JAMES N. GOENNER, PH.D.RILEY J. JUSTISJASON L. SARSFIELD

Knocking it out of the parkCharter Board

University

Goals for Session

KIDS!!!

Share a Framework for Greatness

Learn & Grow Together

Advance Your Leadership

Have Fun!

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3 Challenge Conventional Thinking

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NATIONAL CHARTER SCHOOLS INSTITUTE

Hot DotsWhat matters to you?

RELATIONSHIPS

“People don’t care how much you know until they

know how much you care.”

National Charter Schools Institute

• The Institute is a values-driven, nonprofit organization founded in 1995.

• Our mission is to inspire hearts and minds and help organizations achieve breakthrough performance.

• We coach and consult with authorizers, boards, schools, support organizations and policymakers.

• Our team is composed of passionate professionals.

• We seek to understand, honor and support our clients.

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PART I:Public Education, Charter Schools & the Great American Experiment

Ideals of Public Education

• All children should have access to quality education regardless of family income.

• All children should be prepared for happy and productive lives.

• All children should be taught the rights and duties of citizenship.

• Good schools help foster strong and cohesive communities.

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Education Reformers Believe• There is a difference between the ideals

of public education and the institution of public schooling.

• Criticism of the system should not be construed as an attack on the ideals of public education.

• Parents make better decisions for their children than government officials.

• Taxpayers deserve a better return for their educational dollars.

• All children deserve quality educational options.

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The Ideas Behind Chartering

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States should… 1. Withdraw the exclusive geographic franchises given to school districts.

2. Create ways to establish new public schools that create competition for existing schools and empower parents with choice.

These new public schools should… 3. Be authorized by an entity that oversees and holds them accountable,

but unlike a school district does not own or operate the school.

4. Be freed from unnecessary rules and regulations, in exchange for producing results.

5. Be dually accountable: to the marketplace of parental choice and to the standards of the public interest.

CHARTER SCHOOLS

A strategy to transform public education by injecting choice,

change and competition into the system.

PART 2:Aligning for Greatness

Superior Performance

Distinctive Impact

Lasting Endurance

What is Greatness?

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Collins’ Good-to-Great Framework

OUTPUT RESULTS

STAGE 1: DISCIPLINED PEOPLE

INPUT PRINCIPLES

Level 5 Leadership

First Who, Then What

STAGE 2: DISCIPLINED THOUGHTConfront the Brutal Facts

The Hedgehog Concept

STAGE 3: DISCIPLINED ACTIONCulture of Discipline

The Flywheel

STAGE 4: BUILDING GREATNESS TO LAST

Clock Building, Not Time Telling

Preserve Core, Stimulate Progress

DELIVERS SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE

MAKES A DISTINCTIVE IMPACT

ACHIEVES LASTING ENDURANCEBeyond Any Leader,

Idea or Setback

On the Communities It Touches

Relative to Its Mission

““ “Good is the enemy

of great.”Jim Collins

Framework for Greatness

Good, Not Great

Inflection Point

Good, Not Great

Matched-Pair Selection

Comparison Cases

Good–to–Great Cases

GAP

Building forBreakthrough

The Flywheel

““ “Greatness . . . is largely a matter of conscious choice and discipline.”

Jim Collins

KIDS

Authorizers

Boards

Schools

Aligning for Greatness

Develop a Relationship of Mutual Trust & Respect

Set Clear Performance Expectations – No Surprises!

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Establish a Shared Vision & Values

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WHAT REALLY MATTERS

Ensuring all students are prepared for success in

college, work and life.

Correlation Chart:Enjoyment over Learning

PART 3:Governing vs. Managing

Purpose of a Charter School Governing Board

“To ensure, on behalf of the public, that students are

learning, money and resources are well stewarded, and the organization passionately pursues greatness, while

modeling the highest legal and ethical principles.”

““Dr. James Goenner

National Charter Schools Institute

A Simple Way to Frame Roles

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Governing Board

=

To Ensure

Management

=

To Execute

Ch. 7

pg. 45-50

Key Board Duties

Duty of CareExercising the “care” a prudent person would when making decisions.

