Title: 10 Proven Practices for Building An Effective Charter School Governing Board
110 Proven Practices for Building An Effective
Charter School Governing Board
- Wisconsin Charter School Association
- Annual Conference
- April 22, 2008
2Board Development CORE ACTIVITIES
- CONTINUOUS
- Team Involvement
- Education and Learning
Board Assessment (or Reassessment) Benchmarking
Board Development Plan Implementation
Board Action Planning
3Board Governance Fundamental Assumptions
- Distinction between governance and management.
- Ends and means distinction.
- Clarity and agreement about who does what.
4Leadership for Board Development
- Critical role of the full board.
- Critical role of the board development committee.
- Board President and Charter School Administrator.
-
5Board Development As A Leadership Development
Process
6A Leadership Development Process
- Nominations and recruitment -- the process of
identifying the right individuals to meet the
needs of the board helping them understand their
roles and responsibilities, and convincing them
to become part of the board. - Orientation -- the steps taken to give new board
directors the information they need to carry out
their roles and responsibilities effectively. - Training -- the regular, ongoing efforts to build
new skills and knowledge among the existing board
directors to enhance performance.
7A Leadership Development Process
- Evaluation -- the annual task of evaluating
individual board director performance as well as
the effectiveness of the board as a whole. - Recognition -- the ongoing process of recognizing
the work and accomplishments of board directors
to the work of the board and to the charter
school.
8Board Responsibilities
- Set the mission and strategic vision.
- Select the charter school administrator.
- Support the administrator and review performance.
- Ensure effective charter school planning.
- Ensure adequate resources.
Source BoardSource
9Board Responsibilities
- Ensure stewardship of resources.
- Monitor impact of charter schools educational
programs and services. (achievement of charter
goals and targets) - Enhance the charter schools image.
- Assess its own performance.
- Lead and support lobbying and advocacy efforts.
10Key Environmental Factors Impacting the Focus of
the Board
- Life stage of the charter school.
- Skills of board directors, charter school
administrator and staff. - Stability and adequacy of income.
- Changes in competitive or philanthropic
landscape.
11Charter School Governing Board Development 10
Proven Practices
12Proven Practices
- Clearly define roles and responsibilities.
- Align key board processes with strategic plan.
- Just-in-time board orientation.
- Effective meetings Consent agenda and other
tools. - Committee effectiveness.
13Proven Practices
- Organizational dashboard.
- Board leadership succession plans.
- Board assessment.
- Board governance committee.
- Incorporate strategic deliberation into every
board meeting
141 Clearly Define Roles and Responsibilities
- Clarity re management and governance.
- Written individual board and committee
descriptions that are current. - Maintain clarity re board policy and oversight
functions. - Ensure that current job description is in place
for the charter school administrator.
15Board Job Description
- Attend all regular board meetings.
- Serve as an active committee member.
- Support fundraising activities.
- Prepare in advance for board policy and
decision-making. - Attend the annual board planning retreat.
162 Align Key Board Processes With Charter School
Strategic Plan and Contract
17Link Board Recruitment with Strategic Plan
- Review the strategic plan.
- Identify the skills, knowledge and relationships
needed by the board to advance the strategic
plan. - Set clear recruiting priorities.
18Align Committee Structure with Strategic Plan
- Review committee structure as part of strategic
planning. - Align committees with plan.
- Leaner is better.
- Use task forces and workgroups in place of
standing committees.
193 Just-in-time Board Orientation
- An advance program of orientation and training to
prepare new board members to hit the ground
running. - Focus on the strategic plan.
- Speed up the learning curve.
- Increase confidence and productivity of new board
members.
204 Consent Agenda
- Expedites routine business at a board meeting.
- Eliminates the need to vote separately on many of
the routine items. - Frees up time to address critical matters.
215 Committee Effectiveness
- Fewer is better.
- Written committee descriptions.
- Aligned with strategic plan.
- An effective chair.
- Staff support as needed.
- Members thoughtfully appointed.
- Mix of board and non-board members.
- Accountable to the board.
- Well-run meetings.
22Written Committee Descriptions
- Provides direction to committee.
- Linked to strategic plan reflecting critical
priorities. - Periodically reviewed for continued relevance.
23An Effective Chair
- Reputation for being consistent and dependable.
- Background knowledge of the charter schools aims
and the committees functions. - Hard working.
- Good sense of humor.
24An Effective Chair
- Persuasive.
- Has the confidence of other members.
- Wants to release the potential of the committee.
25Members Thoughtfully Appointed
- What tasks is the committee responsible for?
- Who has the needed skills and knowledge?
- Member-Committee Marketing Match.
- Mix of board and non-board members.
26Board Member Committee Marketing MatchMember
Needs lt-----------gt Committee Offers
- Interests/Needs
- Values/Beliefs
- Goals
- Family
- Dreams
- Skills
- Experience
- Personal Growth
- Mission
- Values/Beliefs
- Responsibilities
- Training
- Organizational Climate
- Challenges
- Limitations
27Accountable to the Board
- Clear direction and expectations for committees.
- Agreement on how and when committees report back
to the Board. - Leaders in sync with each other.
28Well-run Meetings
- Meeting agenda in advance.
- Focus on action and results.
- Access to needed information and resources.
- Effective follow up.
- Member recognition.
29Committee Self-Evaluation
- After meetings and annual process.
- Vehicle for two-way communication.
- Plans for corrective action.
- Follow-through.
- Relates to committee recruitment process.
30Annual Committee Board Meeting Calendar
- Fosters attendance and participation.
- Improves decision-making.
- Promotes coordination and increases productivity.
316 Organizational Dashboard
- Increases effectiveness of board decision-making.
- Displays up-to-date information about key
performance indicators. - Corrective action can be taken before - not
during or after - a crisis erupts.
327 Board Leadership Succession Plans
- Identify critical leadership positions.
- Scout board leadership talent for the future.
- Written plan for fostering and developing future
board leadership.
338 Board Assessment
- Periodic assessment of board member and committee
performance. - Board meeting feedback form.
- Board follow-through.
- Relate findings to board nominations process.
34 9 Board Governance Committee
- Continuous focus on identifying, preparing and
recruiting future board leaders. - Plan board education including new member
orientation, ongoing training and board retreats. - Assess board, chair, individual directors, and
board meetings. - Annually review governance practices and
recommend changes.
35 10 Incorporate Strategic Deliberation Into
Board Meetings
- Use values and vision as the basis for dialogue
on emerging issues. - Use vision as frame-work for decision-making.
- Read, listen and look for future trends.
- Provide opportunities to share information at
board meetings. - Board development committee in place.
- Conduct board assessment.
- Retreat event to analyze assessment results and
develop action plan.
36 Development of Board, Committee and Member
Action Plans
37Board and Committee Action Plans
38Personal Action Plans
- Actions I will commit to in order to
increase/sustain my individual level of board
performance. - What I would need from the charter school.
39Why Boards Fail
40Why Boards Fail
- Ineffective recruiting process.
- Members lack understanding of the charter school
and their roles. - Micro-managing.
- No well-planned rotation of members.
- No way to eliminate non-productive members.
41Why Boards Fail
- Too small.
- No well-planned orientation for new and old
members. - No strategic plan.
- No process for assessment.
- No functioning committee structure.
42Where Do You Lead From Here?
- Assess your boards current capacity.
- Commit to plans for board development.
- Involve your board in ongoing strategic planning.
43Evaluation
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