1. The Odyssey School Board: On-Boarding 2014 Board of Directors Retreat July 24, 2014 1

2. Last year, Board identified need for formal on- boarding process for new members Correlated with Board’s move to standardize Director terms ▫Director election/selection in May ▫Director terms to begin in July Part of Governance Committee’s work to review and refine Board governance procedures Background 2

3. On-Boarding Agenda I.Charter Schools & Board Governance II.Open Meetings Law III.Odyssey Board Governance Documents & Policies IV.About the Board V.The Board’s Work 3

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5. School Models District SchoolsCharter Schools Private Schools FundingPublic funding Private funding GovernanceCentral boardLocal board LaborUnion laborAt-will employment ManagementCentral management Local management AdmissionsBy neighborhoodBy lotterySelective admissions AccountabilityPublic accountability No public accountability 5

6. Charter School Board Duties Setting and protecting the mission and vision of the school Hiring, evaluating, terminating the school leader Providing financial oversight Ensuring adequate resources Ensuring legal and ethical compliance Recruiting new board members Serving as ambassadors for the school 6

7. Charter Board vs. Nonprofit Board Nonprofit OrganizationCharter School StatusPrivatePublic Subject to Open Meetings Law NoYes ConstituentsDonors, clientsDonors, students, parents, school district, state government, federal government CommitteesFundraising, governance, finance Fundraising, governance, finance, accountability Measures of SuccessFinancial factors, programmatic factors Student achievement, financial stability Reporting StructureBoard oversees ED; ED oversees staff 7

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9. Meeting Definition of Meeting: ▫Purpose: convened to discuss public business ▫Any gathering of 3 members of Board is a meeting ▫Email discussion between 3 or more Board members is a meeting Requirements for Meeting: ▫All meetings require 24 hours advance public notice in designated public place ▫All meetings must have minutes which are available for public inspection 9

10. Best Practice: Email Informational emails are OK Do not use email to discuss public business with 3 or more Board members ▫2 Board members can use email to discuss public issues Do not put anything in email you do not want to be made public 10

11. Executive Session Board can enter executive session to discuss sensitive matters, including: ▫Property transactions ▫Conferences with School’s attorney ▫Personnel matters ▫Discussion of individual students ▫Security arrangements/investigations ▫Negotiation strategy 11

12. Procedure for Executive Session Public Notification ▫Public notice of topic of discussion ▫Citation to C.R.S. § 24-6-402(4) subsection Board vote ▫2/3 vote of quorum of Board members present to enter Executive Session ▫No vote on public business taken during Executive Session Electronic recording ▫Record discussions except for:  Discussions of individual students  Discussions with School’s attorney ▫Retain recording for 90 days 12

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14. Overview: Governance Documents DPS Renewal Contract (Jul. 2011) ▫Odyssey School’s Renewal Application (Sept. 2010) Bylaws (Apr. 2014) Director Commitment Letter (Annual) Various Board Policies 14

15. 1. Renewal Contract Effective July 1, 2011; terminates June 30, 2016 Sets out the requirements for our charter from Denver Public Schools 15

16. 2. Bylaws Revised April 2014 Authorizes Board to act on School’s behalf ▫Identifies Board governance (size, meetings, votes) Board appoints Executive Director and other administrative officers Identifies School’s fiscal year: July 1 to June 30 16

17. 3. Board Commitment Letter Director has a fiduciary obligation to act in School’s best interests and advance its mission Expectations of Directors: ▫Attend Board retreat and at least 75% of Board meetings and assigned committee meetings ▫Serve on at least one Board committee and lead at least one committee initiative ▫Actively assist with/attend fundraising events, make meaningful personal financial contribution to School ▫Invite/accompany at least one associate to visit Odyssey or planned event 17

18. 4. Board Policies Accountability Plan (Mar. 2011) Code of Conduct (Feb. 2001) Conflict of Interest Policy (Apr. 2012) Director Nomination/Selection Policy (Apr. 2014) Enrollment Policy (Oct. 2012) Financial Policies & Procedures (Jul. 2010) Governance Policy (Jun. 2005) Hiring Policy (Mar. 2007) Personnel Policy (Sept. 2009) Retention Policy (Jun. 2012) 18

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20. Composition Minimum Composition: 11 Directors ▫3 Parent Directors ▫2 Staff Directors ▫5 Community Directors (“in the areas of education, business, or philanthropy”) ▫Executive Director (non-voting Board member) Maximum Size: Up to 16 Directors ▫Between 10 and 15 voting members ▫1 non-voting member (Executive Director) 20

21. Officers Positions: ▫Chair ▫Past Chair ▫Chair Elect ▫Secretary ▫Treasurer Terms: ▫One-year terms for each position ▫But Chair Elect commits to three-year tenure 21

22. Meetings Annual Meeting ▫Where Board elects officers for upcoming year Regular Meetings ▫No less than 6 meetings per year ▫At least one meeting every 60 days (exception: 90 days during summer months) ▫Standing meeting: third Wednesday of each month, from 4:00 – 6:00 pm at the School Special Meetings ▫May be called by: (i) Chair or (ii) any 5 Directors Meetings may be telephonic 22

23. Decision-Making Decision “by consensus” Table decision until next meeting Majority vote ▫“Fist to five” method 23

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25. Committees Executive ▫Board Officers plus Executive Director Accountability Finance Governance Communications Development/Fundraising 25

26. Strategic Initiatives Identification of Board’s priorities for the upcoming school year Often necessitates creation of a “Task Force” to do the work Examples: ▫Teacher Compensation ▫ED Succession Planning ▫School Growth 26

27. Selected Dates June/July: Board retreat August: Board/staff potluck October/November: Academic performance review March/April: Circulate community surveys April: Community director candidates presented to Board May: Elections for parent & staff directors; selection of community directors May: Present draft budget June: Approve final budget 27

28. Board’s Google Docs Page 28

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