Q: What is the purpose of awarding the Advanced Boardsmanship Certification (ABC)?
A: The certification recognizes school board members who demonstrate exemplary leadership traits through proactive work at the local and regional, state, or national levels and who have completed the leadership and governance curriculums of the Certified Board Member Program and the Master Board Program.
Q: For whom is the ABC distinction designed?
A: The distinction is designed for individual school board members who wish to pursue this certification on a voluntary basis.
Q: What are the eligibility requirements for the ABC distinction?
A: Five (5) eligibility criteria have been established for certification:
Criterion 1: Complete the curriculum requirements and earn the distinction of Certified Board Member (CBM) and satisfy the annual CBM renewal requirements for three (3) consecutive recognition years prior to the application date for the ABC distinction. Provided, however, candidates holding the CBM distinction for less than three (3) years must establish completion of the annual CBM renewal requirement for each recognition year after earning the CBM distinction.
Criterion 2: Satisfy the curriculum requirements for the Master Board Program by one (1) of three (3) methods.
Criterion 3: Deliver six (6) presentations to different audiences or organizations at local, statewide, or national functions while serving as a school board member. The presentations must cover three (3) different topics related to education over a four-year period immediately preceding the date of application for the distinction of ABC.
Criterion 4: Document a minimum of four (4) leadership activities at the local level during tenure as a school board member. Each leadership activity must represent a different local organization.
Criterion 5: Substantiate a minimum of three (3) leadership activities at the regional, state, and/or national level from different organizations during tenure as a school board member to include two (2) different FSBA leadership activities.
Q: What are the three (3) methods for satisfying the curriculum requirements of the Master Board (MB) Program?
A: The options are:
- Participate in and complete the Initial MB Program, the MB Reinstatement Program, or the Master Board Program;
- Participate in the MB Program as a FSBA facilitator; and,
- Complete the curricular requirements of the MB Program through independent study. The independent study must consist of twenty (20) hours of observation in these MB training activities:
- MB Forum for the Master Board Program; and,
- ten (10) hours in elective modules developed for the MB Program.
Q: How is a board member considered for the ABC distinction?
A: An application process has been developed for board members who are interested in this distinction. It is the board member's responsibility to complete the required forms and assemble supporting documentation to be considered for the ABC distinction.
Q: How are the eligibility criteria for the ABC distinction documented?
A: An applicant for the ABC distinction must assemble and file a portfolio in the FSBA Office by the established deadline which is indicated on the ABC application form. The portfolio must provide supporting documentation for each criterion.
Q: How frequent is the ABC application process available to a school board member?
A: An announcement about the ABC application process is mailed in March and August of each year to those board members who have completed the CBM Program and are in active status. Active status means the CBM recipient has accrued at least 18 training points during the Recognition Year (i.e. between May 1 and April 30). An ABC application packet can be obtained by emailing or contacting the FSBA Office.
Q: What is meant by "topics related to education" in criterion #3?
A: Presentations should cover topics aligned with Florida's eight (8) education goals and advocacy issues for children, such as Healthy Kids.
Q: What constitutes "leadership activities?"
A: Acceptable experiences are those in which the board member served as an officer or committee chairman OR as a member of a prestigious advisory council, commission, etc. Membership in an organization is not a leadership activity.
Q: Can leadership activities be educational and non-educational?
A: YES! Submission of a variety of activities in diverse organizations is desirable; community involvement is important to document. These activities must be in addition to the normal responsibilities of a board member.
Q: For what period of time should leadership activities be described?
A: Any leadership activities that occurred during tenure as a school board member should be listed.
Q: How are portfolios of ABC applicants evaluated?
A: A "peer review" process has been established by the Board Development Committee to determine ABC recipients. Fellow board members are appointed to serve on the ABC Portfolio Review Committee.
Q: Who composes the ABC Portfolio Review Committee?
A: Four to six board members of the Board Development Committee and an Executive Officer serve as members of the ABC Portfolio Review Committee. The FSBA Director of Board Development functions as an ex-officio committee member.
Q: What type of presentations are not acceptable for criterion 3?
A: The Board Development Committee has determined presentations delivered at the following events are not acceptable:
- activities or functions which are the routine responsibilities of a school board chairman or board member, for example, a speech welcoming new teachers to the district;
- any activity or function relating to a school board meeting or workshop;
- political campaing activities; and,
- any presentation for which a salary or remuneration has been received.
Q: What are some examples of FSBA leadership positions?
A: FSBA leadership positions to satisfy criterion 5 include:
- Executive Officer
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Committee Chairman
- Committee Co-Chairman
- Committee Vice-Chairman
- Legislative Subcommittee Chairman
- Nominating Committee
- Trustee for Florida School Boards Insurance Trust (FSBIT)
- Member of the Board of Directors for Florida School Labor Relations Service (FSLRS)
- FSBA Representative on the Florida High School Activities Association (FHSAA)
- Representation on commissions sponsored by FSBA.
Q: What FSBA memberships are not considered leadership positions?
A: Membership on the Legislative, Federal Relations Network (FRN) and other standing and ad hoc committees.
Q: Can serving on the FSBA Board of Directors for two (2) consecutive or non-consecutive terms be counted as two (2) FSBA leadership positions?
A: NO! Regardless of the number of times a board member is elected to the FSBA Board of Directors, it counts as only one (1) FSBA leadership activity.
Q: Must all leadership positions be elected?
A: NO! The position may be elected, appointed, or voluntary. However, receiving an honorary membership in an organization or on a committee does not represent a leadership activity.
Q: For criterion 2, what are appropriate roles for the presentations?
A: Acceptable roles include presenter, facilitative leader, or presenting panelist.
Q: How are ABC recipients recognized?
A: Recipients of the ABC distinction receive a plaque and lapel pin. These awards are presented at the FSBA Annual Spring Conference in June and the FSBA Annual Joint Conference in November/December.
Q: Does the FSBA Office advise the community when a board member earns the ABC distinction?
A: YES! Press releases are sent to daily and weekly newspapers that are in circulation within the community.
Q: Is information about the ABC distinction on FSBA's website?
A: YES! The application packet is on the website www.fsba.org in a pdf format. To receive the ABC forms in a WORD document, contact the FSBA Office.
Please direct inquiries about the Advanced Boardsmanship Certification to:
Karen Denson, Director of Board Development
Florida School Boards Association
203 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Telephone Number: 850/414-2578
FAX Number: 850/414-2585
E-mail: denson@fsba.org