When your school begins the search for a new School Head, the Board should assemble a Search Committee to define and guide the search process, keep the search on task and on schedule, and move the search to closure.
The Consequences of Operating Without a Strategic Financial Plan
Your Board has developed a strategic plan. Congratulations! However, without a corresponding strategic financial plan, your strategic plan is likely little more than a “wish list.”
Strategic Board Structure and Trustee Turnover
You, as Board President or Chair of the Committee on Trustees, may be aware that the heaviest-weighted of the ISM Stability Markers® (Fifth Iteration) is Letter A, the “Strategic Board,” valued at 24 points out of the 147-point Stability Marker array. Those 24 possible points are derived from the Board’s self-score on the Strategic Board Assessment II, an instrument summarizing the elements which, according to ISM data and studies, correlate most strongly with institutional sustainability. (By reviewing the scoring system for the Strategic Board Assessment II, you can see the research-informed weighting of the items and infer which of the 15 items correlate most strongly to the Board-driven ISM Stability Markers.) Keep these core elements in mind when considering Trustee turnover on the Board.
Why the Lawyer on Your Board Shouldn’t Handle Your School’s Legal Needs
Most schools realize the wisdom of including an attorney among the members of the Board. During meetings, a lawyer can respond to general legal questions and provide perspective and proactive advice on potentially difficult issues.
Student Use of Social Media: It’s Not All Bad
The rapidly rising use of social media, particularly among teenagers, is often met with consternation by educators. Some even try to curb its use. This may be—and likely is—the wrong tack to take.
How Many Trustees Does It Take?
As Board President, make sure your Board isn’t “spinning”—from its own or the school community’s perspective—and that you have the right number of Trustees to accomplish your school’s goals.
Trustee Visibility: Strategies for Seeing and Being Seen
Trustees are busy people. Many feel that the time given to committee and full-Board meetings satisfies their commitment to the school. However, those who don’t consider visits to campus and attendance at school events a part of Board membership leave out a very important component of their responsibilities.
5 Elements to Consider When Setting Your Financial Aid Policy
Setting the correct financial aid policy for your school allows you to more consistently and accurately award the right amount of aid to mission-appropriate families. Learn strategies for setting a mission-appropriate financial aid policy that makes sense for your families, your school, and your community with our white paper, 5 Elements to Consider When Setting Your School’s Financial Aid Policy.
Four Capital Campaign Essentials for Every Trustee
Capital campaigns are simultaneously exciting and anxiety-producing, especially for those in leadership positions. You, as Board President, Chair of the Committee on Trustees, or Chair of the Development Committee, must keep certain essentials in mind, before and during the capital campaign. This article focuses on two critical “early actions,” followed by a list of four essentials that every Trustee needs to embrace for ideal campaign outcomes when the campaign commences.
Preparing Your Board for an Accreditation Visit
Your next accreditation visit is 12–18 months away. You, as Board President and/or Chair of the Committee on Trustees (COT), assisted by your School Head, should consider the steps needed to prepare your Board for that visit. For most schools and with most accreditation agencies, the following should comprise key ingredients in that preparation process.