Governing Board Presentation

This presentation is available online at:

http://www.flcsu.org/gb_present/

Florida’s Charter Support Unit

Learn more and access our resources online at flcsu.org

Development of the CSU

The Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice introduced the CSU in their Federal Charter School Planning Grant

• short-term, intensive, and targeted support for new charter schools
• team having expertise in curriculum, instruction, finance, governance and leadership
• available on short notice to conduct a site-assessment and provide recommendations to the charter school.

Learn more and access our resources online at flcsu.org

The early years are the most difficult

This is why the state identified the need for new charter schools

Learn more and access our resources online at flcsu.org

… disclaimers …

• We are not attorneys
• We are not your financial advisor
• We need you to sign a brief statement acknowledging our role before direct services can be provided
• We will collect the name of your school and the type of support provided for reporting our activities

Learn more and access our resources online at flcsu.org

Governing Board

The Governing Board is ultimately responsible for the entire charter school operations.

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“research consistently has found that creating and sustaining high-quality boards is one of the most formidable challenges facing charter schools.”

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“Charter schools don’t typically fail because of their academic program. It’s because their business and their oversight [are] not adequate. So having the right governing board in place ... is absolutely critical.”

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“Creating and Sustaining High-Quality Charter School Governing Boards”,

National Resource Center on Charter Schools

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The Role of the Governing Board

To oversee the operations of the school�Generally the main responsibilities of a board are:

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• Overseeing the financials and setting budgets
• Establishing policies
• Establishing the strategic plan
• Hiring and evaluating administrators

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Typical Lifecycle

Peter Hilts & Doug Hering: The Classical Academy

Colorado Springs, Colorado

The role of the board changes over time through the lifecycle of the charter.

Operating at 30-Thousand Feet

The goal is to operate at “30,000-feet” and to see the big picture

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Balancing big picture with

small details is not easy

Operating at 30-Thousand Feet

mi·cro·man·age verb \ˌmī-krō-ˈma-nij\

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to try to control or manage all the small parts of (something, such as an activity) in a way that is usually not wanted or that causes problems

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

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aka: The easiest way to burn out your board and school

What is Actually Required?

Know your contract!!

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Webinar: �http://www.flcsu.org/know-your-charter-contract/

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What is Actually Required? Fla. §

Good idea to read Florida Statute 1002.33 (http://www.flcsu.org/2012-florida-statutory-requirements-1002-33/)

• Exercise oversight over school operations
• Appoint a representative to facilitate parent involvement
• Two (2) board meetings per year in the county of each school
• Adopt and maintain an operating budget
• Annually determine the capacity of the school
• Adopt policies establishing standard of ethical conduct for instructional personnel and administrative personnel

Actually Required …. (Continued)

• Ensure website is available and compliant
• Be accountable to the sponsor for performance measures
• Retain the services for an annual audit, and review annual audit
• Participate in governance training
• Ensure that all staff and Board members have done background screenings
• Comply with public meetings and records laws
• If in a financial emergency, then monitor the recovery plan to ensure compliance.
• If “D”/”F” one member must appear before sponsor regarding SIP

As a Board member, your requirements:

Governing Board members are subject to the following statutes: �112.313(2), (3), (7) and (12) and 112.3143(3) and 112.3145

• No accepting gifts that would influence your decisions
• No doing business with the charter school (yourself or immediate family)
• No contractual or employment relationship with the school
• (There are some exceptions to the above two items, but you should be careful).
• Must disclose personal interest in matters that come before the board

Your School’s Website

Direct your staff to make sure it is in compliance. �Use it as a tool for communication & compliance

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• Name & contact for the representative to facilitate parental involvement
• Names of governing board members
• Academic performance
• Annual budget
• Annual audit

• Programs offered at the school
• Any management company, service provider or educational management corporations associated with the school
• School’s grade
• Board Meeting minutes on a quarterly basis

Corporate Documents

• Articles of Incorporation (Establishes the organization)
• ByLaws (Defines (in broad strokes) the way the Board operates)
• Policies (The Board’s directions to staff members & others)
• Charter Contract (Your agreement / obligations to the district)
• Annual Budget (The Board’s directions on how money is to be spent)

There is no “I” in Board ….

