Pub. 2 2012-2013 Issue 2

13 By Heather Groom, Board Member, State Office of Education continued on page 14 Creating a Successful Board C harter school board members are some of the hardest working people I know. Getting a school off the ground is a monumental task. It takes many strong hands, minds and a tireless spirit to endure each hurdle you encounter. It is common for boards to become more reactive to problems and less strategic, as you grow accustomed to managing the daily needs of your school. Over time, if the reactionary nature of a board continues, it will be a difficult habit to break. Of course there will always be problems to address, but if a board is spending more time talking about the past and current problems, it will become increasingly difficult to plan for the future. Thus per- petuating the model of: “If you continue to do what you’ve always been doing, you will continue to get what you have always been getting.”