Duty of LoyaltyGives undivided allegiance and putting the organization above self when making decisions; avoiding conflicts of interest and keeping confidential matters confidential.

Duty of ObedienceActing in a manner that supports the school’s mission and values; and fulfills the public trust.

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Board Responsibilities12

ENSURE all students are being prepared for success in college, work and life.1

ENSURE the public’s money and resources are well stewarded.2

ENSURE the organization is run by a great leader and infused with a positive culture and learning environment.3

The Most Consistently Admired Characteristics of Leaders:

Honest

Forward-Looking

Competent

Inspiring

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Chickens & Pigs!

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Leadership Pyramid

What Kind of Leader Do You Want?

Level 3 Leader

• Organizes people and resources toward the effective and efficient pursuit of predetermined objectives.

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What Kind of Leader Do You Want?

Level 5 Leader

• Ambitious first and foremost for the cause, the organization, the work — not themselves.

• Displays a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will.

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Winners Want to be Associated with a Board That …

• Knows its purpose and why it exists• Understands it is the highest authority

in the organization

• Knows it represents the public• Is disciplined in its role and behaviors

and those of its individual members

• Is trustworthy and predictable

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Winners Want to be Associated with a Board That …

• Uses its authority to empower, not strangle

• Ensures the organization is effective and efficient

• Has high expectations and measures performance

• Is unafraid to judge, but does so fairly

• Continuously earns credibility

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ENSURE the terms of the charter contract are fulfilled and the organization is prepared for renewal.4

ENSURE the organization is true to its vision, mission and values.5

ENSURE goals are clear and people and programs are wisely empowered, supported, evaluated and held accountable.6

ENSURE the organization operates legally and ethically.7

ENSURE the organization continuously improves and stays viable.8

“If you do not change, you can become extinct.”

Who Moved My Cheese? ““

ENSURE the board recruits, orients and develops its members and its capacity to govern.9

ENSURE the board adopts and properly maintains its governing policies.10

ENSURE the board speaks with one voice.11

How Boards Earn Credibility

• “They practice what they preach.”

• “They walk the talk.”

• “Their actions are consistent with their words.”

• “They put their money where their mouth is.”

• “They follow through on their promises.”

• “They do what they say they will do.”

The Leadership Challenge

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ENSURE the board and its members are positive ambassadors for the charter idea!12

LUNCHNetworking & General Session

PART 4:Making Board Meetings Effective

“Know Thyself”

The First Person You Lead Is Yourself

Who Said …

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Some People Observe That …

“ Trustees are often little more than high-

powered, well-intentioned people

engaged in low-level activities.”

“Chait, Holland and Taylor

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The Seven Habits

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Be Proactive

Begin with the End in Mind

Put First Things First

Think Win-Win

Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood

Synergize

Sharpen the Saw

Public Meeting or Meeting in Public

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Public Meeting or Meeting in Public

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““We believe boards that govern for greatness ask

wise questions and measure things that really

matter.”Dr. James Goenner

National Charter Schools Institute

“

WHAT REALLY MATTERS

Ensuring all students are prepared for success in

college, work and life.

HOW WELL IS OUR SCHOOL …

Preparing Students for College, Work and Life

Leveraging Resources

Fulfilling Its Commitments?

Wise Questions

Board Meeting Agenda

30 minutes on

Academics30 minutes on

Finance30 minutes on

CapacityTo Govern

= 90 Minute Board MeetingCh. 15

pg. 99

+ +

Key Legal and Governing Documents

Ch. 5

pg. 31-35

Charter

School

State & Federal

Law

Authorizer &

Charter Contract Board

Policies & Procedur

es

Structural Overview

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Correlation Chart:Enjoyment over Learning

PART 5:Developing the Board’s Capacity to Govern

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Common Board Challenges

Dysfunctional Group Dynamics

Disengaged Board Members

Uncertainty About Roles and Responsibilities

Source: Problem Boards or Board Problems? The Nonprofit Quarterly

 

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Recruiting and Orienting a New Board member

Interrelation DiagraphHow are the issues related?

Break& Networking

PART 6:Organizational Health& Sustainability

Four Disciplines of a Healthy Organization

Cohesive teams build trust, eliminate politics, and increase efficiency by …

• Knowing one another’s unique strengths and weaknesses.

