3 ways to celebrate Sunshine Week and more
Top tips for building trust in the boardroom
Fostering a positive culture is paramount, especially in these uncertain times. One of the easiest yet most important ways to establish or change your culture is through your communication practices. Establishing communication standards among board members may seem unnecessary; however, it is essential to establish norms and set up meeting protocols. Here are some practical strategies for building trust for a positive boardroom culture.
Transparency communication is a cornerstone of effective governance, particularly in local and community settings. Illinois’ Glenbrook High School District 225 board now uses Diligent Community’s Livestream Manager, which provides a limitless archive of searchable board meeting recordings. “What Diligent Community allows us to do [is to] very clearly open the doors to how we are making decisions,” said Dr. R.J. Gravel, Glenbrook deputy superintendent. This approach is a powerful way to enhance trust and accountability.
Effective communication policies are essential for maintaining both a positive culture and transparency. A well-structured policy can guide how information is shared, ensuring that all stakeholders are informed and engaged. For those looking to establish or refine their communication policies, our comprehensive guide provides a framework for creating clear, consistent and effective communication practices.
Streamline meeting agendas with Agenda Builder
Efficiency and security are paramount in the preparation of meeting agendas, and Diligent Community's Agenda Builder is designed to streamline this critical process. With its intuitive interface, administrators, clerks and board secretaries can effortlessly create, manage and share agendas, ensuring that all necessary documents are attached and version control is maintained.
Agenda Builder offers auto-saving, one-click printing and the Members Notes function, which allows for the addition of confidential information visible only to board members, enhancing both the context and security of your meetings.
Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8 boosts efficiency and transparency
Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8 has revolutionized its meeting packet preparation process with the assistance of Diligent Community. Preparation time has been drastically reduced from two weeks to just three days.
Moreover, the district has bolstered community engagement and transparency by instantly publishing meeting minutes to a public transparency website, a task that once required hours of manual updates.
Read more about this customer's success story.
News & Events
[Webinar] From roles to results: Getting your school board on the same page
March 26, 2025 1PM EST
Aligned leadership or organized chaos — how cohesive is your school board? In today’s complex education landscape, ensuring that your school board operates as a cohesive, goal-oriented team is critical for driving meaningful outcomes. But aligning diverse perspectives, managing communication, and maintaining focus on shared goals can be challenging.
Join us for this engaging panel discussion featuring the governance team from Sun Prairie Area School District in Wisconsin. Our expert panel will share their strategies for fostering strong governance, streamlining communication, and creating alignment across the board. Register now, even if you can't attend live — we'll send you the recording!
Other events
Connect with us in person! We’ll be at these upcoming events and look forward to seeing you.
2025 AASA National Conference on Education
March 6-8, 2025
Washington Municipal Clerks’ Association Annual Conference
March 19-21, 2025
2025 COSSBA Annual Conference
March 21-23, 2025
More events for public facing board members to attend this year can be found here.
Coming next month
Sunshine Week
16 - 22 March
Shine a light on public records and open government during Sunshine Week. This is a great opportunity to promote transparency. Here are 3 ideas for you to celebrate the week:
- Open house: Invite the public to visit government buildings and school facilities. Offer guided tours and presentations to show how decisions are made and how services are provided.
- Student essay contest: Hold an essay contest for students on the importance of transparency and open government. Award prizes to the best essays and display them in public spaces.
- Transparency awards: Recognize individuals or organizations that have made significant contributions to transparency and open government. Present awards at a public ceremony.
More seasonal events for your calendar here.
Celebrating our Community Champions
Congratulations to Sha Fields, Coordinator of Board Governance at Riverview Gardens School District! Sha is being recognized this month as one of our Community Champions.
Do you know someone making a difference? Nominate them today to recognize their incredible impact!
What’s trending
Our pick of the newest and most popular items on our blog this month.
- Unlocking the secrets to effective school board budgeting
- A primer on school board committees and how to use them effectively
- The importance of strong communication in local government
Give your feedback and win!
We love to hear what leaders think about issues and key topics that affect mission-driven organizations. Please take a moment to fill out our latest quick survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Z3X9Z5F on the topic of communication for the chance to win a $50 gift card!
Read our January insights: Celebrating school board leaders, School Board Appreciation Month and more.
