Who should be presenting at board meetings?
Let’s face it; it’s boring to sit through a two-hour meeting with the same person doing all of the presenting.
Yet that is how many charter school boards operate. The organization’s leader does 90% of the talking/presenting. It makes sense, during the start-up phase the founding leader had all of the information, the board had very little knowledge, and there was always late-breaking news to report.
An important sign that your board is making the necessary shift from a founding board to a sustainable governing board is the % of time that board members present vs. the organization’s leader.
As your organization matures, committee chairs should be presenting more and more of the relevant information.
Should committees report at every full board meeting?
Committees should provide written updates before every board meeting. These written reports should be sent out as part of the advanced board meeting material, and there should be an expectation that every trustee will attend the meeting having read the materials.
There is no need for committees to report out at every board meeting. They should only make a presentation if there is something strategic for the board to discuss.
Board meeting time should rarely be spent on discussing things that have happened in the past, but should primarily be focused on the future.
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