Board member summarizes WASB conference: AI policy, cybersecurity and solar among takeaways

A member of the Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District board reported to fellow trustees that they attended the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) annual conference and summarized sessions on artificial intelligence in education, cybersecurity preparedness, board governance and solar energy.

The board member said sessions on AI stressed “the importance of developing strong policy and procedures and making sure that this is available to all students and that's free from bias,” and described automation as a tool to “automate repetitive tasks, thus allocating those resources.” They noted that district staff member Chris has been working on AI issues and that the board will expect a follow-up report.

The board member flagged cybersecurity as a high-risk area for districts, citing an example from the conference where a Texas school district paid about $1 million in a ransomware payment; the report noted that figure did not include costs for reputational damage and student trauma. The presenter at the conference listed 10 steps districts should take for preparedness; the board member said the Oak Creek‑Franklin district already uses some of those steps and that they were forwarding the guidance to appropriate staff for evaluation.

On school governance, the board member described a free WASB tool for board assessment and goal-setting, calling it research-based and potentially useful for the district’s upcoming evaluation and goal-setting work. They reported session takeaways that emphasized clear public-facing goals, ongoing communication between boards and administration, and governance models tailored to each community.

Speakers highlighted positive leadership and storytelling in schools: the board member quoted conference presenters, including Clint Swindle of First Change Foundation urging leaders to “tell me something good” to shift culture, Tara Martin’s phrase “lead from the heart,” and Sam Glenn’s aphorism “the strength of the wolf is in the pack and the strength of the pack is in the wolf.” The board member also described Dr. Joe Sanfilippo’s approach of elevating staff stories and small gestures to improve staff retention and morale.

The board member attended a CESA‑led solar session and reported that changes in federal incentives and utility pricing have reduced estimated solar payback periods — from about 15 years in the past to roughly eight years now — and said that this change may make solar projects more viable for districts. They described CESA 10 as a regional cooperative educational service agency that can support building and maintenance projects.

Other conference items noted included sessions on transforming school meals (with attendees describing challenges for smaller districts) and examples of classroom technology such as Book Snaps, a tool the board member said is being used in nine countries.

The board member closed by describing the conference as a strong professional development opportunity, accepted a 20‑year service award presented at the event, and encouraged other board members to consider attending future WASB offerings.