This companion workbook has been developed to help you get started on your journey.
This guide is a supplement to Governing for Greatness: Ten Fundamentals Every Charter School Board Member Needs to Know
For each topic in this guide you will find:
Important documents to review (The Map);
The most important points highlighted (The Destination);
A checklist of important actions to carry out (Where Are We at On the Journey?), and;
Questions to further stimulate your board’s thinking (How Do We Get There?).
About the Author:
As the former CEO of the National Charter Schools Institute (2005 – 2009), Brian Carpenter, Ph.D., CFE saw the imperative for developing and supporting charter school governing boards at a time when the topic hadn’t received much attention nationally. He tackled the issue head-on in 2006 with his first book, published by the Institute, Charter School Board University: An Introduction to Effective School Governance.
Through his presentations and publications since, Brian continues to set the standard for effective charter school governance. As a solopreneur since 2009, he continues to work with charter school boards and leaders across the country, and collaborates with the Institute from time to time on special projects.
“Governing for greatness is a mindset. It’s a proactive attitude and
outlook that keeps boards and management focused on what truly
matters – preparing students to succeed in college, work and life.”
– Jim Goenner
Serving on a charter school board can be a profoundly rewarding
experience or an act of futility and frustration. We want your
experience to be meaningful and rewarding. So whether you are
a new board member or a veteran, this guide covers the
fundamentals you will need to effectively govern.
Topics include:
The significance of the charter contract
Monitoring and evaluating performance
Understanding the power and purpose of bylaws
Focusing meetings and minutes
Setting academic and financial goals
Managing risks and internal controls
Facilities, insurance, and safety
Creating a board development plan
About the Author:
As the former CEO of the National Charter Schools Institute (2005 – 2009), Brian Carpenter, Ph.D., CFE saw the imperative for developing and supporting charter school governing boards at a time when the topic hadn’t received much attention nationally. He tackled the issue head-on in 2006 with his first book, published by the Institute, Charter School Board University: An Introduction to Effective School Governance.
Through his presentations and publications since, Brian continues to set the standard for effective charter school governance. As a solopreneur since 2009, he continues to work with charter school boards and leaders across the country, and collaborates with the Institute from time to time on special projects.
If you are ready to come face-to-face with your toughest challenger, this book is for you. You will look in the mirror and put together a Plan to Win that will forever change your life. Learn more at www.CharterInstitute.org/PlanToWin
A concept and practice known as “enterprise risk management” has existed in the business world for decades, although it really began gaining traction after the corporate scandals in publicly traded companies in the early 2000s that destroyed billions in wealth.
Charter School Board University is a comprehensive ‘how-to’ for charter school board members. Written by Dr. Brian L. Carpenter, CEO, the book also serves as the foundation for the Institute’s board training seminars. Charter public school boards across the country have retained the Institute and use University as their guide to effective charter school board governance.
The book has been heralded as a ‘must read’ and described as a concise, engaging and easy to read book by the nation’s most recognized and respected names in the charter public school sector.
JUST THE WORDS “STRATEGIC PLANNING” are enough to make some board members and school executives feel swamped. The process is usually long, boring, and largely without results—unless you count a five-inch-thick vinyl notebook collecting dust on a shelf as an achievement. Don’t mire your board and executive in writing a plan that is tedious, dull, and loaded with administrivia—three adjectives that could have been invented to describe the typical strategic plan. This book offers another way—The Seven Outs.
