The Trusted Authority for Starting, Improving, & Selling Private Schools: Board Governance Workshop For Private Schools

TEDDY ROOSEVELT SAID "THE TEST OF OUR WORTH IS THE SERVICE WE RENDER."

Service on the board of a private school or non profit isn't simply an honor granted in recognition of your professional achievements or the fact that you're the only one left standing the last AGM. It involves legal obligations and a significant responsibility for the stewardship of your school's mission and assets, the educational experience of your students, and careers of your staff.

You and your fellow trustees have the primary legal and moral responsibility for the governance of your non profit and ensuring that the mission of your school is carried out.

To achieve your mission, you must maintain the confidence, moral, and financial support of your members, donors, volunteers and stakeholders. These critically important aspects of non profit governance depend on you and your fellow directors effectively governing your school based on best practices, and a clear understanding of your roles and responsibilities.

It's important for you to pay close attention to these responsibilities because non profits are garnering greater attention today. Non profits are being called upon to play greater roles in their schools. And your community has higher expectations about the conduct of your board. If problems surface, it is only natural to ask, "Where was the board?" Are your trustees prepared?

RESPONSIBILITIES OF AN EFFECTIVE BOARD

A non profit's board of directors is responsible for defining the school's mission and providing overall leadership and strategic direction for the school. Their responsibilities include:

Determining and articulating the school's mission, vision, and values
Recruiting and selecting the school's Head of School
Supporting and assessing the performance of the school's Head
Ensuring that the school engages in planning for its future
Determining the programs that the school will deliver to implement its strategies and accomplish its goals; monitoring the performance of these programs to ensure their value
Ensuring that the school has financial and other resources adequate to implement its plans
Ensuring the effective management and use of the school's finances
Enhancing the school's credibility and public image
Ensuring organizational integrity and accountability
Assessing and developing the board's own effectiveness

GOVERN MORE AND MANAGE LESS

Do you have a "great" board? What makes an effective board...what's their secret to long-term success?

Research shows that great boards have a set of common attributes that clearly separates them from others. Effective boards need to govern more and manage less and focus on:

Developing a strategic plan and following it through an action plan
Linking board agenda to strategic agenda
Monitoring success of the school's initiatives and adjusting course as needed
Developing clear expectations and plan of action for Trustees to support the plan
Directing the Head of School to prepare strategically via an annual operational plan
Establishing committees to monitor goals
Structuring meetings to policy and strategy, not day-to-day operations
Annually assessing the performance of the board and committees based on the plan's priorities
Focusing on policy, organizational strategy, and the relationship between budget and priorities
Using board committee to monitor strategic initiatives and reporting to board for action

Every board should take the time to fine tune their practices to ensure that they leading the school effectively and coordinating the combined resources of their board members and Head of School. Is your board firing on all cylinders?

PRACTICAL WORKSHOP TO IMPROVE BOARD PERFORMANCE

If you'd like to proactively improve your board's performance for the coming school year or plan a retreat to fine tune your board for this fall, you should seriously consider our board governance workshop. Our workshop will provide feedback to analyze and develop a clear set of strategies to guide your school's leadership with ongoing development. Whether you require training in strategic board structure and function, need an objective expert opinion on a particular issue, or would like our assistance in formulating your board's agenda, the workshop will move your Board forward.

OUR ONE-DAY WORKSHOP INCLUDES:

Facilitation of a one-day workshop that assists your board in developing strategies and tactics to close your performance gap for the governance of your school.
A comprehensive 360° online "Board Performance Self-Assessment Survey" that candidly and anonymously assesses your board's performance.
An interactive presentation on best practices of school governance.
Participation in hands-on case scenarios that highlight effective board practices and engage discussions on parallel issues of your own school, which apply research to your own situation.
Utilize the results of your Board Performance Self-Assessment Survey to build a profile of your board's performance gaps based on a comprehensive analysis of your confidential responses to the online survey and identify areas needing immediate improvement.
As part of the process, Board members will candidly discuss and reach consensus on issues surrounding the performance of the board and lay the groundwork for long-term improvement.
Board Performance Report: This will include working with board members to development a "Board Performance Report" that provides a comprehensive overview of the board's survey results, issues, and a plan of action for improvement. The report identifies areas needing immediate focus and the 'roll-out' of a set of multiple strategies to enhance the board's overall development.

Next Step

If you would like to build a better board to effectively lead your school, and would like to find out more about HEG's board governance workshop, please contact Doug Halladay directly by sending an email to info@halladayeducationgroup.com or calling HEG at 1-604-868-0002. Be ready for the coming school year by having your board retreat booked in your calendar now. Doug Tie