“The Board” versus individual board members

Effective Board Meetings

• Post your meetings
• Set an agenda
• How do you want to spend your time?
• How can you structure your agenda to match your strategic priorities?
• Utilize a consent agenda?
• Keeping Minutes
• Copy your agenda
• Record all decisions and summarize conversation
• Be sure to post your minutes afterwards

Opening Session

Roll Call, Agendas, etc.

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Reports

Just to ask questions from written reports

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Consent Agenda

Approved with the agenda

Items can be “pulled” by Board members

No discussion except on “pulled” items

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Board Discussion / Action

Sometimes broken into Old / New Business

This is where most of the Board’s time should be.

Another example, with time limits

Use your agenda to simplify writing minutes

This is just a sample, not a required format

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Directly From Agenda

Small gray text is what was on the agenda

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Larger Bold Text are motions and actions taken

I encourage having the motions in writing if they are complicated, so that the language is clear.

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Larger unbolded text summarizes conversations

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Be sure to attach relevant and supporting documents if they are needed to explain discussion.

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Effective Board Meetings: Reporting

What information do you need as a board to effectively make decisions for your school?

Develop a “Dashboard” of data components you want to see

• Enrollment
• Financial
• Human Resources
• Facilities
• Assessment Results

Have reports in writing before the meetings

Process / Timelines Are Important

Here is a suggestion �(your governing docs may outline different days):

• 10 days before meeting: circulate agenda
• 7 days before meeting: distribute board packet
• Meeting:
• Use time limits / timekeeper if needed
• Stay focused
• 5 days after: Minutes drafted

Board Packets

Consider sending the Board everything they need to prepare for the meeting so they have time to review

• Agenda
• Last meeting’s minutes
• Reports
• Contracts / Materials
• EVERYTHING on the consent agenda
• Annotated agenda or information pages.

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Give board members a chance to think about the issues before they vote �on them.

Develop Routines

Develop an annual checklist for regular items

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• April: Establish enrollment limits, select auditor, Admin evaluation
• May: Draft budget for following year
• July: Officer elections
• October: Adjust budget, review audit
• February: Adjust budget

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Government in the Sunshine

More than this brief �conversation could discuss

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Webinar: �http://www.flcsu.org/governance-in-the-sunshine/

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Right of Access

The intention of the sunshine requirement is to �“provide a right of access to the decision making process of Boards or commissions”

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Knowingly violating potentially makes individual board members liable for $500 fine & 60 days in jail.

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Basic Things To Remember

• All official acts must be taken at a public meeting
• No two board members may discuss anything that could potentially come before the Board outside of a public meeting
• Unilateral communication is okay, discussion is not
• Advisory committees are also subject to the sunshine laws
• Cannot use liaisons to circumvent the requirements
• Quorum must be present in person
• Participating electronically is okay in “exceptional circumstances” if the remote person can hear all conversations and vice versa

… We’ll just use “Executive Session” …

We recommend only using if a �lawyer tells you to do so.

• Executive Sessions are often a violation of �sunshine requirements
• Only exceptions are:
• Attorney client meetings
• Collective bargaining discussions
• Meetings involving minors
• No exceptions for personnel issues.

Remember Public Records

“includes all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, �photographs, films, sound recordings, data processing software, �or other materials, regardless of physical form, characteristics or �means of transmission, made or received pursuant to law or �ordinance or in connection with the transaction of official �business by any agency.”

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• Must be made available if requested
• Personnel records are public (although some exceptions do exist)
• Board member emails about school issues are public

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Policy Manual

• Policies: The Board’s direction to staff on operations
• Having a ‘policy’ protects the school and staff, especially from helicopter parents
• Organize a structure to keep any/all policies approved

flcsu.org/comprehensive-policy-manual/

Policies To Consider

General Policies

• Non Discrimination
• Anti-harassment
• Volunteer Policies

Board Policies

• Public Comment
• Establishing Agendas
• Conflict of Interest

Policies To Consider

Employment Policies

• Compensation
• Evaluations
• Holidays
• Discipline
• Conduct expectations

Students

• Attendance
• Behavior
• Dress Code
• Grading / Homework
• Acceptable Use
• Electronic Devices

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Policies To Consider

Business

• Purchasing
• Handling Cash
• Retention
• Capital Policy
• Audits

Other Areas?

