board not bored nais
TRANSCRIPT
Jonathan E. Mar,n Clair Ward
Commonly Heard about Board Meetings
I don’t learn anything that I couldn’t have read in a report.
All the decisions are made before we arrive.
We always hear from the same people.
My opinion doesn’t really matter or even get solicited.
All they want is my money. What about my knowledge and expertise?
It’s one report after another
We rarely get to hear from the students and faculty, just administrators
I don’t understand what our head and administrators mean by 21st century learning. Is that just jargon?
Why is it always good news? I want to know what the problems are so I can help.
Disagreement isn’t appropriate. Why does every vote have to unanimous?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
I would never run a meeting like this at my business
Needs: To be*er engage the board. To generate be*er, deeper thinking about cri8cal issues. To introduce and orient the board to 21st century learning.
Two birds with one stone.
Use 21st Century Teaching and Learning Techniques, e.g., flipped classroom, case study, PBL, design thinking, gallery walks, etc.
VIDEO
Employ performance task assessment and project-‐ based learning strategies: Task: Consider Hill’s strategic goal of becoming a “des5na5on place of employment” for the most talented boarding school educators.
• Form Teams • Provide challenge ques8on • Provide materials to study, examine, interpret
• Provide research resources for further inquiry
• Invite addi8onal research • Require explana8on of answer in form of both posters and presenta8ons
Apply the case study method to contemplate the acquisi8on of a nearby property.
• Create 4-‐5 page HBR style Case Study and distribute in advance
• Conclude Case Study with a ques8on:
• What should the Headmaster and Board Chair Do?
• Invite Small Groups to discuss
• Facilitate full group discussion, s8mulate debate, seek consensus
• Use a flipped classroom approach to review Hill’s new Campus Master Plan;
• Instead of wri*en report, produce film as comprehensive introduc8on to the topic and issues.
• Distribute and Ask Trustees to Watch Film in Advance
• Jump straight to Q&A about film • Prepare and post posters about the cri8cal issues raised in film, and ask Trustees to ask as many ques8ons and make as many comments as possible.
• Par8cipate in a collabora,ve learning protocol to evaluate the preliminary case statement for our comprehensive capital campaign.
• Use PLC and Cri8cal Friends Group Protocols
• Invite Faculty Leaders to Facilitate
• Use with Real, Per8nent Ma*ers
• Try back-‐channeling and real-‐,me classroom response systems to consider the proposed FY2015 budget, revisions to the strategic plan, and the funding of campaign expenses;
• Learn how to produce screencasts to share our board commi*ee reports.
Culture of Conversa8on
• The region • The School & the Board of Trustees • Recent Growth
The Challenge
• Engage the strategic posture of each trustee • Address the unthinkable: finances
Retreat Format • Opening & context (Board President) • Financial picture (Board treasurer)
– Current architecture – 20-‐year forecast
• Small group work – Is it or should it be the Board’s goal to run VSL without financial support
from the founding family? – Will the current financial model sustain us indefinitely? What will Valley
need financially to sustain itself in 20 years? – What is keeping us from making the decisions we would want to make?
• Dinner and Gallery Walk • Genera8ve Discussion • Iden8fica8on of Next Steps
Next Steps/Advice
• Rotate the Board mee8ngs throughout the building • Use of case studies • Use of par8cipant polls • Board of Visitors • Consider using consultants and/or organiza8onal psychologist to help shig
culture carefully/construc8vely