In general, unless there are extreme circumstances, board meetings should last no more than two hours.
They should begin and end on time. Charter schools are extremely fortunate to find trustees who believe in the school’s mission and who are willing to give a substantial amount of their time to governing the school each month. Honor them by beginning and ending according to the scheduled time.
Meetings should be well-facilitated, and the board should follow the agenda closely.
Every board meeting should be focused on dealing with at least one strategic, policy-level issue. Think carefully about how best to use the group’s time. If the full board meets every month for two hours, that is only one full day a year! Board time is precious and should be used efficiently.
An advance packet of information should be sent out before every board meeting. Board members should come to the meetings having read the advanced materials, which typically provide background and context for the strategic issues to be discussed. Typically too much board time is wasted explaining facts and figures; providing these in advance allows the group to start the discussion with the same information and to focus on the strategic.
It is not necessary for each committee to report at each board meeting. They should report to the full board only if they have reached a conclusion to be shared with the board or if they wish to bring an issue to the board for a strategic discussion or vote. The same should apply to the CEO report.
Best Practice Tip:
Avoid simply reporting, during board meetings. Instead, committees should identify strategic issues and facilitate a board discussion around those issues.
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