• Transportation
• Food Services
• Facilities
• Before / After Care

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Charter School as an Employer

• Policies are important
• Who is responsible for general hiring?
• Board vs. Administrator
• Board’s oversight of primary administrator
• Board must evaluate the administrator

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Evaluation & Salary Schedules

• Evaluation system
• Must result in rating of:
• Highly Effective
• Effective
• Needs Improvement (or Developing)
• Unsatisfactory
• Consider adopting another evaluation system
• Sample State Models: http://resource.leadandlearn.com/stakeholder-toolkit/
• State’s Evaluation Site: https://charterevaluationtraining.fldoe.org/

flcsu.org/teacher-evaluation-requirements-of-the-student-success-act/

Webinar: Florida Charter School Evaluation Site

flcsu.org/florida-charter-school-evaluation-site/

Performance Salary Schedule

• Adjustments change base salary

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• Supplements are in addition to base:
• Title 1 schools, “F”or 3-”D”’s, Critical shortage areas, �Additional academic responsibilities
• Advanced Degrees in the area of certification

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flcsu.org/performance-based-salary-schedules/

Webinar: New Salary Schedule Requirements

flcsu.org/new-salary-schedule-requirements/

Succession Planning

• Administrator turnover is common in the first few years of a charter school
• Be prepared for how you will handle
• Grooming new leaders
• Checklist for when an employee leaves
• Process in place if you need to hire a new administrator

Sustaining & Recruiting Board Members

“One major challenge consistently noted across �the interviews is the inability of charter school leaders �to find qualified people to serve on their �school’s governing board.”

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“Creating and Sustaining High-Quality Charter School Governing Boards”,

National Resource Center on Charter Schools

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Sustaining & Recruiting Board Members

Do you enjoy your �time on the Board?

If no, how can you ask others to join?

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Webinar:�http://www.flcsu.org/effective-board-meetings-members/

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Recruiting Board Members

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• Clearly understand your board’s strengths & needs
• Be passionate about your mission
• Ask agencies that have pro-bono requirements
• Ask community service agencies for recommendations
• Ask parents for recommendations (or ask parents?)

Looking to the future

Think about

Strategic

Planning

Thoughts on Strategic Planning

• Is your vision / mission clear?
• Recommit yourselves to the original vision
• Where do you want to be �in 5 years? 10 years?
• Are you spending your �time & resources to get �you there?

Seek Out Help If Needed

The charter school industry is maturing, �and there are now several support groups �that can provide additional assistance

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2015-16 CSU Services

- Support Hotline

- Consultations

- Comprehensive School Review

- Document Reviews & Development

- Online Webinar Series

- CSU Clearinghouse

- Budget Template Tool

- Governance Board Presentations

- Best Practices Spotlights

- Charters.Link

- CSP Grant Budget Development

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Learn more and access our resources online at flcsu.org

Dissemination Grants

The state issues grants to schools to disseminate best practices to other schools

• Project DELTA (Disseminating Effective Leadership and Training Approaches)
• Active Literacy BLUEPRINT Project
• Project Keystone
• UCP Charter Schools / Institute
• Science, Technology and Environment Professional Development Series

Other State Support Initiatives

• Supporting Charter School Transition to Fla. Standards
• Florida Teacher Leader Evaluation Systems
• CPALMs

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Florida’s Support Organizations

Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools

Florida Charter �School Alliance

Additional Resources Are Out There

For a cost, you can find just about anything

Learn more and access our resources online at flcsu.org

flcsu.org

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Phone: (727) 286-3185

Fax: (727) 286-3186

cfuller@flcsu.org

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This presentation is available online at:

http://www.flcsu.org/gb_present/