The Washington State School Directors’ Association offers these guidebooks, manuals, and publications to support school board members. If you don’t see the materials you are looking for, please contact the WSSDA office at 360-252-3000 or mail@wssda.org.
A Guide for Effective School Board Members
This guide is designed to serve as a comprehensive resource for school directors throughout their journey, offering clear guidance, practical tools, and key insights.
Washington School Board Standards
Standards for school boards and school directors, developed by the WSSDA Board Standards Task Force.
Open Public Meetings
Focuses on provisions of Washington’s Open Public Meetings Act, and addresses other legal requirements and nonlegal issues surrounding effective and responsible public meetings.
The Basics of School Law
This guide introduces school board directors to legal topics they may encounter in their board service. The legal topics covered range from employer/employee issues to student rights. Understanding school law helps members fulfill their role on the board.
Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
Reviews basic conflict of interest issues, with emphasis on structuring district policies and board practices to comply with state law when board members or superintendents have an ongoing personal financial interest in their district’s operations.
Parliamentary Procedure
This guide introduces board members to the basics of parliamentary procedure found in Robert’s Rules. It also addresses topics that school boards will most commonly encounter during their meetings.
Policy & Legal News
Policy & Legal News keeps Washington’s school board directors current on emerging board policy and legal issues. It is a subscription-based quarterly publication with additional policy alerts issued as needed. Each issue features articles explaining the “why” behind newly developed or revised model policies, including the origin and context of the updates. Articles also cover need to know legal issues, including significant case law and key issues from the State Auditor’s Office. Policy & Legal News is the vehicle through which WSSDA updates its Model Policy Library, and subscription also includes markup versions of any revised model policy and procedure as attachments.
Budgeting & Bargaining Manual
A resource for school directors as they navigate their roles and responsibilities related to school district budgeting and collective bargaining. Production of this publication was informed by unprecedented participation levels in feedback sessions throughout Washington at WSSDA Regional Meetings following the 2018 collective bargaining season.
Public Schools Funding FAQs
The Washington school funding system is complex, and many previous attempts to explain it are lengthy and time-consuming to read. WSSDA designed this resource to answer some of the most common questions in a simple, accessible, and easy-to-navigate way. Inside this 32-page booklet, you’ll find answers to 36 frequently asked questions. The booklet also has colorful, explanatory graphics that you can use as stand-alone resources for distribution.
WSSDA Direct
WSSDA Direct is a quarterly publication sharing stories about school boards and school districts from all over Washington state. Also included are updates on the work of WSSDA staff, its board, and sometimes other education-focused organizations. Book reviews, articles featuring student voice, and insights from legislators are also common ingredients.
Educational Acronyms and Terminology
This guide is a handy reference listing the acronyms school directors are most likely to hear.