Case Name:
School Board Resources
Case Background
Model Policy #1 – Review and Update of District Policies
Model Policy #2 – Board-Superintendent Communications
Model Policy #3 – AUDIT AND TRANSPARENCY IN CONTRACTS
Model Policy #4 – PARENT, FAMILY, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Model Policy #5 – DISTRICT PERSONNEL EVALUATION AND TRAINING
Model Policy #6 – ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL GOALS
Model Policy #7 – POLITICAL OR CONTROVERSIAL DISPLAYS IN THE CLASSROOM
Model Policy #8 – PRAYER IN SCHOOLS
Model Policy #9 – RACIAL NON-DISCRIMINATION
Model Policy #10 – STUDENT DISCIPLINE
Model Policy #11 – STUDENT DISCIPLINE (WISCONSIN)
Model Policy #12 – RECESS
Model Policy #13 – DRESS CODE
Model Policy #14 – CELL PHONES IN THE CLASSROOM
Model Policy #15 – FINANCIAL LITERACY INSTRUCTION
Model Policy #16 – EVALUATION AND UPDATE OF DISTRICT CURRICULUM PURCHASED FROM THIRD PARTIES
Model Policy #17 – CLASSROOM OBSERVATION
Model Policy #18 – ACCESS TO STUDENT RECORDS
Model Policy #19 – ATTENDANCE AND NOTICE OF TRUANCY (WISCONSIN)
Model Policy #20 – RIGHT TO REVIEW INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND RELATED DOCUMENTS
Model Policy #21 – RIGHT TO REVIEW PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING MATERIALS
Model Policy #22 – LIBRARY MATERIAL TRANSPARENCY
Model Policy #23 – LIBRARY MATERIALS AND PARENTAL RIGHTS
Model Policy #24 – PARENTAL NOTIFICATION OF ACTS OR THREATS OF VIOLENCE
Model Policy #25 – PARENTAL NOTIFICATION OF SCHOOL SAFETY UPDATES
Model Policy #26 – PLANNING PARENTAL NOTIFICATION FOR SCHOOL TRIPS
Model Policy #27 – SURVEY NOTICE AND OPT-OUT
Model Policy #28 – CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES
Model Policy #29 – SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING INSTRUCTION AND PARENTAL NOTIFICATION
Model Policy #30 – HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT INSTRUCTION AND PARENTAL NOTICE AND OPT OUT (WISCONSIN)
Model Policy #31 – HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (WISCONSIN)
Model Policy #32 – STUDENT GENDER IDENTITY AND PARENTAL NOTIFICATION AND CONSENT
Model Policy #33 – EMPLOYEE USE OF STUDENT PRONOUNS
Model Policy #34 – EMPLOYEE EXPRESSION IN NON-SCHOOL SETTINGS
Model Policy #35 – Fiscal Transparency
Model Policy #36 – Public Records
Model Policy #37 – School Board Member Visitation
Model Policy #38 – Retention or Promotion, Students with Reading Plans
Model Policy #35 – Fiscal Transparency
Model Policy #36 – Public Records
Model Policy #39 – Reporting Incidents of Crime (Wisconsin)
Model Policy #40 – Parental Opt Out
Model Policy #41 – Supporting Numeracy
Model Policy #42 – STUDENT PRIVACY RESTROOMS & LOCKER ROOMS
Model Policy #43 – Wireless Communications Devices (Cellphones) In the Classroom (Wisconsin)
Model Policy #44 – Parental Notification of Sexual Misconduct Reports
Model Policy #45 – Employee and Volunteer Communication w/ Students
Model Policy #46 – K-12 ATHLETICS; SEPARATING K-12 ATHLETICS BY BIOLOGICAL SEX
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RULEs ON TITLE IX
November 12, 2024 – A comprehensive look at title ix
October 22, 2024 – What Private, Religious Schools Should Know about the New Title IX Rule
Private school boards should be cautious and informed, and they should be aware that there are litigation risks on both sides of this issue. This resource aims to clarify recent questions about the impact of this rule on private schools.
July 11, 2024 – What School Boards Need to Know about the Status of the New Title IX Rule
The changes to Title IX by the U.S. Department of Education under the Biden Administration expand the definition of sex discrimination to include gender identity.
This resource aims to empower school board members to make their own decision despite pressure to immediately implement the new Title IX rule.
APRIL 13, 2023 – U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PROPOSED RULES
WILL’s Comment to the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PROPOSED RULES
WILL submitted a public comment on the U.S. Department of Education proposed changes to the regulations on Title IX.
Title IX and Gender Identity FAQ Memo
This memo is intended as a resource for public use by school board members and public school administrators navigating issues related to gender identity and Title IX. It is based on the law in Wisconsin and the Seventh Circuit and is current as of January 25, 2023.
ADDITIONAL SCHOOL BOARD RESOURCES
Below are some additional publicly available school board resources from WILL and other organizations. Please contact us with suggestions for new sources, or if any of these links no longer work.
