management providers.
The resolution also alleges that conservative school board members have been “subjected to coercive tactics” and isolated when challenging policy positions and training mandates.
Because TASB controls much of the training pipeline, critics argue it bakes its viewpoints into the continuing education credits it offers.
According to the schedule for the Fort Worth SLI, some of the main sessions include improving student outcomes, a panel discussion with state lawmakers, financial planning, teacher retention, and legislative advocacy.
Included on the agenda is “How Community Engagement Became Key to a Successful Bond,” which highlights how attendees will see “how thoughtful outreach and transparent communication can support a well-informed community during a bond election.”
Yet several school districts passed bonds this year because of low voter turnout, not because of strong community support, raising questions about whose “support” is cultivated.
Presenters for that session include the superintendent of Ferris Independent School District and the director of communications and bonds from Claycomb Associates, Inc. Claycomb is an Austin-based architectural firm specializing in school facilities with expertise in master planning, K-12 design, and construction administration. It also offers bond support to school districts, free of charge.
Another session entitled “Leadership Under Public Scrutiny in the Social Media Era,” is also on the agenda and tells attendees they will “learn how to respond thoughtfully rather than reactively to online narratives, balance personal and professional social media presence, and protect mental well-being while serving in highly visible leadership roles.”
The session is presented by trustees from Hutto Independent School District and will “share practical strategies for navigating public scrutiny while staying focused on governance and student success.”
Concerned parents have used social media to voice concerns over bonds, student safety, education outcomes, explicit books found in school libraries, and predatory teachers.
Questions surround whether this training encourages trustees to treat online criticism as a “narrative” problem to be managed or a warning signal that demands transparency and reform.
Sessions offered during past TASB events have labeled parents who air their concerns online as “cyber terrorists” and “CAVE” people—citizens against virtually everything.
TASB will also hold its annual txEDCON conference in October.
