Mission-Based Purposeful Meetings January 27, 2016

Why Does it Matter How the Board Conducts Its Meetings? The Charter School Board of Directors has the public trust to govern and appropriately expend the public funds allotted to the public charter school. The business of the school must be discussed and decided on openly in board meetings. Properly conducted board meetings are fundamental to effective school leadership. Minutes of meetings become the legal documentation of the non-profit corporation’s decisions.

Key Components of Effective Board Meetings Open and Transparent Behavior in meeting and board minutes (Open Meeting Laws, Public Records) Agenda Setting Advanced Board Materials (Strategic Plan) Meeting follows parliamentary procedures

Key Components of Effective Board Meetings Voting members clearly defined and participating. Meetings focused on the key issues facing the school (based on the Five-Year Strategic Plan) Meeting is evaluated (Plus/Delta)

Charter Closure? Warning Signs Late audits Limited oversight of administration Infrequent meetings (or frequent use of emergency meetings) Draft meeting minutes for more than a year

Too Busy To Meet Monthly? Recruit members who will commit the time Replace members who do not commit the time If you meet 10 times a year for 2 hours each meeting, that is only 20 hours to run a multi-million dollar business.

How Often Should We Meet? There are too many critical, policy-level decisions that need to be made, particularly in the first few years of the charter for the board to hold less than 8 meetings per year.

What do we discuss?

Mission Based Outcomes If it doesn’t inform the board on the Mission Based Outcomes and support the board in achieving the organization goals…It should not be discussed in the board meeting. Stay focused on the mission at all times. Board Meetings that focus on your mission will prevent you from getting off task.

Activity: Match it up!

Questions? (919) "If you set your goals ridiculously high and it's a failure, you will fail above everyone else's success." James Cameron