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