The Board Table NCSBA

In this episode of The Board Table, NCSBA Legal Counsel Christine Scheef chats with Maya Weinstein, an attorney at Tharrington Smith, about the multi-district lawsuit against social media companies. While Tharrington Smith is not directly involved in the litigation, they have advised boards as they considered whether to join the lawsuit. Christine and Maya discuss the theory behind the suit, the current status of the litigation, and other issues. 

Cyber attacks against schools and school districts are occurring with increased frequency and sophistication. These attacks can and will significantly impact a district’s core operations and can jeopardize the release of highly sensitive information about students and staff. 
In this episode, Michael McClanahan, Public Entity Program Manager with Victor Insurance Services, and Steven Anderson, Director of Underwriting at Safety National, join Forrest Fallanca of NCSBA to discuss the landscape of cyber coverage in today’s market and some of the standard precautions districts can take to help protect themselves.

Political discussions in the classroom…that can get complicated. The debate on how and to what degree these conversations should occur has gained increased attention over the years, leaving many of our school board members unsure if it can be done. Join Amber Horton  as they talk with associate professor at NC State University and educational specialist in non-partisan democratic education, Dr. Paula McAvoy on how political discussions can be student-centered, fair, and civil.  

The North Carolina Center for Safer Schools (“CFSS”) is the state’s clearinghouse for information, resources, and training on public school safety. In this episode, Karen Fairley, Executive Director of the Center for Safer Schools, and Forrest Fallanca, NCSBA’s Assistant Litigation Counsel, discuss House Bill 605’s establishment of Threat Assessment Teams and several other collaborative initiatives the Center is employing to promote safe learning environments.
CFSS site
HB 605 

On this episode, NCSBA's Director of Board Development and Technology, Ramona Powers, talks with Thom Fladung with Hennes Communications about crisis communication. Thom offers valuable suggestions for school board consideration.

Over 80% of a school district's budget is spent on personnel expenses and yet, across North Carolina, districts are continually struggling with attracting and retaining top talent. In this episode, Dr. Amy Holcombe, human capital expert and Dean of Stout School of Education at High Point University, shares her expertise with Assistant Director of Board Development, Amber Horton, on what districts' talent strategies should look like, how talent strategies benefit student achievement, and common mistakes districts make.