• Encourage questions and comments

Overview of LAPCS

• Welocme Neil Ranu
• LAPCS - Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools
  • Support Team
  • Neil - Main point of contact for board
  • Sarah runs bottom line program - best practices
  • Annual State Conference is December 13th in New Orleans at the Hyatt this year
  • Advocates for school - work legislative sessions; work with OPSB and RSD
  • Connect schools with other schools

Presentation by LAPCS
Roles and Responsiblilities, Governance, and Charter School Issues

• handouts givens
• IHSNO Reports to BESE -- BESE Rep is Kiera Orange Jones
  • Responsibility = purpose
  • Role = how to achieve the purpose
  • Board Members Responibilities
    • Governance
      • 3 Duties: Care, Loyalty, Obedience
    • Management Support
      • Working for the school
      • Staff has authority over board members
    • Governance vs Management support (see handout)
    • Responsible for academic, financial, and operational performance of the school
  • Board Role: Oversight and directiion (see handout)
    • Shape the mission and strategic direction
    • Ensure leadership and resources
    • monitor and improve performance 
      • most schools get in trouble on this piece
      • two extremes: not monitoring enough and monitoring too much
      • use dashboards
    • The cycle should happen at every board meeting
  • Board acts as one
    • one collective unit
    • Deliberate, then Act
    • Upon determination of board policy, all board members obligated to be on the same page.
    • Committee meetings are important spaces to deliberate

Governance vs Management

• Board vs Leader
  • Board = oversight (the what)
  • School Leader = management (how, the means, implements plans and policies)
  • see Responsibility Matrix
  • Board ask the tough questions to the School Leader
  • Board sets the tone for all school members
  • Pay attention to all aspects: Financial management, academic excellence, and Human resources
  • Interdependent relationship= How can school achieve it's mission?
• Finance Trainings
  • AFR Meeting = Wednesday, September 14 all day *8am-4pm)
  • Board Finance Training = Tuesday, Sept 13 dinner
• Finance Committee
  • oversees the budget in detail
  • reviewing line items
  • finance dashboard - Are we on target

Idea behind charter schools

• Educational and operational autonomy in exchange for accountability
• 3 basic Principals
  • Choice - for students
  • Flexibility - for educators
  • Accountability - for the public
• Should have a strong relationship with Dept of Ed and Kira Orange Jones (BESE)
• A charter school is an agreement to perform
  • Academics
  • Finances
  • Legal and Operations
• External Sources
  • charter school law {La.R.S. 17;3971, et. seq}
  • Authorizer/BESE policy buletin 126 {BESE} and {741 - homeless students/Home study}
  • individual charter school contract
• Internal Sources
  • Articles of incorporation
  • bylaws
• Public Entities Laws
  • Code of Governmental Ethics - Avoid conflicts of interest; 1 hour of training per year
  • Public Records Acts -
  • Public Bid Law - big facilities/school lunch
  • Open Meetings Law
  • Government Budget Act
• Issues
  • legislative Session re-cap
    • success because of advocacy from all players
  • Type 2 Lawsuit
    • MPF Case will go to Supreme Court
  • OPSB elections
  • OPSB Return by 2018

Stacie Retzlaff motioned that the Board move to Executive Session.
Shontell Thomas seconded the motion.
Motion passed unanimously.

Stacie Retzlaff motioned that the Board exit Executive Session.
Shontell Thomas seconded the motion.
Motion passed unanimously.

Tour was cancelled due to time constraints.

Overview of IB

• Coordinator
• Teacher
• Student

Academic Programs

• Develop Robust World Language Program that enables students to reach proficiency in a second language
  • discussion was held on changing some wording for each objective
• Ensure all 9th and 10th grade students are fully prepared and motivated to enroll in IB in 11th grade
• Develop and Implement a technology plan that provides appropriate technology to advance students' learning in all program areas

School Culture

•  Achieve a diverse school community through targeted recruitment efforts for students and staff that are aligned to IHSNO's mission and vision
• Celebrate diversity to build an accepting, connected and spirited school community
• Build a school community representative of the IB Learner Profiles

Exceptional Staff

• Ensure the IHS recruitment and selection process is filled with high quality candidates that results in the most visionary and effective staff possible for IHS students
• Ensure staff feels valued, increasing staff retention to provide consistent, high quality education to IHS students
• Ensure effective and innovative teachers who strive constantly to improve their teaching practice are teaching the students of IHS

Governance and strategy

• Create, develop, and maintain a diverse and high-performance board that fills the role and responsibilities associated with board service
• Ensure IHS' board of directors has knowledge of and is in compliance with all applicable state and federal laws
• ensure IHS board understand and meets fiduciary responsibility
• development and implement and periodically review the strategic plan to ensure IHS is moving forward as outlined in the board-adopted strategic plan

Organizational Sustainability

• develop efficient internal systems and processes to support good financial management
• secure additional funding to support and expand efforts towards accomplishing IHS' Mission and Vision
• develop a capital plan to support IHS facility and infrastructure needs

Quarterly review (Academics, Governance, Finance) of strategic plan and where we stand on each pillar
At the September meeting, will discuss quarterly meeting
Facilities committee will need to review last goal of Org. Sustainability since we have decided to remain in this facility
Consider including the Strategic Plan in the Performance Plan for evaluating the Head of School 
Want to begin evaluating Head of School immediately this year
Wants Rob to look at an evaluation board. 

HoS

• Getting potential member to fill out paperwork 
• Want to give them information about what it means to be a board member--does this pose a problem
• Want specific info on board members--birthdays, anniversaries...
• Happy Birthday, Carol!!

Shontell

• Board members should visit a class