October 19, 2026
For more than 30 years, a single organization held exclusive control over Tennessee school board training. This leftist monopoly prevented school board members from understanding their true authority under Tennessee law.
In 2026, that changed.
Tennessee law requires newly elected school board members to attend 15 hours of training within their first year. After that, they must attend six hours of annual continuing education.
Since 1990, the union-backed Tennessee School Board Authority (TSBA) has served as the sole authorized provider of that training.
The organization is notorious for keeping district leaders in the dark about their rights and authority under state law.
Leigh Vlasbom, Director of LI’s School Board Leadership Program SBLP, explains, “Newly elected school board members want to make an impact, but it is very detrimental to them when the first thing they do is sit in a 15-hour training from the Tennessee School Board Association.”
Things began to look up in 2022, when a statutory amendment ended the TSBA’s exclusive status.
In 2026, LI’s School Board Leadership Program was the first organization to gain accreditation status, dismantling the TSBA’s monopoly.
For the first time in more than three decades, school board leaders are free to pursue training from a provider that doesn’t answer to leftist puppeteers.
Leigh explains, “When Leadership Institute gets in front of these new board members, they’re set on a new trajectory where they truly understand what their authority is and how they can impact change in their district and refocus on academics and educating children.”
In October 2026, district leaders from six counties attended LI’s first Tennessee New School Board Member Orientation.
The first order of business: teach school board members what the law allows them to do.
Few community and board members realize that state law grants board members the authority to determine a vetting and hiring process, set employee expectations, and more.
Leigh says, “It all boils down to oversight.”
When district leaders exercise their authority, everything changes. They’re no longer a rubber stamp controlled by superintendents or the TSBA.
Day one of the training covered topics like Tennessee Governance Structure, Tennessee School Law, and District Oversight and Monitoring.
Mike Mikula, a board member from Nashville, TN, described the training as “invaluable,” adding, “The material was presented clearly, making difficult subjects much easier to understand. I cannot thank you enough for helping make this training possible.”
LI faculty James Briscoe trained board members on day 2 about creating a mission budget that supports their district’s strategic goals and students’ academic growth.
Matthew McPeak, a Wilson County School Board Member, appreciated being trained by “a more conservative-centered source.”
He said, “I have learned so much during my time receiving training from Leadership Institute, and I especially took a lot from the finance and strategic planning segments.”
It’s not just Tennessee.
LI’s School Board Leaders Program is also accredited and trains school board members in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Idaho, with plans to expand to more states in 2027.
By breaking a decades-long monopoly, LI offers school board members the tools to exercise meaningful oversight, make informed financial decisions, and hold district leadership accountable.
LI’s School Board Leadership Program is training a new generation of leaders to champion academic excellence, strengthen accountability, and ensure that education policy serves students and families — not leftist indoctrination.
