School Boards for Academic Excellence Education Policy and Training Summit – Orlando, FL

School Boards for Academic Excellence and the Florida Coalition of Conservative School Board Members invite you to a three day education policy and training summit for SBAE network partner organizations and school board members from around the nation. This content rich summit will empower organizational leaders and school board members to become reformers for academic excellence in their school districts.

Rising above the horizon stands Rosen Shingle Creek® Hotel, a sight welcoming you to experience the personal touch of an independent, full service, luxury hotel with all the amenities you expect. The location is prime—on Universal Boulevard, east of the Orange County Convention Center North/South expansion, and 10 minutes from the Orlando International Airport. Rosen Shingle Creek’s third and best-known quality creates the perfect trifecta—award-winning customer service. To book your hotel room in the SBAE room block follow this link.

SBAE EDUCATION POLICY AND TRAINING SUMMIT

Tentative Conference Agenda

Wednesday 22, 2025

9:00 am-4:00 pm Florida School Board Member Trainings

Florida School Board Members receive state mandated training by FCCSBM

3:00 pm- 6:00pm Summit registration open

Registration for SBAE State Affiliate Organizations and School Board Members

6:00 pm- Opening Reception (Guest Speaker: Ryan Walters, Oklahoma Superintndent of Public Instruction)

Join school board association leaders and school board members from across the nation for libations and networking.

7:00 pm- Opening Dinner (Guest Speaker: Manny Diaz Jr., Education Commissioner of Florida)

Enjoy southern cuisine, great fellowship, and a tremendous speaker.

Thursday 23, 2025

Enjoy breakfast at your leisure in any of the hotel restaurants

8:30 am-9:45 am- Words That Win: Mastering the Art of Persuasion (Part 1)

Creating a persuasive speech, telling stories constituents remember, and using statistics that stick. We’ll hone your skills on the school board, whether you’re talking to constituents, other board members, or reporters, you’ll know how to get your point across clearly.

Speaker

Trevor Bragdon is a behavioral scientist and the founder of 7-Figure Fundraising, where he teaches nonprofit leaders how to ask for 5, 6, and 7-figure donations. He has trained fundraisers from over a dozen countries and coauthored 7-Figure Fundraising: a Guide to Help You Raise Millions to Change the World. In his corporate work, Trevor specializes in helping leaders present and persuade in high-stakes moments. Trevor has an MSc in Behavioral Science from the London School of Economics and lives in Richmond, Virginia, with his wife and three children.

8:30 am-9:45 am-Workshop: How to run a successful school board meeting (Part 1)

Learn tactics for defeating or supporting a main motion. Attendees receive a table of motions and defensive tactics to help make the most of their school board experience.

Speaker

Bill Gillmeister is a Ph.D. Agricultural Economist turned grassroots activist with nearly 30 years’ experience in legislative procedure and general parliamentary procedure working at the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources and, after leaving state government, with grassroots activist organizations in Massachusetts. Through his business, Call To Order Governance Services, Bylaw Bill, as he’s come to be known, has provided parliamentarian and governance services for local and national organizations. He focuses on advising and training members of school boards and coalitions of state legislators throughout the country on how to plan for and use parliamentary procedure in policy and legislative battles to achieve success. He is a 15-year school committee veteran and has been Town Moderator for his hometown of Brookfield, Massachusetts since 2021.

