Leading Purposeful Meetings

Necessary
And
Valuable
Information to
Gain
Action
Towards
Excellence
Navigate the Course to Excellence

Navigating a Map to Success

Mission
Concentrated
Responsive vs.
Reactionary
Outcomes
Based
Calendar
Results
Oriented
Lead
Purposeful
Meetings

Outcomes
Based
Calendar
Focused
Agendas
Strategic
Discussion
Effective
Oversight

• Strategically lays the framework for the MAP that will NAVIGATE the organization
– strategic improvement,
– program oversights,
– academic programs,
– fiscal vitality,
– policy review,
– and personnel decisions.

• Three things the board should evaluate each year…
1. Progress toward charter renewal
1. Academics
2. Finances
3. Legal Compliance
2. Performance of the school leader
3. Performance of the board
Let’s take a look at our drafted example

• Who Sets the agenda?
– Lead administrator/Board Chair
• When is the agenda set?
– Day after previous meeting (draft)
– 2-3 weeks prior (draft sent to board for comments)
– 2 weeks prior – Agenda Finalized
– 1 week prior – Committee reports finalized and sent to board
– Board prepares for meeting by reading all advance material
• What could it look like?
– Look at the Example

• Pareto principle 80/20
– Small percentage of inputs generates or produces a large percentage of outcomes.
– Addressing only one or two issues will produce extraordinary results
• Challenge to the board – Identify what those one or two issues are for each board
Every minute you spend engaged in the trivial many is a minute you failed to spend discussing the vital few
(Carpenter, 2007).

First 30 minutes, How Well are the students performing?
• Curriculum, programs, professional development, performance data.
Second 30 minutes, How Well are the operations plans meeting the needs of the staff?
• Finances, legal compliance, policies
Third 30 minutes, Board evaluations and development.
• Evaluation, governance strengthening exercises

• Board Meeting Packet
– What is in it?
• Reviews and Summaries
• Amendments
• Policies and Bylaws
– When does it go out?
• No later than one week prior to the meeting date
– Who prepares it?
• Committee chair/Board chair/Lead Administrator
– Who receives it?
• All board members
– Also make copies for public or make available on school web site

Committee, Executive, Third Parties
• On Time & Accurate*** (7 Days in advance)
• Focused on WHAT REALLY MATTERS!
• Information should directly align with the goals of organization as a whole:
– School
(i.e. Operations, Student Performance, Personnel)
– Board
(Governance, Policies, Finances , Compliance)
*If it doesn’t inform the board on WHAT REALLY MATTERS and support the board in achieving the organization goals…It should not be discussed in the board meeting.

Four Essential Financial Reports
Should be timely, accurate and comprehensible
• The balance sheet
– Demonstrates current net worth of organization
– Assets, liabilities and equity
• Cash flow statement
– Demonstrates all transactions for a period
– What comes in…and goes out
• Income and expense statement
– Makes a miniature budget for the particular period
• The budget versus the actual report
– Demonstrates whether the school is meeting goals, making a profit
(cumulative)
How often should you review and analyze these docs?

Good is the Enemy of Great!
• Quarterly Academic Progress
– Student attendance (impacting education?)
– Student discipline (impacting culture and education?)
– Growth and proficiency (Grade levels and Subgroups)
– Formative and Alternative Assessment Results (PBL, Portfolio, etc.)
– Progress on annual goals
– Comparison (cohorts – grade level)
– Progress new initiatives or programs, program review
– Teacher training and Support (Methods, practices, etc.)
– Personnel needs (current and future)
**Just suggestions…reports should be results based and align with the strategic goals of the organization.

Board Members:
Presenters: Stay on Time
Be prepared!
ASK QUESTIONS!

Governance Committee Presentation on
Strategic Goals
Goal
Expansion
(Governance)
Fundraising
(Development)
New Initiatives
(Academic)
Financial
(Finance)
Measurable
Expand by four members with identified prioritized skillsets
Raise $200,000 by June 30,
2015
100% staff professional development completion on
2013-2014 initiatives by June
30, 2015
Green Yellow Red
X
(2)
X
($150K)
X
Budget approved demonstrating annual 10% fund balance by
June 1, 2015
X

Goal
Student
Enrollment
Personnel
Retention
Financial
Vitality
Lead Administrator Report on
Organizational Goals
Measurable
Student Enrollment of 400 at
Month Nine
Student Waitlist of 400 by June 1,
2015
95% of teachers invited to return sign contracts for renewal
Green
X
Yellow Red
X
(320)
X
(80%)
Fund balance of $100,000 or more to close fiscal year
X
No Reading – They have the report !

