PHOENIX—More than 500 school board members and superintendents representing school districts throughout the state will gather in Phoenix Dec. 10-12 at the Arizona Grand Resort to celebrate the people and programs in Arizona's public schools that exemplified excellence in education in 2008.

Annual Awards

Attendees at the Arizona School Boards Association's 51^st joint annual conference with the Arizona School Administrators, Superintendents' Division, will honor: 

• One Arizona school leader for her outstanding contributions in support of public education and ASBA's mission through servant leadership over an extended period of time (ASBA Barbara Robey Lifetime Achievement Award);
• The Arizona school board that demonstrated the most outstanding educational leadership this year (ASBA Lou Ella Kleinz Award of Excellence);
• A five-member "all-star team" of top school board members from throughout the state (ASBA All-Arizona School Board Award);
• Individual board members and full governing boards that have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to pursuing training in leadership, governance and issues related to public education (ASBA Master of Boardsmanship Cluster Awards and ASBA Total Board Award);
• School programs from throughout the state that have shown outstanding successes in student achievement (ASBA Golden Bell Awards);
• The top superintendents in the state's small, medium and large districts (ASA All-Arizona Superintendent Awards); and
• Arizona's representative for the American Association of School Administrators National Superintendent of the Year program.

Student achievement will be celebrated at the conference as well, when ASBA awards its annual Jack Peterson Scholarships and fetes the winners of the annual Jack Peterson Student Photography Contest.

Honorees hail from districts big and small throughout the state. A list of award winners is at the end of this news release.

New Board Member Orientation

On Dec. 10, more than 200 attendees will participate in ASBA's biennial, full-day New Board Member Orientation. Topics to be covered include board-superintendent roles and responsibilities, ethics and leadership, the legal basis for school board governance, school finance and budgeting, and Arizona's Open Meeting Law.

Critical Issues Sessions

On Dec. 11 and 12, all conference attendees will have the opportunity to attend numerous educational sessions addressing issues critical to public school leadership. Many of the 32 sessions to be presented will focus on aspects of "Courageous Conversations," which is the theme of this year's conference.

Keynote Speakers

In addition, school board members and superintendents will be inspired and entertained by special presenters at the conference. Murray Banks, an award-winning educator and triathlete, will share his message about performance, accountability and success during his keynote address on Dec. 11. Glenn E. Singleton, author of "Courageous Conversations about Race: A Strategy for Achieving Equity in Schools," will address attendees during the Dec. 12 general session.

View conference details

ASBA Awards

Barbara Robey Lifetime Achievement Award: Jeretta Douglas, Flowing Wells Unified School District (Tucson)
This award honors an individual who has made outstanding contributions in support of public education and ASBA's mission through servant leadership over an extended period of time.

Lou Ella Kleinz Award of Excellence: Glendale Union High School District Governing Board
This is highest honor the Arizona School Boards Association bestows on a governing board.

All-Arizona School Board Award:

• Eva Carillo Dong, Sunnyside USD (Tucson)
• Frank "Chic" Maldonado, Benson USD
• Martie Payne, Palominas ESD (Hereford)
• Rae J. Waters, Kyrene ESD (Tempe)
• Martha Yardley-Jones, Antelope UHSD (Wellton)

This is highest honor the Arizona School Boards Association bestows on individual governing board members.

Total Board Award: Clifton USD, Fort Thomas USD, Maricopa USD, Osborn ESD (Phoenix) and Willcox USD.
This award is granted to a governing board when at least a quorum of members has attained the training level of Certificate of Boardsmanship, which requires 36 training hours.

Master of Boardsmanship Cluster Awards: Forty-eight school board members will receive cluster awards for having completed more than 120 hours of training throughout their years of board service. Clare Bonelli, who serves on the Patagonia Union High School District governing board, has the highest total training hours (452) and will receive the Master of Boardsmanship Fifth Cluster Award. Also receiving Fifth Cluster Awards are Martie Payne, Palominas ESD (400), Evelyn Shapiro, Isaac ESD (434.5), and Rae J. Waters, Kyrene ESD (413).

Golden Bell Awards:

Districtwide
1^st Place:  Cats, Mice and Catnip in Madison!, Dr. Pam Santesteban, assistant superintendent for educational services, Madison ESD (Phoenix)

Runner-up: Total Career and Technical Education (CTE) Program, Patti Beltram, Peoria USD

Pre-k - 3^rd Grade
1^st Place: Equine Facilitated Cognitive Therapy Program, Mike Covert, Horseshoe Trails Elementary School, Cave Creek Unified School District

Runner-up: The Motor Lab – Learning Readiness, Susan Centers, principal, and Cindy Hodgeson, adaptive P.E. teacher, Tanque Verde Elementary School, Tanque Verde USD (Tucson)

Grades 4 - 6
1^st Place: B.O.O.K. (Boosting Our Outstanding Kids!), Nancy Reiner and Carrie Meyers, Sevilla West School, Alhambra Elementary School District (Phoenix)

Runner-up: (none)

Grades K - 6
1^st Place: Bridging Cultures through Language, Christina Marchica and Roger Hill, Desert Willow Elementary, Cave Creek USD

Runner-up: Brain-based Programs – Mesa Verde Style, Anne Wheaton and Terry Tinney, Mesa Verde Elementary School, Amphitheater USD (Tucson)

Grades K-8
1^st Place: Professional Learning Communities: "Power Hour," Damon Twist, principal, Excelencia Elementary School, Creighton ESD (Phoenix)

Runner-up: Multi-cultural Awareness Week, Lindsay Stollar-Slover, Gavilan Peak School, Deer Valley USD (Phoenix)

Grades 9-12
1^st Place: Senior Exit Project, Calvin Baker, Vail Unified School District (Tucson)

Runner-up (tie): On-campus Banking – Mesa High Wells Fargo, Sally Powers, Career & Technical Education Dept., Mesa USD

Runner-up (tie): Superintendent's Student Advisory Council, Kenna Hough, Deer Valley USD (Phoenix)

Jack Peterson Scholarship (not embargoed):
$2,000 award: Peter Vincent Anderelli, Fountain Hills High School, Fountain Hills USD

$1,000 award: Tiffiny Woodruff, Antelope Union High School, Antelope UHSD (Wellton)

Jack Peterson Student Photography Contest:

First-place, color category
Blythe McBroom Sweeney, Grade 7, Grand Canyon School, Grand Canyon USD, for "South Rim Snow Day" (image available)

First place, black-and-white category
Hailey Raymond, Grade 11, Flowing Wells High School, Flowing Wells USD, for "Lonely Stroll" (image available)

ASA Awards

Arizona's representative for the American Association of School Administrators National Superintendent of the Year program:
Dr. Virginia McElyea, Deer Valley Unified School District (Phoenix)

All-Arizona Superintendents Awards:

Large district (5,001 or more students)
Dr. Vicki Balentine, Amphitheater USD (Tucson)

Medium District (1,001 to 5,000 students)
Dr. Wilma Basnett, Osborn ESD (Phoenix)

Small District (1,000 or fewer students)
Dr. Robert F. Dooley, Ajo USD

The Arizona School Boards Association promotes community volunteer governance of public education and continuous improvement of student success by providing leadership and assistance to school governing boards. More than 240 school boards and charter schools from across Arizona, representing 1,200-plus school board members and over 1.12 million children, belong to ASBA.

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