10:00 am- 11:30 am- Ambush to Advantage: Acing the Unscripted Answer

In this session, we’ll show you three specific strategies for answering unscripted questions, so you come across as persuasive, informed, and in control, no matter what the news media throws at you.
You’ll learn how to:

• Transform gotcha questions into golden opportunities to deliver your message
• Craft rapid-fire responses that pack a punch in seconds flat
• Keep your cool under the hottest spotlights

Speaker

Trevor Bragdon is a behavioral scientist and the founder of 7-Figure Fundraising, where he teaches nonprofit leaders how to ask for 5, 6, and 7-figure donations. He has trained fundraisers from over a dozen countries and coauthored 7-Figure Fundraising: a Guide to Help You Raise Millions to Change the World. In his corporate work, Trevor specializes in helping leaders present and persuade in high-stakes moments. He started his career working on over 70 political campaigns where he specialized in get-out-the-vote mobilization. Trevor has an MSc in Behavioral Science from the London School of Economics and lives in Richmond, Virginia, with his wife and three children

10:00 am- 11:30 am- Workshop: How to run a successful school board meeting (Part 2)

Learn tactics for defeating or supporting a main motion. Attendees receive a table of motions and defensive tactics. Part 2 includes role playing board meetings to increase effectiveness in meetings.

Speaker

Bill Gillmeister is a Ph.D. Agricultural Economist turned grassroots activist with nearly 30 years’ experience in legislative procedure and general parliamentary procedure working at the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources and, after leaving state government, with grassroots activist organizations in Massachusetts. Through his business, Call To Order Governance Services, Bylaw Bill, as he’s come to be known, has provided parliamentarian and governance services for local and national organizations. He focuses on advising and training members of school boards and coalitions of state legislators throughout the country on how to plan for and use parliamentary procedure in policy and legislative battles to achieve success. He is a 15-year school committee veteran and has been Town Moderator for his hometown of Brookfield, Massachusetts since 2021.

12:00 pm- Lunch and Learn: 8 Things to Know about Running for School Board

Speaker Dave Trabert, Chief Executive Officer, Kansas Policy Institute

First-time school board members are often shocked when they take office. They understandably assume that improving student outcomes is a school district’s primary focus. Instead, they routinely find a plodding bureaucracy consumed with meeting the needs of adults in the system.

State and local administrators effectively ignore serious student achievement issues, and that will continue until school board members and legislators prioritize educating students rather than getting re-elected. School administrators want students to do better, but their actions demonstrate that many are unwilling to change their behaviors to make it happen. 8 Things to Know about Running for School Board coaches potential candidates and current board members on finding the information they need and developing persuasive communication skills and management strategies to be leaders once elected.

1:30 pm-2:20 pm– Workshop: Superintendent Management to Acheive Acdemic Goals & Accountability.

In most school districts, the superintendent is an employee of the school board. In some states the superintendent is elected. What is the most productive way to work with the CEO of the school district to achieve goals and accountability?

Speaker

Bill Hughes Ph.D. serves as the Founder and President of Hughes Strategic Group. He has a wealth of experience from his prior positions at the American Enterprise Institute, The Greendale Schools, The Kern Family Foundation, Seton Catholic Schools, and Alverno College. William Hughes earned his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Educational Leadership and Policy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he studied from 1987 to 1992. He served as Superintendent of the Greendale Schools in Greendale Wisconsin for sixteen years. During his tenure the district was recognized as the highest achieving school district in the state of Wisconsin and for financial efficiency. Also active in education policy since 2008 including co chair of Governor Walker’s education round table and an advisor on k-12 education to Governor Doyle.

1:30 pm – 2:20 pm- Networking Lounge Open

Come share your experiences and learn something new from others.

2:30 pm-3:30 pm Legislative Advocacy 101: How to Speak so that Lawmakers Listen

Consider this session a crash course in legislative advocacy, from the perspective of a professional lobbyist and former educator. Learn the basics of the legislative process, the role of a lawmaker, and most importantly, how to break through the noise so that your message is actually heard. You’ll walk away with practical tips like how to have an effective meeting, what to put in a leave-behind, and creative ways to engage lawmakers within your schools.

