Boards Making a Difference

Learn more about how Iowa school boards are making a difference in education! Boards Making a Difference (BMAD) articles, which were previously included in the now-discontinued BoardConnect newsletter, are distributed via our new Board Briefs weekly emails (as articles are available). If you're not currently receiving Board Briefs emails and are interested in signing up, please email IASB Associate Executive Director Tammy Votava.

July 5, 2023: Des Moines Schools—School Nutrition and Student Learning 
June 30, 2023: Waterloo Schools: Supporting Student Behavior and Mental Health
June 23, 2023: Osage Schools: Integrated Computer Science—Ensuring ALL Kids Are Future Ready
June 16, 2023: Big Picture Learning Workshop: Where Students are the Curriculum 
June 9, 2023: Greene County—Career and Technical Education: Building Critical Community Partnerships
June 2, 2023: Cedar Rapids Future Ready Magnet School Journey: Pitfalls, Progress and Promise
May 26, 2023: Spencer Schools: A District Striving for the 'Moonshot Goal' of Improved Student Achievement
May 19, 2023: Muscatine Schools: Navigating Community Resources for Student Success
May 12, 2023: Van Meter: Portrait of a Graduate 
May 5, 2023: Poverty Simulation Workshop Opens up New Ideas and Solutions for Iowa Students
February 4, 2020:Osage Schools Models Forward-Thinking Computer Science Initiative
January 9, 2020: Le Mars Board Eyes 20th Team Achievement Award in 2020
November 27, 2019: Cedar Falls CAPS Prepares Students For Their Purpose
October 31, 2019: Johnson STEAM Academy: Attracts Families With Choice and Innovation
September 26, 2019: Ottumwa’s SparkTank Lights a Flame in Students
August 23, 2019:Greene County Schools’ Career Academy Incentivizes Graduates to Stay Local
July 29, 2019: School Districts Innovate to Find Civic-Minded, Student-Focused Citizens for Open Seats
June 21, 2019: Council Bluffs⁠—Preparing Students for the Future: Making Post-Secondary Education Inescapable
May 30, 2019: Bondurant-Farrar’s Strong Enrollment Brings Challenges and Opportunities
March 28, 2019: Dual Language Programs Emerging in Iowa
February 28, 2019: Storm Lake Embraces Diversity and Thrives
January 28, 2019: School Boards Move the Needle on Advocacy for Public Ed
December 20, 2018: Apprenticeships Unfolding in Iowa Schools
November 27, 2018: New Hampton Board Leadership Moves District to Culture of Innovation, Passion-Based Learning
October 19, 2018: Clinton Schools and Pangaea International Academy—A Winning Combination for Students
September 20, 2018: Hamburg Brings MakerSpace Program to Life
August 28, 2018:Farm School Provides Hands-On (And Fun) Learning Experiences
June 28, 2018: Community Relations: More Than Just One Piece of the Strategic Plan Puzzle for the Dubuque Board
May 22, 2018:From Whole Grade Sharing (Twice) to Reorganization: How Alta and Aurelia Board Leadership Came Together and Became Alta-Aurelia
April 26, 2018: With a Change in Leadership on the Horizon, the Independence School Board Relies on its Strong Foundation to Continue the Momentum
March 27, 2018: How Beliefs Became Part of the Culture of the Des Moines School Board
February 27, 2018:Gilmore City-Bradgate School Board Focuses on Project-Based Learning to Engage and Prepare Students for Future Careers
January 26, 2018:West Burlington Supports Struggling Students, Helps Them Overcome Odds