The Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB) is an organization focused on empowering school boards through growth opportunities, legal resources, advocacy, and member benefits. Offering a myriad of services and programs, CASB covers a broad range of areas to cater to its vast member base.
A key attribute of CASB is the legislative and advocacy efforts. With a focus on key legislative priorities, legislative bills, and the broader legislative session, CASB offers support in the complex area of education-related legislation. In particular, the legislative resolutions committee addresses the 2023 key legislative priorities and 2023 legislative bills. CASB also closely works with different stakeholders such as the Colorado General Assembly, Colorado Federal Delegation, and various Education Committees. There are resources dedicated for understanding local and state level advocacy too.
Additionally, CASB offers extensive professional development opportunities. These include hosting a variety of events such as the CASB convention, Days at the Capitol, the Delegate Assembly, among others. Various professional development programs like Leadership Development Workbook and CASB Conversation Webinars are also available to its members. They also conduct Rural Board Member Roundtables aimed at addressing the unique challenges faced by school boards in rural locations.
CASB also provides policy assistance by offering services related to district policy maintenance, superintendent searches, and legal resources for the election process. This is coupled with the Policy Governance plan which offers various policy forms/lists to facilitate policy creation and management within districts.
The organization also offers a range of member benefits, such as the Food Services Cooperative or access to services such as BuyBoard, Colorado Council of School Board Attorneys, and the Benefit-based Accountability system. CASB also creates space for members to connect through its various programs like the CASB Connections Podcasts and Key People Cafes.
CASB extends its reach by providing a wealth of news and information. The organization appears to have an effective communication strategy with newsletters, media releases, and other publications. It also provides various toolkits and access to Colorado State Resources for districts, which helps members stay updated and equipped to meet challenges.
Verdict: CASB seems to be a comprehensive resource for school boards in Colorado, offering services that range from legislative advocacy to professional development, policy governance, and member benefits. Its commitment to providing information and resources makes it a useful platform for school boards to navigate various facets of operating and advocating for schools.
