Ohio School Boards Association
Frequently asked questions
Yes! The OSBA Capital Conference and Trade Show will be a virtual event held Nov. 7-10.
The OSBA Capital Conference is the premier professional development and networking event for school board members, district administrators and school staff in Ohio.Come to explore trends in education and new and innovative uses for traditional best practices. Spend four days experiencing the amazing professional development you have come to expect from OSBA, in a new way.
You registration includes:
- Access to all sessions over four days
- Q&A with speakers
- Access to our interactive exhibit floor and networking lounge
- Special events and keynote sessions
- All sessions and resources will be available on-demand through Dec. 31, 2020 – you can view any additional sessions you may have missed
Yes, you must be registered to attend. All attendees from the same school district should be registered by a district designee using the online registration process. OCSBA members, students, sustaining members, government employees and retired administrators also can register online. Each attendee will be sent an individual login to access the 2020 OSBA Capital Conference platform.
For OSBA member districts: Registration is $175 per person each of the first six people from your district. School district group registration — more than seven people from a member school district — is a flat fee of $1,225. Registration for OSBA sustaining members, government employees and retired administrators is $60. Retired administrators who are current board members or rehired administrators do not qualify for the lower rate.
Registration for OCSBA members is $175 per person. Those attending any Continuing Legal Education (CLE)-credit sessions are subject to the same registration procedures as other conference attendees. Attorneys employed by a school district may register with their district.
Returning the delegate credentials to Brendan Swartz (bswartz@ohioschoolboards.org) ensures your delegate is registered for the OSBA Delegate Assembly, which will be held on Oct. 29. Log in information for the Oct. 22 Business Meeting Briefing and the Oct. 29 OSBA Delegate Assembly will be emailed to delegates in the days proceeding the events. Note that the delegates do not have to be registered for the OSBA Capital Conference to attend the OSBA Delegate Assembly on Oct. 29. But, if a delegate wants to attend the OSBA Capital Conference, he or she must be registered for the conference.
View information at http://conference.ohioschoolboards.org/delegates. There you can download the Official Business, a Credential Form for your delegate and details on the Business Meeting Briefing on Oct. 22.
The OSBA Capital Conference and Trade Show platform will be available 24/7 through Dec. 31, 2020.
The schedule of events is set for Nov. 7–10. Attendees are given time between sessions to take care of personal matters, check work emails, and get outside for fresh air.
The recorded sessions will be available through Dec. 31 for registered attendees. The only difference will be that the “live” Q&A with presenters and networking rooms will not be available.
Yes! Learning sessions and Spotlight Sessions will be recorded for on-demand viewing through Dec. 31, 2020. This benefit is part of your conference registration fee.
No! You can enter and leave the conference throughout the event. Set your conference agenda so you attend sessions in which you want to ask questions or to meet with Trade Show exhibitors and return to the conference later to view additional sessions on-demand.
Yes!I f you are watching a session and decide to switch to another, you can do so easily by going to the Agenda tab in the side menu and clicking on the session you prefer.
View the agenda, learning sessions and networking and special events. You also can download the 2020 OSBA Capital Conference and Trade Show Flier.
We will offer a mix of live and recorded sessions. If you attend a session during the scheduled time, you will be able to ask questions and interact with other participants.
No, you do not have to register to attend a specific session or pay additional fees after you or your district pays your registration fee. You can add sessions to your personalized schedule to build your agenda for the conference.
Yes! Conference attendees had an opportunity to earn eight hours of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit. Note: You must attend during the session’s scheduled time to receive CLE credit.
Yes! All school board members who have registered for the OSBA Capital Conference and Trade Show will automatically receive 25 points towards the Training Award, part of OSBA’s STAR Awards. A Certificate of Attendance will be sent to all attendees. The virtual platform monitors the live and on-demand sessions you viewed, and this information will be used to generate your certificate. If you prefer, you may complete this form and return it to Melanie Price (mprice@ohioschoolboards.org). You can include any sessions you view live or on-demand. All forms must be received by Jan. 8; certificates will be emailed by Jan. 29..
Yes. Exhibitors are currently signing up for booths and looking forward to meeting with attendees.
