Massachusetts Charter Public School Association

Critical Board Practices

Board Roles and Responsibilities toward the School Leader

Key Documents from a Workshop Presented by Sturgis Charter Public School at the Sheraton Braintree (March 2, 2006) and at the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association Convention, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA, (March 30, 2006.)

Table of Contents: Documents Available Online
(These documents are in PDF format )

What is Governance?
1. What is a Board? (PDF)
2. Design of the Partnership (PDF)
  a chart delineating areas of responsibility: board vs. school leader
3. Performance Expectations for Board of Trustee Members (PDF)
  including duty of care, loyalty, and obedience
Communications Critical to Board and School Effectiveness
1. Characteristics of an Effective Charter School Governing Board (PDF)
Goal Setting and Evaluation with the School Leader
1. Sample Board Goals for 2005-06 (PDF)
  self-determined, by category
2. Sample School Leader Goals for 2005-06 (PDF)
  for utilization in performance evaluation
3. Administrative Performance Evaluation (PDF)
  for school leader
4. Board of Trustees/Faculty Evaluation of the School Leader (PDF)
  evaluation tool/checklist
5. Parent Evaluation of the School Leader (PDF)
  evaluation tool/checklist
Recruitment and Selection of a School Leader
1. Preliminary Search Committee Timeline (PDF)
  Nov-Feb schedule of activities
2. Sample Board Meeting Agenda Item-Preparing for the Search (PDF)
  for governance/personnel committee
3. Key Dates and Committee Meetings for the Search (PDF)
  timeline for committee meetings and actions during search
4. Responsibilities of Search Committee and Board during Search (PDF)
5. Job Description for the School Leader (PDF)
  sample for principal/executive director
6. Search Focus Group Questions (PDF)
  to guide search for school leader
7. Activity for Gaining Faculty Input into Selection of Executive Director (PDF)
  including table of results
8. Qualities Sturgis Staff Desires in a School Leader (PDF)
  with respect to students, staff, and community
9. Feedback from Focus Groups (PDF)
  raw input on desired traits and experiences of leader, as well as desired impact on school
10. Sample Agenda for Search Committee Meeting (PDF)
11. Sample Newspaper Ad for Executive Director (PDF)
12. Summary of Advertising during a Search (PDF)
  newspapers, dates, cost
13. Invitation to Parents to Meet the Candidates (PDF)
  and schedule for doing so
14. Board Coffee with Director Candidates (PDF)
  schedule for information conversations
15. Candidate Interview Day Schedule (PDF)
16. Interview and Post Interview Process (PDF)
  outline of a structure for this
17. 1st Interview Questions and Rating Sheet (PDF)
18. 2nd Interview Questions and Rating Sheet (PDF)
19. Status of Search Process (PDF)
  a summary report to the board from the search committee

Go to: Effective Structures | School Leader | Accountability

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Exhaustive State DOE study finds Charters outperform sending districts

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Recent Charter School Media

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