1. Icebreaker Exercise (favorite educator from K-12 and two items always in our fridge) 

2. Review of Board Norms - Guidelines for Retreat expectations 

Overview of Board's Role Per DESE and ByLaws 

1. Greater autonomy in exchange for higher accountability 

- Board of Trustees - we don't answer directly to local district or school board 

- DESE looks more carefully at Charter schools and their data than they do at traditional public schools

- Accountability requires strong Charter Board  

- Strong oversight on Governance frees up the Head of School (HoS) to focus on other critical tasks related to her role 

2. Board of Trustees Holds the Charter 

- Charter schools have 5 year Charter cycles 

- Board is responsible for adhering to the Charter (to avoid state intervention/having Charter revoked)  

Key Areas for Which Board is Accountable

1. Exercise: reviewed DESE Performance Criteria to identify "key areas" of Board accountability 

- Oversight of Academic Achievement 

     - Equity lens applied to this oversight

- Financial Health 

- Head of School 

     - hiring/firing 

     - retaining

     - performance reviews

- Governance

     - Compliance with applicable laws and regulations 

     - Create and approve policies and ensure equity is protected in these 

- Promoting school's mission  

     - DEI big focus here as well 

Stakeholders we are accountable to:

- Students 

- Families

- Staff 

- HoS 

- DESE 

- Colleagues 

Through whom/what:

- DESE inspections

- accountability plan 

- annual audit 

- MCAS scores

- graduation/discipline/attendance rates 

- enrollment numbers 

- reputational elements 

     - Helps in case of future crisis if ever there were community need 

     - ensuring that we are champions for the school - recruiting and promoting - and clarifying -            its mission 

Governance v. Management

- Common question is what the right level of engagement for Board (and what is overstepping)  

- The group did an exercise using case studies 

- A healthy Board has a tension between supporting the HoS and holding HoS to high standards (by being fully informed on decisions, asking hard questions when needed, voicing concern and/or dissent when applicable, etc.).  Engaging in these conversations over issues - even if we can't vote on the issue - actually gives Board, families, staff more confidence in the school leader.

Handout: MA Board Effectiveness Survey (by Bellwether) 

Board Survey Data: 

- What are some areas of strength for the Board? 

    - Collaboration between HoS and Board 

    - Level of engagement of board members 

    - diverse skill sets 

    - connection to school (5 parents, 2 teachers)

- What might be an area of improvement? 

    - Membership (number of board members)

    - diversity (racial and gender) 

    - Academic data oversight and awareness

    - Compliance (OML, minutes, etc.) 

    - Advocating in community 

    - Awareness of state landscape

    - Onboarding process 

    - Commitment: both in attendance and fundraising 

Exercise: Each member chose two topics for building capacity that we think the Board should prioritize this year.

Topics included: 

Budget (one tab, one support), 

Compliance (4 tabs, 4 supports)

Data/Academic Oversight (5 tabs, 8 supports)

Board Recruitment (2 tabs) 

Commitment (1 tab) 

Onboarding (1 tab, one support)

State landscapes (2 tabs, 2 supports) 

Advocacy in the community (2 tabs, 1 support) 

Results: 

1. Academic Data/Oversight

2. Compliance 

Next Step: Pick one priority area, draft specific, measurable, achievable and timebound Actionable Goal for this priority area 

1. Academic Data/Oversight

Start with the Basics: Create Foundational Understanding 

- Data literacy: what are the reporting data, how do demographics play into this, what is disaggregated data, how does data gets reported to board (e.g. proven provider status)

End Point: 

- Create system by which Board is reviewing (according to trimesters) an academic dashboard that summarizes academic data through each school year (disaggregated by sub-group) 

- Components: 

     - Data monitoring system 

     - Measurable growth

     - existing reporting structures (iReady, etc.)

     - trimester reporting 

Integrated Decision Making Process

Propose - person makes and explains a proposal 

Clarify - round of clarifying questions by other participants

React: round of reactions and suggestions; proposer listens but does not respond to feedback 

Adjust: Proposer may edit the proposal (or not) based on what they've heard (or remove proposal entirely) 

Consent: going around, participants have a chance to voice and objection, if they have one 

Integrate: Objector/proposer work together to edit the proposal and address objections 

Stamp: group approves proposal 

Lindsay handed out Board of Trustees Responsibilities

Brief introduction to first draft of Board of Trustees Handbook 

Discussed overall thought and impressions. 

Next Step: 

- Add review of Letter and Handbook at the next regularly scheduled meeting.

1. Board Role - PR in Community

2. Perception of Charter - Reputation for "whom we serve" 

3. Clarification of which policies the Board approves

4. Developing more financial literacy as a Board

Closing Appreciation of each Board Member

Survey for Will Gardner/Prospect Leadership Group