• Openly engaging in constructive, ideological conflict.• Holding one another accountable for behaviors and

actions.• Committing to group decisions.

1: Build a Cohesive Leadership Team

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Four Disciplines of a Healthy Organization

TEAMWORK

• We recognize that no one of us is as good as all of us.

• We put the team’s goals before our own.

• We collaborate and fulfill our commitments.

• We are responsible for ourselves and accountable to each other.

• We win as a team and lose as a team.

• We celebrate our successes and have fun. | 84

The Power of Clarifying Values to Guide Behaviors and Actions

The Five Temptationsof a CEO

Invulnerability

Over

Trust

Harmony

Over

Conflict

Certainty

Over

Clarity

Popularity

Over

Accountability

Status

Over

Results

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Healthy organizations minimize the potential for confusion by clarifying …

• Why do we exist?• How do we behave?• What do we do?• How will we succeed?• What is most important—right now?• Who must do what?

2: Create Clarity

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Four Disciplines of a Healthy Organization

How Clear Is Your Organization About Its...

Vision

Mission

What is the organization really trying to accomplish? Is it compelling? Will it make a significant difference?

How will the organization proceed with making this vision a reality?

Values What are the core things the organization will use to guide and evaluate all of its actions and behaviors? 

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FORWARD-LOOKING & INSPIRING

• We dare to be different.

• We are willing to take risks.

• We lead with passion.We are not limited by others.

• We are persistent.

• We strive to exceed expectations.

• We inspire growth in ourselves and others.

 

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The Power of Clarifying Values to Guide Behaviors and Actions

HONEST & RESPECTFUL

• We tell the truth.

• We are open to feedback.

• We trust each other to speak our minds.

• We always strive to do the right things for the right reasons.

• We communicate with candor and tact.

• We are tough on the issue, not on the person.

• We value people for who they are and what they bring.

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The Power of Clarifying Values to Guide Behaviors and Actions

Healthy organizations align their employees around organizational clarity by communicating key messages through …

• Repetition: Don’t be afraid to repeat the same message again and again.

• Simplicity: The more complicated the message, the more potential for confusion and inconsistency.

• Multiple Mediums: People react to information in many ways; use a variety of mediums.

• Cascading Messages: Leaders communicate key messages to direct reports; the cycle repeats itself until the message is heard by all.

3: Over-Communicate Clarity

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Four Disciplines of a Healthy Organization

“Doing everything keeps us so busy we don’t have time to think about what is really important to us.”

““

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Organizations sustain their health by ensuring consistency in …

• Hiring • Managing performance• Rewards and recognition• Employee dismissal

4: Reinforce Clarity

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Four Disciplines of a Healthy Organization

Correlation Chart:Enjoyment over Learning

PART 7:Being Ambassadors for Excellence

Model the Way

Inspire a Shared Vision

Challenge the Process

Enable Others to Act

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Encourage the Heart5

Five Practices of Exemplary Leaders

Kouzes and Posner

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| 98Model the Way1

How Leaders Earn Credibility

• “They practice what they preach.”

• “They walk the talk.”

• “Their actions are consistent with their words.”

• “They put their money where their mouth is.”

• “They follow through on their promises.”

• “They do what they say they will do.”

The Leadership Challenge

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| 100Inspire a Shared Vision2

| 101Challenge the Process3

““ “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.”

Albert Einstein

| 103Enable Others to Act4

| 104Encourage the Heart5

“““Set the standards higher for yourself than others would set them for you.”John Maxwell

Resources for Pursuing Greatness

Good-to-Great Diagnostic Toolwww.jimcollins.com/tools.html

The Advantage Comprehensive Check Listwww.tablegroup.com

Institute for Excellence in Educationwww.ExcellenceInEd.org

Illinois Mathematics and Science Academywww.imsa.edu

IIT Boeing Scholars Academyblogs.iit.edu/boeing_scholars/

Chicago Scholars(88% to-and-through college in 6 yrs.)www.ChicagoScholars.org

Project Lead The Waywww.pltw.org

Correlation Chart:Enjoyment over Learning

THANK YOU!

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