The Committee on Trustees is always searching for “ideal” Board members—people whose skills and personal qualities help to keep your school moving forward. As time goes on, however, it is worth revisiting the essential responsibilities, behaviors, and priorities of Trustees. This training might be part of your annual Board retreat or new Trustee orientation. The goal is to ensure that Board members know that the ideal Trustee:
- Comes to Board meetings well-prepared and stays for all of each meeting. Board members are expected to be present at all meetings, and should arrange their schedules accordingly—this is a commitment, not an option.
- Respects the confidentiality of Board meetings. The damaging “leaking” of substantive details of Board discussions is more rampant than you might think. Information should only be communicated by an authorized Board spokesperson, the “Board Notes” section of your newsletter, or other appropriate vehicles.
- Insists on seeing the long-range impact of short-range decisions.
- Asks for data, both hard (enrollment, attrition, finance) and soft (who is in favor, who is not; who benefits, who loses). Access to both types is the foundation for mission-focused decision making. If it isn’t available, the ideal Trustee asks that votes be postponed until the data is provided.
- Requires evidence of success or failure. Seeks evidence of outcomes—again, in terms of hard and soft data. You must have evidence of what is and isn’t working in order to effectively carry out your duties to the school.
- Persists in asking about the appropriate level of Board activity. Boards can sometimes become more involved in day-to-day operations than they should. The ideal Trustee recognizes that the Board exists for planning and governance, and helps to keep the Board “on mission.”
- Visits the school frequently. There are risks connected with this behavior—administrators, faculty, and staff may feel some anxiety about a Board member’s presence—but you can reduce the negative aspects by planning your visits for specific purposes, programs, or educational activities.
- Realizes that the School Head does not report to individual Trustees, but only to the Board as a whole entity. Under no other circumstance does the Head report to or “work for” a Trustee.
- Keeps his/her child’s needs in perspective. If your child or children are enrolled in the school, you must carefully distinguish between what is best for your child and what is best, long term, for the school. Keep in mind that the decisions made by the Board are for future students of the school; the Board must not become involved in the current day-to-day operations of the school.
For more on being a Trustee, see The ISM Trustee Handbook, which systematically lays out the best practices for Board members.