Academics
• What do these standardized test results tell us about the effectiveness of our overall education program (in terms of curriculum, teacher effectiveness and preparation)?
• Looking at this performance report, where are we in reaching our school’s academic goals? What programs are working for us, which need further evaluation?
• What trainings are we providing our teachers to ensure instructional methods are meeting the needs for ALL of our students?
• With our students with disabilities population increasing, what adjustments do you recommend we as a board discuss in terms of education plan, staffing, and overall budget?
• What does the research say in regards to our curriculum, does it align with our current population of students?

Mission Based
• What percentage of our students meet our “targeted student population” criteria laid out in the charter?
• What is proficiency of our students on musical instruments?
• What percentage of our families choose our school based on our Marine Science partnerships and programs?
• Have we surveyed the local businesses to see how we are preparing students for the immediate work-force?

• Open and Transparent Behavior (Open Meeting Laws, Public
Records)
• Agenda Setting
• Advanced Board Materials (Strategic Plan)
• Meeting follows parliamentary procedures
– Voting members clearly defined and participating.
• Meetings focus on the key issues facing the school based on the Five-Year Strategic Plan)
• Meeting is evaluated (Plus/Delta)

• Lack of order during discussion
• Only a few members are actually working
• Excuses…“We are only volunteers”
• Poor time management
• Advanced materials do not relate to the school’s or board’s goals
• Wrong people driving the bus
• Lead Administrators does the majority of the talking

• Uniform colors
• Font use in handbooks
• Style of clothes (uniform vendors)
• Purchasing Toilet Paper
• Classroom wall colors
• Chair styles for offices
• Overflow parking
• Food in classrooms
Didn’t that Miller guy say we should ask
HOW WELL Questions?

Avoid Administrivia!
• The next board meeting, fold a piece of paper in half. On one half keep track of time spent on finances and student achievement. The other half, track everything else. See what percentage of the meeting is spent on
Adminstrivia!
Minutes Spent on:
Student achievement,
Fiscal viability
Policies
Minutes spent on:
Everything Else

• Meetings must be open to the public and provide notice in advance of the meeting date, time, and location:
– Regular Meetings : Seven Days
– Posted (web site, and any other media approved by board)
– Special Meeting: 48 hours
Posted (web site, and any other media approved by board)
- Including Standing Committee and School Improvement Committee Meetings
- Items discussed MUST be items on the agenda only
– Emergency Meeting:
Immediately after notice is given to ALL board members and stakeholders
Posted (web site, and any other media approved by board)
- Items discussed MUST be items on the agenda only
*
Minutes approved monthly and kept in a location available to public in a timely manner.

Electronic Communication
• Electronic “discussions” of school business involving several board members could be construed as a meeting and be in violation of the open meetings law
* Board members may communicate with other members by email…but
Avoid discussions and
“REPLY TO ALL”

• Must state purpose of going into closed session in formal motion:
One or more of the nine legal purposes must be stated verbally. (Note purpose in the minutes)
• Closed session discussion MUST be kept confidential
• Minutes are minimal
– Separate from Open Minutes

The 9 Legal Reasons to Go Into
Closed Session
1. Privileged Information – General Statute 132
(Personnel, Student, Closed Session)
2. Discuss Award or Scholarship
3. Consult with attorney (not about general policy)
4. Expansion: (Real estate/business negotiation)
5. Negotiations: (terms of employment contracts)
6. Personnel matters
7. Investigate concerns of criminal matters
8. Form emergency plans for response to School violence
9. Briefings from law and safety (public safety issues or response to terrorism)
Recommended each member have a “cheat sheet” to properly make motion.

(Motion must restated so public understands what the vote is for)

A board of directors speaks with “one voice, or not at all.” In other words, no single board member has the authority to speak for - or make decisions for - the full board.

• Executives and board members should spend a day at a world-class school. It’s a paradigm shifter.
• Focus on building a culture of high achievement.
• Allocate time in every board meeting to evaluate
how well the school is performing academically.
• Human capital is everything. There is no substitute for the right board members, teachers, and CEO.

• What characteristics does the organization you lead or belong to have in place?
• Which element would be a priority for you?

Start Doing?
Continue and Strengthen?
Stop Doing?