You will be able to visit exhibitors’ virtual booths by clicking on the Trade Show tab on the Conference virtual event platform home page or in the side menu. Then enter a booth by clicking on the exhibitor’s name. There you will have access to a chat function, email function and links to websites, brochures and videos.
The Trade Show is virtual and accessible 24/7 after the initial launch on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. However, a company representative will be available for live chats at each company booth between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 9 and Tuesday, Nov. 10.
We are pleased to be able to offer a virtual Student Achievement Fair where attendees can view videos and information about student programs. In addition, the Student Showcase will feature student performances and artwork from districts throughout Ohio. View details on how you can nominate your student program, performance group or artwork to be included in the virtual Capital Conference.
Attendees will be able to message colleagues through a chat tab. You also can use the Chat box in sessions to share best practices with session participants. Networking Events bring colleagues together to discuss common issues. In addition, you can connect with your colleagues and OSBA through social media. Use the hashtag #OSBACC on your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn posts.
Yes. The OSBA Capital Conference and Trade Show is the place to gather knowledge, connect with your colleagues and meet with representatives from emerging companies and organizations. We encourage you to ask questions, network with your peers, and talk with vendors about products and services that can help you keep pace with the ever-changing landscape of Ohio’s public schools. However, as you foster relationships with others passionate about public education, we encourage you to be mindful of Ohio’s Open Meetings Act and the restraints it imposes on school board members.
Ohio’s Open Meetings Act provides that all meetings of any public body must be open to the public at all times. The term “meeting” means “any prearranged discussion of the public business of the public body by a majority of its members.” Nothing in the Open Meetings Act requires that a “meeting” occur face-to-face. The Ohio Supreme Court has held that the Open Meetings Act prohibits any private prearranged discussion of public business by a majority of the members of a public body, regardless of whether the discussion occurs face-to-face, telephonically, by video conference or electronically by email, text, tweet or other form of communication.
There are several options for board members to fully engage in the virtual conference without running afoul of the Open Meetings Act. Consider:
- Watching virtual training alone or participating in presentations in numbers less than a quorum. Ideally, board members will be aware of whether others on the board are also accessing the training or presentation. You may even want to plan ahead and discuss which board members will attend each session. Making sure that the number of board members attending each session is under the number needed for a quorum is a good way to avoid the possibility of Open Meetings Act issues.
- Attending presentations and events as a board where you passively receive information. A quorum of the board may virtually attend the same session or presentation and listen passively to the information without triggering the requirements of the Open Meetings Act. A quorum of the board may also host an in-person “viewing party” and watch a session or presentation together as a board, so long as they are present only as observers and do not discuss board business. If it’s likely that a quorum will be accessing the same training session or presentation, either virtually or in-person, be cautious about communicating with one another on matters of board business while participating in the session or presentation.
- Asking general questions or making comments incidental to the training. Board members may “chat” or “raise their hands” during the conference and ask questions or make comments incidental to the training. Discussing education matters in general is distinguishable from discussing the business of a specific school district and would not be prohibited under the Open Meetings Act. Board members should be cautious and avoid discussing the public business of the public body in a chat box, including private chat boxes.
The information above is intended as general information and not legal advice. If you have general questions about your obligations under the Open Meetings Act, please contact OSBA’s Division of Legal Services at (855) OSBA-LAW. If you have specific questions about your board’s participation in the virtual Capital Conference, please contact your board counsel.
No. You do not need to download or install any software to participate. This virtual experience will be accessible from desktop, mobile and table devices with internet access.
Continue to visit this FAQ page and the OSBA Capital Conference and Trade Show website.
If you are in the virtual platform, visit the Help Desk, which will be staffed by OSBA staff each day. If you are unable to enter the virtual platform, contact Susie Cinadr at (614) 540-4000 or (800) 589-OSBA.
Below are a list of specific areas of conference and who to contact:
For registration, contact Susie Cinadr
For presenter or learning session questions, contact Gwen Samet
For Student Achievement Fair questions, contact Teri Morgan
For Trade Show questions, contact Wanda Bloch
For other questions, contact Jeff Chambers or Laurie Miller.