Online Learning

Personalized learning is offered through PSBA’s comprehensive online courses. Earn digital badges and certifications to demonstrate your commitment to professional development.

Registration is available via myPSBA.org. The myPSBA member portal is your resource for event registrations, online learning and connecting with members statewide. Browse and view online learning courses and recorded webinars, and register for signature and featured events. Keep track of your course enrollment and your progress toward badges and certificates. Need to complete required training? Log onto myPSBA to see requirements specific to your role and to take courses.

By completing all seven badges encompassing 42 online courses, district leaders will earn their Certificate of Board Governance, a digital certification that can be placed in social media profiles, email signatures, and websites. Earning this badge demonstrates a board directors’ commitment to ongoing professional development in order to govern effectively and lead ethically. PSBA’s 100-level courses were created and vetted by statewide experts who introduce key policy, legal, advocacy, and governance topics. They are organized into seven badges aligned with PSBA’s seven Principles for Governance and Leadership. Upon completion of the final course, directors will automatically have a digital certification added to their personal “My Transcript” section of myPSBA.org which can be downloaded, shared in email signatures, social media profiles, and personal websites.

  • Act Ethically Badge

    • Conflicts of Interest and Ethics Act

    • Directors and Officers

    • Sunshine Act - Open Meetings

    • Sunshine Act - Private Meetings

  • Advocate Earnestly Badge

    • Basics of State Government

    • Effective State and Local Advocacy

    • Federal Advocacy

  • Communicate Clearly Badge

    • Board Agenda and Minutes

    • Community Engagement

    • Introduction to Board Meetings

    • Media Relations

  • Evaluate Continuously Badge

    • Academic Requirements and Testing

    • Board Self Assessment

    • Evaluating Your Superintendent

    • Introduction to School Audits

    • School Board Influence on Student Achievement

  • Govern Effectively Badge

    • Board Organization

    • Immunizations - What School Directors Need to Know

    • Introduction to Right-to-Know Law

    • Legal Landscape of Public Education

    • Legal Liability and Immunity

    • Policy and Administrative Regulations

    • School Employment Law

    • Special Education

    • Student Attendance

    • Sunshine Act & Executive Session

  • Lead Responsibly Badge

    • Act 93

    • Collective Bargaining Negotiations

    • Introduction to Student Conduct and Discipline

    • Overview of Public School Labor Relations

    • Professional Employees

    • School District Structure and Employee Groups

    • Solicitors and Other Legal Counsel

    • Superintendent

  • Plan Thoughtfully Badge

    • Board’s Role in Finance and Budgeting

    • Facilities Planning

    • Introduction to Gov Plans and Documents

    • Local Taxation and Act 1

    • PA State School Funding System

    • Procurement Overview

    • The Comprehensive Plan

    • Transportation

PSBA’s Principles for Governance and Leadership identify that highly effective governance requires consistent and strategic engagement with the community. The community elects school directors to represent them and the best interests of their schools. However, ongoing community engagement is essential. The courses in this badge outline the policy and legal implications as well as best practices for effective public relations and community engagement for Pennsylvania school districts. Through an interactive, multimedia template, learners reflect on how district leadership teams can strategically build trust, transparency, and a strong brand within their community. Each course provides guidance from statewide experts and allows learners to access information at their own pace. Learners will have opportunities to interact and apply the information through knowledge-checks before their final competency challenge to pass each course. Upon completion of the final course, directors will automatically have a digital certification added to their personal “My Transcript” section of myPSBA.org which can be downloaded and shared in email signatures, social media profiles and personal websites.

  • Overview of Community Engagement

  • Planning for Strategic Community Engagement

  • District Branding and Strategic Alignment

  • Best Practices in Digital Communications

  • Crisis Communications *Coming Soon*

The Board Secretary plays an important role in effective and ethical board governance. Their responsibilities include notifying the public, taking meeting minutes, and maintaining accurate records. In approximately one-third (41%) of school districts, the board secretary is also the business manager; often the board secretary holds multiple titles in support of the district’s leadership team. The courses in this badge provide an overview of the roles and responsibilities as well as detail key components of the board secretary role. Learners will have opportunities to interact and apply the information through knowledge-checks before their final competency
challenge to pass each course. Upon completion of the final course, directors will automatically have a digital certification added to their personal “My Transcript” section of myPSBA.org which can be downloaded, shared in email signatures, social media profiles, and personal websites.

  • Preparing Board Minutes

  • Year in Review

  • Meetings- Publish, Post and Notify

  • Board Reorganization

  • Parliamentary Procedure

In passing Act 18 of 2019, the PA General Assembly required training in trauma-informed education for all school directors, district administration, and professional and support staff in PA schools. While the core courses in this badge are also included in the RQD certificates, there are a few optional courses for district leaders to take as further professional development in this area. PSBA partnered with Attorney William Zee to provide this crucial training. For many years, attorney Zee has been advising and training PA public school leaders both as a solicitor and a trainer for trauma-informed education. The courses in this badge provide an overview of trauma’s huge impact on the life outcomes of those who experience it and explore the role of schools in developing a trauma-informed approach in our districts and communities. A course in this badge will discuss the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency School Safety and Security Committee’s Model Trauma-Informed Approach Plan which provides guidance for district leaders to assess school systems and begin to strategize moving them toward being more trauma-informed. Upon completion of the final course in this badge, directors will automatically have a digital certification added to their personal “My Transcript” section of myPSBA.org which can be downloaded and shared in email signatures, social media profiles and personal websites.

  • Trauma-Informed 1

  • Trauma-Informed 2

  • Trauma-Informed 3

  • Trauma-Informed 4

  • Childhood Brain Development (opt)

  • Behavioral Health & School Safety 1 (opt)

  • Behavioral Health & School Safety 2 (opt)

See the full course catalog by logging in to your myPSBA account.
If you have questions about the online courses, email edandtraining@psba.org.