Speaker

Sara Clements has more than a decade of experience in education policy and government affairs, starting as a K-12 public school teacher. She thrives on helping clients achieve complex and challenging goals and has become a respected and trusted voice for education policy issues in Tallahassee. Sara joined McGuireWoods Consulting in 2018 after six years of leading government affairs for nonprofits in Florida. Prior to MWC, Sara led external and legislative affairs for Step Up For Students, the largest K-12 scholarship funding organization in the nation. Before that, she was the Florida Legislative Affairs Director for the Foundation for Excellence in Education. In addition to education, Sara has experience in the areas of child welfare, criminal justice, healthcare, insurance, gaming, financial services, and more.

2:30 pm-3:30 pm Networking Lounge Open

Come share your experiences and learn something new from others.

3:40 pm-4:40 pm- Workshop: School Safety

Nothing is more important than keeping children safe in school. We dive into the world of school safety as we access emergency management/communications, SSOs, building security, and policies that help secure our children.

Speakers

Florida Board of Education Member Esther Byrd is a native Floridian who has led a 25 year career in the legal field ranging from general practice to complex litigation. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Esther temporarily left the legal profession to serve our country in the United States Marine Corps. There, she worked in logistics and motor transport, driving seven-ton trucks and ambulances.

Ryan Petty is a serial entrepreneur and technology executive with over 20 years in the telecom, media & technology industries. Ryan lost his daughter Alaina in the tragic school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine’s day 2018. Alaina was one of 17 students and teachers killed. Since the tragedy that took their daughter, Ryan and his wife Kelly have been actively involved in the public policy arena as advocates for improving school safety, through early identification, and intervention of potential threats. Ryan was appointed to the Florida State Board of Education in January of 2020.

Enjoy dinner at your leisure in any of the hotel restaurants or in Orlando.

Friday January 24, 2025

8:00 am- SBAE Breakfast (Guest Speaker TBA)

9:15 am-10:15 am- Workshop: Solutions to Chronic Absenteeism

Chronic absenteeism has been a subject of increasing discussion in school districts across the country. But what is it, and how is it measured? Experts from the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL)will discuss the concept and the legal ramifications of chronic absenteeism based on their experience.

Speakers

Will Flanders is the Research Director at the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty. Dr. Flanders conducts econometric research on the educational system in Wisconsin, as well as other areas of policy. Since joining WILL, he has authored or co-authored reports on the return on investment from charter schools, the effects of Act 10 on the teaching workforce, and the economic benefits of school choice. Dr. Flanders holds a Ph.D. in Political Science with a specialization in American Politics and Public Policy from Florida State University, as well as an M.S. in Political Science and an M.S. in Applied American Politics and Policy from the same school.

Lauren Greuel is Associate Counsel for the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty. Lauren focuses primarily on K through 12 education issues such as school choice, restoring public education, parental rights, and transparency. Lauren attended Hillsdale College for her undergraduate degree and received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Economy. For law school Lauren attended Regent University in Virginia Beach.

9:15 am-10:15 am- Networking Lounge Open

Come share your stories and learn something new from others.

10:30 am-11:30 am- Workshop: Education Policy Development and Drafting

As a school board member, you are a local legislator. You can draft policies for your school division. We teach you how.

Speakers

Jon Russell brings a diverse background in education, local government, and public policy. Currently serving as the Director of Network Engagement for the School Boards for Academic Excellence. Jon served as the Chief of Staff for Spotsylvania County Public Schools and as a Senior Advisor for the Virginia Department of Education, where he honed his skills in strategic and internal communications, crisis management, and public policy development. Jon holds a Bachelor of Science in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness from Thomas Edison State University and a graduate of Sorenson Institute at University of Virginia’s Political Leaders Program.

Lauren Greuel is Associate Counsel for the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty. Lauren focuses primarily on K through 12 education issues such as school choice, restoring public education, parental rights, and transparency. Lauren attended Hillsdale College for her undergraduate degree and received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Economy. For law school Lauren attended Regent University in Virginia Beach.

10:30 am- 11:30 am- Networking Lounge Open

Come share your experiences and learn something new from others.

Noon- Adjourned