1. Mission-Based and Purposeful Meetings
Office of Charter Schools
January RTO Session

3. Why Do Meetings Matter? Multi-Million Dollar Public Enterprises
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 in open 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.

4. Charter Closure
Mismanagement in charter schools often occurs in a climate of inadequate board oversight (Carpenter, 2008)
Two-thirds of all charter school closures involve problems related to finances
Fiduciary responsibility rests solely with the Board of Directors

5. Charter Closure
Most charter school closures occur within the first five years (Credo Study Released January 2013)
NC duration of all closed schools is 4.88 years
4 schools have closed in the middle of the last 2 years!!!
Warning Signs
Late audits
Limited oversight of administration
Infrequent meetings (or frequent use of emergency meetings)
Draft meeting minutes for more than a year

6. How Often?
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 10 meetings per year.
Charter School Age
How Often Should They Meet
Start Up
Meet every month (at least)
First Five Years
10-12 times Per Year
Beyond Five
times Per year*

7. 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. *

8. What is the board’s purpose?
Focusing, with intensity, on the mission of the school
Developing its own governance capacity (Carpenter, 2007)
Evaluating Student Outcomes
Monitoring management compliance with policies
Hiring and terminating employees *
Protecting taxpayer dollars
Preserving the public trust

9. Highly Effective Boards
Outcomes Based Calendar
Focused Agendas
Strategic Discussion
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

10. Outcomes Based Board Calendar
Collaboratively develop a strategic board calendar mapping the monthly topics:
strategic improvement,
program oversights,
academic programs,
fiscal vitality,
policy review,
and personnel decisions.

11. Board Agenda (include time limits)
Who Sets the agenda?
Lead Administrator/Board Chair
When is the agenda set?
Day after previous meeting (draft) *
2-3 weeks prior (draft sent to board for comments)
2 weeks prior – Agenda Finalized
1 week prior – Committee reports finalized and sent to board IN ADVANCE
Board prepares for meeting by reading all material

12. Board Meeting Materials
Board Meeting Packet
What is in it?
Reviews and Summaries
Amendments
Policies and Bylaws
Director’s Report
When does it go out?
No later than one week prior to the meeting date
Who prepares it?
Committee Chair/Board Chair/Lead Administrator
Who receives it?
All board members
Also make copies for public or make available on school website

13. Committee Reports Provided (7 days ahead)
Focused on Mission Based Outcomes
Information should directly align with the goals of organization as a whole:
School (i.e. Operations, Student Performance, Personnel)
Board (Governance, Policies, Finances , Compliance)
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.

14. Committee Reports EXPLAINED
Information – items are sent merely to keep the board informed.
Not necessary to discuss at the meeting or should have very limited time on the agenda
Discussion – the “deep dive” on the matter
Action – some final discussion and any comments that may have come in the previous 30 days before the vote *

15. Four Essential Financial Reports Should be timely, accurate and comprehensible
The balance sheet
Demonstrates current net worth of organization
Assets, liabilities and equity
Cash flow statement
Demonstrates all transactions for a period
What comes in…and goes out
Income and expense statement
Makes a miniature budget for the particular period
The budget versus the actual report
Demonstrates whether the school is meeting goals, making a profit (cumulative)

16. Signs of Ineffective Meetings
Lack of order during discussion
Only a few members are actually working
Excuses…“We are only volunteers”
Poor time management
Advanced materials do not relate to the school’s or board’s goals
Wrong people driving the bus
Lead Administrator does the majority of the talking *

17. Key Components of Effective Meetings
Open and Transparent (Open Meeting Laws, Public Records)
Agenda Setting
Advanced Board Materials (Strategic Plan)
Meeting follows parliamentary procedures
Voting members clearly defined and participating.
Meetings focus on the key issues facing the school based on the Five-Year Strategic Plan)
Meeting is evaluated (Plus/Delta)

18. Purposeful Board Meetings (How Members Get Their Say)
Present Motions
Second Motions
Debate Motions
Vote on Motions
**Remember, Board chair must restate the motion so all members of board and audience can hear the motion and all voting according to Open Meeting Laws must be completed in open session.

19. Transitioning from founding board to governing board
Founders Syndrome
Challenge between newcomers who seek involvement with organizational development and the founders who are reluctant to give up control.

20. Recruiting New Board Members
Diversity …. Racial, Gender, Skill Sets
Finance, Governance, Marketing, Human Resource, Facilities
Community Leaders
Parents
Committee members

21. Election of Board Members
Nomination process
Election process
Staggered Terms
Term limits
Include stakeholders

22. Effective Communication Protocols for the Board
A Board of Directors speaks with “one voice, or not at all.” No single member has the authority to speak for- or make decisions for- the entire Board.

23. Hiring a School Leader Loves children
Understands and supports your mission
Understands charter school “hours and support/lack of support”
Buy local
Teacher Match
Indeed
Networking with other charter schools

24. Governance vs. Management
Responsibility is to make sure the school performs through clear evaluative measures.
The board asks “How well should the school perform at ….?”
The board asks “What is our goal for the year?”
Leads and develops plans and procedures that drive the school’s performance
The administration asks “How will I …..?”
The administration asks “How will I achieve the board’s goal?”
The lead administrator is the only staff member supervised and evaluated by the Board.

25. Roles and Responsibilities of Board vs. Administration
Policies
Time and Attention
Governance
Mission
Strategy
Viability
Leadership
Board’s Decisions
Principal’s
Advice
Partnership
Authorizations
Finance policies
Enrollment
Employment Terms
Shared Decisions:
Board and Administrator
Operational
Staffing
Program
Systems
Board’s
Administrator
Decisions

26. It’s difficult to have a vision, if you have yet to open your eyes.

27. Questions