This tool helps school officials build effective communications strategies to engage their communities by sharing positive stories, earning media coverage, and maintaining an active social media presence.
This resource was created to ensure school board members are aware of and know their constitutional rights when assuming public office. School board members are elected representatives of the public. They are not employees of the administration and do not lose their First Amendment rights upon taking office. While board members must comply with applicable law, such as student confidentiality requirements, they retain the right to speak as citizens on matters of public concern in their individual capacity.
The Court emphasized that parental rights do not end at the schoolhouse gate. The ruling establishes a nationwide requirement: when public schools include instructional materials on controversial topics such as gender identity, they must accommodate families with sincere religious objections by offering and respecting an opt-out right to parents.
This guide is designed to accompany the WILL Model Policy: Determination of Promotion or Retention of Students with Personal Reading Plans. It provides clear, actionable steps for implementing Act 20—from the school board to the classroom. This resource explains the assessments, timelines, and intervention strategies needed to support student success in early literacy.
WILL released a new document explaining the history, controversy, and status of three related Wisconsin laws addressing literacy that were passed in 2023 and 2024. The purpose of this document is for Wisconsin schools to better understand what is currently expected of them and what may change with these laws in the future.
This guide provides school leaders and administrators with a clear, practical overview of how to comply with Act 12. It highlights statutory requirements, explains common ambiguities, outlines best practices, and includes tools like a model crime reporting policy and an open records request template to help schools meet their obligations under the law. While not a substitute for legal advice, this document is intended to equip schools with the information and resources necessary to implement Act 12 effectively and with confidence.
We’ve released a new memo in partnership with the State Policy Network that analyzes the US Department of Education and Department of Justice guidance document titled “Resource on Confronting Racial Discrimination in Student Discipline.”
WILL has also created a new resource titled, “Identifying Non-Discriminatory Factors in Discipline Outcomes,” to aid schools in examining root causes of racial disparities.
Public school board members should be familiar with landmark Supreme Court decisions that could shape how they resolve conflicts and set school district policies. WILL Education Attorney teams up with the American Enterprise Institute to provide new resources and information for school boards.
Firearms have strict regulations that vary depending on the location. It is important to understand how to exercise your Second Amendment rights, without violating the various laws that protect our schools. WILL provides this resource to answer your frequently asked questions and eliminate any confusion about firearm regulations in school zones.
WILL unveiled new guidance for school districts to comply with state law regarding Human Growth and Development curriculum. School boards should adopt policies that ensure parent participation, and this guide helps achieve that.
WILL’s Lead Education Attorney, Cory Brewer authored “What School Boards Need to Know About Title IX” in partnership with AEI to help school boards navigate new Title IX rules coming from the Biden Administration.
WILL Director of Education Policy, Libby Sobic, is the author of Empower School Board Members With Policy Solutions, a new publication from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). Sobic highlights a number of the model school board policies WILL released in June 2022, part of the Restoring American Education initiative. Read MoreAn Arizona-based membership organization for school board members and interested community members offering alternative resources that promotes student success and parental rights.
Read More View Policy BookUse this form to submit information, for Ballotpedia’s readers to learn more about your candidacy.
Read MoreA compilation of general school board resources. Read MoreMelanie Sturm, founder of Engage to Win, offers remote and in-person trainings for candidates, elected officials, policy advocates, students, and movement leaders. Melanie teaches how to inspire an audience – even skeptics – to follow your lead, not based on what you say, but on what your audience hears you say. She also specializes in crafting customized, issue-focused persuasive messaging. Read MoreColorado-based organization that advances biblical citizenship, equips and elects statesmen, promotes policy and serves an effective alliance: all committed to a common vision. Read MoreLearn more about their effort for academic transparency, including a district-level model policy.
Learn MoreThe Grateful Nation Project gathers, preserves, and shares the stories of TRUE heroes—from the American Revolution to the present day. By sharing these stories in the form of “Hero Cards” and online biographies, we connect students to the real people who gave “the last full measure of devotion” for our freedom.
Learn more about their effort for academic transparency, including a district-level model policy.
Read MoreCheck out this partner group.
Check out these school board trainings. Learn MoreCheck out this resource directory. Read MoreDelivered by Edunomics Lab at Georgetown, four virtual sessions, 2-hours each, from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM CT starting September 16, 2022:Today’s financial choices are complicated. Districts are flush with cash, inflation is eroding wages, enrollment is down and under-enrolled schools are costly. And yet, districts must stay focused on getting students back on track. To helping make sense of it all, Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University is offering a finance workshop just for school board members. Scholarships are available so apply early for those.
School board leaders who go through our training sessions learn to engage more on financial matters and to communicate in ways that build trust on spending decisions affecting students. We think practical, strategic financial skills will be particularly useful in the coming months, so please share this with school board members who would benefit from the opportunity. Send any questions to Jordan.Tollefson@georgetown.com.
Read MoreSchool Board Consultants and Curriculum Audits Read More
