How to Be on the Board Without How to Be on the Board Without Walking the PlankWalking the Plank

Effective BoardsEffective Boards

Clearly Defined Board RolesClearly Defined Board Roles

Governance, not Governance, not managementmanagement

Effective board Effective board governance begins governance begins with a clear with a clear understanding of the understanding of the board’s roles.board’s roles.

Effective Meeting PolicyEffective Meeting Policy

Attending and actively participating in Attending and actively participating in meetings is perhaps the most basic board meetings is perhaps the most basic board member responsibility.member responsibility.

There are a number of basic meeting There are a number of basic meeting procedures board members should be procedures board members should be familiar with, although charter school board familiar with, although charter school board meetings often proceed in a very informal meetings often proceed in a very informal fashion.fashion.

Avoiding “Mission Drift”Avoiding “Mission Drift”

A charter school board A charter school board is responsible for is responsible for leading to the missionleading to the mission

Keep in mind that the Keep in mind that the duties of the board duties of the board include loyalty to the include loyalty to the mission and goals of mission and goals of your organization.your organization.

Providing Guidance to the Providing Guidance to the School AdministratorSchool Administrator

The role of the board is to set policy and The role of the board is to set policy and provide leadership.provide leadership.

This role needs to be distinguished from the This role needs to be distinguished from the role of administrating the school.role of administrating the school.

It is especially important for board members It is especially important for board members who are also employees of the school to who are also employees of the school to distinguish their two roles, as board distinguish their two roles, as board member and as teacher.member and as teacher.

Board Role in FinanceBoard Role in Finance

The charter school board is The charter school board is responsible for ensuring that the responsible for ensuring that the school has adequate finances and school has adequate finances and that money is responsibly spent.that money is responsibly spent.

As a “trustee” of your As a “trustee” of your organization’s money, you are organization’s money, you are responsible for seeing that it is responsible for seeing that it is well spent.well spent.

This does not mean yo must This does not mean yo must approve every expenditure.approve every expenditure.

It does mean that you should know It does mean that you should know the money was spent effectively to the money was spent effectively to deliver the kind of programs and deliver the kind of programs and services you have authorized.services you have authorized.

How to Actively Support Your How to Actively Support Your Charter SchoolCharter School

As a board member, you should As a board member, you should consider roles supporting your consider roles supporting your school, in addition to the decision-school, in addition to the decision-making role you carry out on the making role you carry out on the board.board.

Board Role in Planning: Focus Board Role in Planning: Focus on the Long-Termon the Long-Term

Board members, acting as Board members, acting as a team, should make a a team, should make a written plan that outlines written plan that outlines the long-term future of the the long-term future of the organization.organization.

Whether or not you have a Whether or not you have a formal strategic plan, a formal strategic plan, a focus on the long term focus on the long term will help you act more will help you act more efficiently to lead the efficiently to lead the organization.organization.

Board Role in Facilities Board Role in Facilities ManagementManagement

The school board of a charter school, like a public The school board of a charter school, like a public school district’s board, is the entity responsible for school district’s board, is the entity responsible for seeing that the school facilities meet federal, state, seeing that the school facilities meet federal, state, and local codes and ordinances.and local codes and ordinances.

Typically, facilities responsibilities will be Typically, facilities responsibilities will be delegated by the board to appropriate delegated by the board to appropriate professionals.professionals.

However, you may take a more active role if the However, you may take a more active role if the school is seeking a new facility.school is seeking a new facility.

Board Role in Learning Board Role in Learning AssessmentAssessment

Assessing learning, and Assessing learning, and being accountable for being accountable for results, are a critical results, are a critical responsibility of charter responsibility of charter schools.schools.

The board must ensure The board must ensure that data on learning is that data on learning is collected, analyzed collected, analyzed assessment data should assessment data should inform decision-making inform decision-making about the program.about the program.