Pub. 9 2019-2020 Issue 2

12 BY JOYLIN LINCOLN, UAPCS Questions to Ask at Board Meetings T here is an irrefutable connection between the effective- ness of the board of directors and the success of the school. A high performing charter school board focuses on fiduciary responsibilities and student achievement, acts strategically, recruits an exceptional school leader, raises and uses resources wisely, and fulfills all compliance expectations. With all of these responsibilities, the governing board only manages two things: the school leader, and itself. The work of a charter school board focuses on “how well” the school is doing. Charter school governing boards can do this work through the asking of questions to determine the next course of action the school needs to take. Governing boards need to have a proper relationship with the school leader. They accomplish this by understanding that authority and accountability go hand in hand; you cannot separate them. When you take authority away from the school leader, you also remove the accountability the school leader has to the governing board. When individuals have authorita- tive influence over their decisions, they will feel a sense of responsibility and can be better held accountable. Successful accountability leads to successful goal achievement. When reasonable people are working toward common goals within established parameters, it is more important the “right person” makes the decision then the “right decision” is made. When authority is given to the school leader boards need to understand that perfection is rarely attainable. Governing boards should expect the school leader to take ownership of decisions, personal accountability, results, and implementation consistent with the school’s charter. Governing boards hold the school leader accountable for the outcomes, empowering them to lead with success. The process of governance is establishing broad expectations and measuring performance. Making changes or implementing decisions requires buy-in from affected parties to be successful. It is the decisionmaker’s role to secure that buy-in. Some keys to success in obtaining buy-in are set expectations and then meet expectations. Communication is the art of setting expectations and, accountability is the art of meeting expectations. Through this process, it is essential to remember to stay on target. It is important to follow the school charter, keep promises made and, ensure the integrity of the school. The board should use board-approved policies to empower the director and provide a path for accountability. The governing board and the school leader should utilize SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, & Time-bound) goals. The governing board is then able to use Key Performance Questions (KPQ) fulfilling its charter obligations. These KPQ are timely, relevant questions – based on what’s happening that month. Fiscal Responsibility How has this changed from last month? Why do you say it is _____? What significant expenses do we have coming up? Are we spending enough on our classrooms? What % are we spending on classes? How much of this is restricted funds? How much is unrestricted funds? Remind me of the difference between restricted and unrestricted funds? What would the goal/target be for this area? Is ______ sustainable? Is the budget in-line with charter goals? Academic Outcomes How has this changed from your last report? Why do you say it is ____? What assessment do we have coming up? Which grades are performing the highest? Lowest? Are there concerns you have? What is making the difference? Is this in line with state accountably? What accommodations are we making for the low performing students? For the high performing students? Remind me what formative and summative mean? Charter Fidelity What does _____ look like at our school? What challenges are you finding with ____? How can we support you with _____? It sounds like we are discussing a possible change… let’s call the SCSB to find out the process. Enrollment How has enrollment changed from last month? What are enrollment trends? Why do you say it is _____? Do you know why _____ is occurring? What are you planning to do to market our school? How can we support you? Policy What is our policy about ____? What challenges are you finding with the____ policy? How does this policy support our charter or state law? Is this policy valid? How do we know this policy is effective (direct inspection, data, audit)? Do we need to make changes to this policy? Key Performance Questions Governing Boards Can Ask at a Board Meeting