PreCon & PostCon Workshops
Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025 & Friday, Nov. 21, 2025Iowa Events Center, Des Moines
PreCon Workshops—Wednesday, Nov. 19
Heather Sulejman
Co-Founder of Disagreeing Better & Director at Harvard's Disagreement Project
Effective board leadership requires navigating disagreement with purpose and clarity. In this interactive workshop, you’ll learn practical, research-based strategies to engage with differing views, strengthen board/superintendent team dynamics, and foster trust and collaboration. Led by Heather Sulejman, this session is personalized to help you build a governance culture where diverse perspectives lead to better decisions!
The Art & Science of Constructive Disagreement
Wednesday, Nov. 19, 9–11:30 a.m. OR 1–3:30 p.m. (repeat offerings)What makes disagreement productive instead of polarizing? How can board leaders foster open dialogue while maintaining focus, unity, and good governance?
In this interactive, two-and-a-half-hour workshop, you’ll explore research-based strategies to navigate disagreement in ways that elevate board leadership, support healthy board/superintendent dynamics, and strengthen decision-making. Grounded in behavioral science and tailored to the realities of school governance, this session equips you with practical tools to engage authentically with diverse perspectives—building both trust and clarity in your leadership role.
Through hands-on activities and guided practice, you’ll learn how to lead by example, model constructive disagreement, and create space for dialogue that benefits your board team and the broader community.
Heather Sulejman is the co-founder of Disagreeing Better and Managing Director of The Constructive Disagreement Project at Harvard Kennedy School. With 14 years of experience in mediation, conflict resolution, and negotiation training, Heather helps leaders apply behavioral science to strengthen governance, communication, and collaboration.
Ready, Set, Govern! New Board Member Onboarding Workshop
9–11:30 a.m. OR 1–3:30 p.m. (repeat offerings)CALLING ALL BOARD MEMBERS! Ready, Set, Govern! is a workshop designed to give you the foundational knowledge you need to succeed as a newly elected or appointed board member. The workshop is offered as a PreCon session on November 19, as well as at 16 regional locations across the state in December and January. Please note this training is separate from the Open Meetings Law and Public Records Law training, required for newly elected board members.
Here's what you'll learn at a Ready, Set, Govern! workshop:
- Understanding governance and management roles—You'll gain valuable understandings about your governance role, serving from a strategic, 30,000-foot perspective. You'll learn how to collaboratively set the direction for your school district, provide supportive oversight of operations, and partner effectively with the superintendent in implementing that shared vision. We'll provide a clear framework for understanding your core responsibilities and how to build a strong, productive relationship that leverages both the board's governance expertise and the superintendent's management leadership to drive student success. passes that on to the superintendent for implementation.
- Learning your legal role in meetings and board policy—Effective governance happens when your board works together transparently and within legal boundaries. You'll learn the essential legal responsibilities of board service and best practices for conducting meetings that ensure public transparency and access. We'll also explore how strong board policies serve as your decision-making foundation, providing clear guidance for consistent, effective governance.
- Addressing concerns and complaints with staff and the public—As a board member, you'll regularly receive concerns and questions from staff and community members who trust you to help. While your instinct may be to solve issues directly, effective governance means knowing when and how to channel concerns through proper processes. You'll learn to leverage your district's chain-of-command policy as a powerful tool for ensuring issues reach the right people who can provide meaningful solutions. Through hands-on practice, you'll develop skills for responding to challenging questions in ways that build public understanding of governance roles while ensuring concerns are addressed effectively.
Basics for Board Secretaries
11 a.m.–NoonThis free mini-workshop is designed to support newer board secretaries with practical tips on foundational basics such as meeting minutes, agendas and more. Connect with peers, get your questions answered and then deepen your learning by attending the afternoon Board Secretary Workshop. This session offers SBO credit for first-time attendees.
Fee: Free.
Board Secretary Workshop
1–3:30 p.m.Our popular Board Secretary workshop is a staple in our Wednesday workshop lineup! With all new content, we’ll once again shape an afternoon of interactive networking and learning focused on issues and questions most pressing to Iowa’s school and AEA board secretaries. This session offers SBO credit for first-time attendees.
Special thanks to Simbli eBOARDsolutions for sponsoring the Board Secretary Workshop.
School Finance 101
9–11:30 a.m. OR 1–3:30 p.m. (repeat offerings)If you’re a newer board member, you’ll value this introduction and overview of basic school finance concepts and terminology. The session will introduce budgeting and funding components in relation to your role on the board. This session offers SBO credit for first-time attendees.
Special thanks to Frontline Analytics for sponsoring the morning and afternoon school finance workshops.
School Finance 201
9–11:30 a.m. OR 1–3:30 p.m. (repeat offerings)This session provides a deeper dive into key school finance concepts like spending authority and how that differs from cash. Additionally, this session details how school district property taxes are determined and provides information on financial health measures and the importance of budget planning for the future. This session offers SBO credit for first-time attendees.
Special thanks to Frontline Analytics for sponsoring the morning and afternoon school finance workshops.
School Finance 301
9–11:30 a.m. OR 1–3:30 p.m. (repeat offerings)This advanced level workshop provides a more in-depth analysis of important concepts of spending authority, trending issues that impact school finance, the function of the School Budget Review Committee (SBRC), property taxes, and more. This session offers SBO credit for first-time attendees.
Special thanks to Frontline Analytics for sponsoring the morning and afternoon school finance workshops.
PostCon Workshops—Friday, Nov. 21
Board Presidents’ Workshop
8 a.m.–NoonCALLING ALL BOARD PRESIDENTS, VICE PRESIDENTS & ASPIRING LEADERS! Once again, we’ll be offering our staple, interactive workshop designed to serve the learning needs of board leaders. Feedback from past participants indicates this four-hour learning experience provides some of the most powerful and relevant learning at Convention. Join your peers and IASB staff experts as we delve into hot button issues and meaningful content to share insights and surface practical approaches to various issues related to effective school board governance. While designed for board leaders, anyone is welcome to attend. A complimentary breakfast will be provided for attendees at the Board President Workshop.
A complimentary breakfast will be provided for attendees at the Board President Workshop.
Special thanks to the DCI Group for sponsoring the Board Presidents' Workshop.
Registration Details
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! With the exception of the free Basics for Board Secretaries Workshop, the registration fee for a workshop is $125 for members and $165 for non-members.Register Now
 | For questions, email Emily Miller or call (515) 247-4699. |
Contact
Iowa Association of School Boards®
6000 Grand Ave., Ste. A
Des Moines, IA 50312
(515) 288-1991
6000 Grand Ave., Ste. A
Des Moines, IA 50312
(515) 288-1991
© 2017–25 Iowa Association of School Boards®
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