1. A Key Partnership Board of Trustees and Head of School

2. Board of Trustees Selects, evaluates, and supports the Head of School. Guards and promotes the mission. Sets strategic goals and policy decisions. Speaks in one voice once decisions are made. Assumes authority as a whole. Maintains confidentiality. Avoids conflict of interests. Individually and collectively owns fiduciary responsibility.

3. Board Composition Members and Ex-Officio Members Parents (Current and Past) Alumnae Fellow Head of School or Senior Administrator Friends of the School (Faculty/Student Representative: NOT ADVISED)

4. Board Committees Standing Committees Examples: Executive Committee Committee on Trustees/Nominating Development Finance/Investments Marketing Buildings and Grounds HR Academic and Student Affairs

5. Task Forces Examples: Strategic Planning Building Project Task Force Alternative revenue Make sure that the main thing is the main thing.

6. Developing the Board Attention to Mission Team Building Performance expectations Organizational structure, operating procedures School history, finances, program Fund-raising Strategic plan goals

7. Head’s Responsibility to the Partnership Listens to ideas/suggestions of constituencies; bring significant ones to BOT’s attention. Insists on timely, consistent meetings with Board Chair. Attends Board Committee meetings. Meets, within reason, with individual Trustees. With Board Chair, keeps BOT on task and in focus. Educates constituencies to role/function of BOT. Maintains confidentiality of Board discussions.

8. Board’s Responsibility to the Partnership Recognizes that the Head of School is CEO – vested and trusted with this responsibility. Discusses any disagreements with the Head in a private forum. Directs issues to the attention of the Head. Educates constituencies regarding Board’s role – boundaries of power and authority vested in the Board and Head. Remembers that the Head is answerable to the Board as a whole. Evaluates the Head in terms of the success of the school and mutually agreed upon annual goals.

9. Board Chair and Head: Essential Alliance No surprises Need to know and be well prepared Agreement on pace and direction Joint thinking & strategy in decision-making On occasion, shared action Head: responder to good counsel from a good Chair Chair: nurturer of the Head

10. Seek First-hand Experience Some ideas: Strive to serve as a trustee of a local non-profit. Ask the Head of School if you may join or audit a full board meeting or committee meetings. Read the NAIS Trustee Handbook to familiarize yourself with best practices in school governance.

11. Leading the Team Head of School and Leadership Team

12. Strong teams Share leadership goals, deriving from the strategic plan. Engage in open dialogue, information sharing. Lead with “why?” Draw on strengths of each individual. View the whole of the school together. Embrace a shared vision; move the mission forward.

13. Leadership Team Composition Typically: Head of School Assistant/Associate Head(s) Division Head(s) Director of Finance and Operations Director of Development/Advancement Director of Admission/Enrollment

14. Other roles sometimes included Academic Dean/Dean of Academic Affairs Director of Multicultural Affairs/Diversity Dean of Faculty Dean of Students Dean of Residential Life Director of Athletics Director of College Counseling Director of Technology

15. Deterrents to Effective Teamwork Lack of Trust Aversion to Conflict Lack of Commitment Lack of Shared Vision Avoidance of Accountability Inattention to Results

16. Setter of TeamTone: Head of School