Four members of the Shelby County Schools Board of Education are among the 317 board members being honored statewide this week at the Alabama Association of School Boards’ (AASB) annual convention. The AASB convention will be held this Thursday through Saturday and includes a ceremony honoring board members who are advancing to a new level in AASB’s School Board Member Academy.

The academy, dubbed a continuous improvement “school for school board members”, was founded in 1986 and has four achievement levels based on the number of credit hours board members earn. Credit hours are earned by attending conferences and workshops in eight key areas: roles and responsibilities; policy and planning; financial accountability; the optimal learning environment; academic achievement; staff development; effective boards and relationships; and community engagement.

Achievement of Levels I, II, III or IV require the completion of 25, 50, 75 or 100 Academy training hours, respectively. Promotion to the Academy’s Master Level requires completion of the Level IV requirements plus an additional 15 training hours and the completion of one additional core course. The four members of the Shelby County Schools Board of Education being honored for their advancement within the School Board Member Academy are: Jimmy Bice, Level I; Jane Hampton and Aubrey Miller, Level III; Peg Hill, Master Level.