Culture - The governance board works to foster a positive, professional culture within the board and charter school.
Proficiency: Develop/revisit methods and mechanisms to provide the communication necessary to transparently express vision and ideas to board members, teachers, students, caregivers, and community members.
Governance Practice - The governance board establishes/maintains effective governance practices within the school structure, including adherence to compliance requirements, transparency, and evaluation protocols.
Proficiency: Establish/ensure methods or systems for frequent and transparent communication between the board and the school leadership.
Proficiency: Establish/revisit the board's role in governance (not management) of the school. Autonomy is developed and extended to school leaders and teachers to make curricular decisions, hire staff, manage day-to-day affairs of the school, interact with caregivers, report to the board, implement the board's suggestions and strategies.
Staff Development - The governance board prioritizes having a system in place that supports a quality staff evaluation system and robust professional development that supports the mission/vision of the school.
Proficiency: Select/designate school leadership structure (principal, lead teacher, team).
Learning
Learning
Introduction to Board-CEO Partnership This video is an introduction to the course Governance Board: CEO-Board Savviness. Mik Mizzoni from Board on Track explains the importance of the relationship between the school leader and the governance board. Format: YouTube video Length: 2:19 minutes
Board-CEO Partnership This video will explain the dynamic relationship between a board and the school leader (CEO). Strong Board-CEO partnerships are critical to the success of your school. Format: YouTube video Length: 54:48 minutes
Webinar: Board—CEO Partnership Watch this and follow along with the accompanying slides. Board on Track explains the common obstacles to a strong partnership, ways to strengthen the CEO-Board partnership, and addresses the Governance-Management Line. Format: Video and Slides Lengths: 54:58 minute video and 29 slides
Governance or Management?
Governance and Management The role of a governance board is one of governance and not day-to-day management. Many governance boards struggle with developing a clear understanding of the distinctions between governance and management, especially when charter school design teams move into governance board members. This document should be used for reflection on charter school leadership and the different responsibilities of the school leader and governance board.
A Board Savvy CEO Defined
A BoardSavvy CEO Defined The school leader needs to work together with the governance board. This document explains different areas and roles that are important for a school leader or CEO when working with the governance board. Read this PDF and consider the key characteristics and actions of a “BoardSavvy” CEO. Format: PDF Length: 2 pages
Defining Roles and Responsibilities
It is important to create a shared understanding of key stakeholder roles and responsibilities. There will be specific duties and responsibilities of governance board members as well as the school leader. The division and communication of these duties are critical to ensuring success and sustainability for your school. Consider reviewing the following Roles and Responsibility Resources from charter schools in Wisconsin.
If you are a district-authorized charter school, consider using this WRCCS Roles and Responsibilities resource. Format: Google Doc Length: 1-page
Applying
Governance or Management?
Review the PDF entitled, “Sixteen Steps to a Showdown” and answer the questions on the second page as they relate to the governance/management line. Be sure to identify how your team could handle things differently.
Building the CEO-Board Relationship
What will the communication structure be between the CEO and the governance board? Take time here to draft a communication plan/schedule to support strong communication between the CEO and governance board. Use the resource "A BoardSavvy CEO Defined" to identify areas of strength and places where more work may be needed.
