Charter School Governance Clinic

Have you ever been volunTOLD for a role?
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A few years ago, a good friend had an idea for a new charter school. Her first task was to build a team that would ultimately become the school’s founding board. With my background and experience, she thought I would be a good person to have on the founding board. She wasn’t wrong.
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TEACHER - Right out of college, I spent six years as a TFA corps member teaching in NYC public schools.

DISTRICT & NETWORK - I’ve held roles at both a school district (DCPS) and a charter network (LearnNow). For the district, I managed relationships with external partners; for the network, I recruited school leaders.

GOVERNANCE GURU - I have spent the past 11 years supporting leaders and their boards, most of them charter school boards.

PARENT - My daughter attended a public charter school in Washington, DC
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After serving for a few years, I recently became the board chair. I know two things for sure: the board is a critical component of a school’s success and sustainability, AND building and maintaining an effective charter school board takes work. I am grateful to have so much professional and life experience to lean on.​

When was the last time you were volunTOLD?

Calling all charter school board members!

I have a question. Are you an engaged board member, or are you just phoning it in? If I had a dollar every time a leader said, “ I wish my board members were more engaged,” I’d be a very wealthy woman. Board member engagement reflects the passion, commitment, and impact that each member brings to their board service. What are some of the things you do as an engaged board member?
New Schools for Alabama National Charter Collaborative

Imagine having the opportunity to create an experience for a team or a board that helps them build community, solve a sticky problem, better understand how to achieve a goal together, or even redefine how they work together. That's the magic of a retreat facilitator.

A skilled facilitator will design an experience that:

- Creates safe, engaging spaces for meaningful conversations
- Helps teams uncover their collective potential
- Transforms complex challenges into actionable strategies
- Bridges communication gaps and aligns team objectives
- Poses questions that inspire breakthrough thinking

As a facilitator, I've seen firsthand how the right facilitation can turn a standard team gathering into a powerful experience.

Has your charter school board had a memorable retreat experience? What made it special?

Board candidates and current board members from spent time learning the nuts & bolts of being a great board member. “The panel was worth the price of admission” was overheard at the training referring to the amazing Christina Grant (Office of the State Superintendent of Education); Ariel Johnson (DC Charter School Alliance); and Michelle Walker-Davis (DC Public Charter School Board).

We would like to thank everyone for joining us at our most recent webinar, Succession Planning Isn't a Four Letter Word! If you weren't able to attend live, you can view the recording here ➡️ https://bit.ly/3NXBjlt

We've developed a series of templates to help you kick off your succession planning process. Our succession planning toolkit is available here ➡️ https://bit.ly/3t7xPTZ

Every should consider it part of good governance to have in place a set of activities and documents that will be necessary as part of every transition. We have compiled a list of templates you can use for your board inside this toolkit ✍️ https://bit.ly/3t7xPTZ

LAST CALL to register! 📢 On Wednesday, Nov. 9th, we'll teach you how school boards can plan for a successful leadership transition. Join charter school founder Jessica Wodatch and leaders from across the industry to gain valuable knowledge. Save your seat 👉 https://bit.ly/3yXJUhG

Charter school boards hold the charter from the Authorizer. This week, Authorizers and other public education supporters are gathering in Minneapolis to learn, share and build community at ! National Association of Charter School Authorizers

Succession Planning isn't a four-letter word! Join us on Wednesday, November 9th from 12PM-1:30PM ET as we discuss what all charter school boards should be doing to be prepared for school leader transition. RSVP today: https://bit.ly/3yXJUhG