Board Governance
We can help a school work its way through both general questions of good governance & the challenges of more immediate issues.
How can an independent school board thrive? What does a healthy board look like and how does it operate? How can individuals become the best possible trustees? Serving on the board of an independent school can be an honor – but it can also bring unexpected challenges, especially remembering that trustees are all volunteers and that school boards have cultures and expectations that are all their own.
We come to this work to help boards work most effectively.
We bring case studies to help boards think through thorny issues; we also respond directly to issues and questions that a board currently faces.
Sometimes questions are relatively mundane, if still vital.
- What does fiduciary responsibility even mean?
- How can we have the most substantive and engaging meetings?
- What is the ideal length of a board member’s term?
- How should the school define the qualities, experience and skills needed in potential board members?
- What kind of committees are most appropriate and constructive?
- How do you tackle succession planning?
Sometimes the questions get more daunting.
- How can we assure the long-term financial sustainability of the school?
- How should we support and oversee the Head of School, the person charged with leading us and yet who works for us?
And sometimes questions are immediate and critical: a sexual assault charge against a former faculty member, a serious shortfall in enrollment, a controversial discipline case, a schism on the board.
We cannot offer immediate resolution to this array of challenges, but we have faced a number of them, and we can help a school work its way through both general questions of good governance and the challenges of more immediate issues.