Pub. 5 2015-2016 Issue 1

25 an important role to play in steering and guiding the board. The good news is governing effectively is a skill that you can learn. Recruit a few trustees who understand the basics of how a board should operate effectively, form a gover- nance committee, and have that committee develop a board development plan. 6. Lack of Functioning Committees One of the key transitions that should take place as a board moves from a founding board to a sustainable gov- erning board is having functioning committees. In the founding phase it is often necessary to do most of the work as a committee of the whole. But by the beginning of the first year of operation it is imperative that functioning com- mittees emerge to tackle strategic issues in greater depth, and with more specific expertise, than the full board will have time for during regularly scheduled board meetings. To have an effective board it is essential that committees complete substantive work in between full board meetings. 7. Board Size Most charter school boards are too small. We commonly see boards of 5-7 people. A high functioning charter school board needs to be larger; we recommend ultimately a board of 11-15 people, in order to have public credibility, the right mix of skills, and enough people to have functioning com- mittees capable of accomplishing significant work in be- tween meetings. It is a natural tendency to want to have a small, tightly knit and tightly controlled group, but there is so much work to do that a board of 5-7 is a mistake. We recommend 5 standing committees of the board (Finance, Academic Excellence, Governance, Development, and CEO Support & Evaluation) and that trustees only serve on one committee (serving on more than one leads to burn out). In order to have these committees you will need at least 11-15 board members. We also highly recommend having non-board members serve on committees. Every committee should be chaired by a board member, and have one or two full voting board members on it, but the rest of the com- mittee can have non board members—this is a great way to develop a “farm team” for full board membership. 8. Being Too Dependent On a Lead Found- er or the CEO/School Leader Generally one dynamic individual leads the founding of most charter schools. Sometimes this person is the chair of the board, but more often than not they become the CEO/ School Leader. The board needs to transition to taking the lead in partnership with this leader and to ensure that they are not just being led by, or solely reacting to, the direction of this leader. Forming active engaged committees to work in partnership with the CEO/School Leader is a great way to make this transition. 9. Not Investing the Time to Form a Strong Board-CEO Partnership Much of good governance hinges on a strong partnership between the Board and it’s CEO/School Leader. Sure, ulti- mately it is a hierarchy; the board hires and fires the CEO. But, the day-to-day working relationship should feel much more like a partnership. This partnership should be built on mutual trust and respect. It takes time and open, transpar- ent communication to build a strong partnership. And, it is important to note, that this partnership should evolve over time. The role of the board in a year-one school is different than the role of the board in a ten-year-old school, and your partnership should evolve along with the organization. 10. Lack of Urgency "We're just a start-up", "It's only the first year", "It's only the second year", are common refrains used by charter school boards. Although it is true that the board and se- nior management of the school need to give time for things to gel, it is important for boards to know that experience tells us if a charter school is not excelling by the end of its second year, it probably won't get there. You only have one chance to form a strong culture of accountability and academic success. It is important to be relentless from the get go! Be clear about what your "high bar" is and keep in- sisting that your school delivers this. Your students deserve nothing short of an exceptional educational experience. To learn more visit www.BoardOnTrack.com. Although most of the board members are non-educators, they need to fully understand the academic plan and partner with the CEO/School Leader to develop a clear and consistent way to measure academic performance.