"Both Hands On the Wheel"

"Tiger Mothers" I have known

2011-03-15T10:10:00.000-07:00

Is it too late to become a "Tiger Mother?"

It is rare, at least for me, to come up with a caption for the New Yorker's cartoon contest that feels just right, but, two days ago it hit me. Panicked parents held hostage to run amok teenage offspring wondering if it's too late to assert control. Many [most? all?] parents find themselves asking where did 'we' go wrong. Amy Chua's Battle Hymn of The Tiger Mother has leaped to national prominence because the author understands parental anxiety and, like the Tiger Mother [TM] she is, Chua puts her finger on this sore point and presses...and presses and.......presses.

As a teacher, department head, academic dean, head of school, I have encountered TM's throughout my career...sometime they are, like Chua, Asia Tigers, but, I have also stalked, and been stalked by,

the Afro-American Tiger Mother[1st generation in college and 'knows excellence'] ,
the Levantine Tiger Mother[AKA The Jewish Mother],
Dallas-area Tiger Mother [Purrs, then pounces]
and, recently, near Boston,
The Celtic Tiger Mother [Wants Catholic-style discipline in a progressive setting].

Furthermore, I understand that unique strains of Tiger Mothers have been found in the South East [Resort-area Tiger Mothers are especially feared], and in the Bay Area-Entrepreneurial Tiger Mothers [Knows that Google founders went to Montessori schools and wants MIT]. Of course, there are Tiger Fathers too, but, on a typical school day, they are roaming, looking for game to kill, and, often, are kept at a distance by their mates, lest they eat the offspring.

A Tiger Mother's diet consist primarily of inexperienced teachers, but, she will not refuse chewing on a hesitant administrator, especially if the victim appears to be dissembling. Tiger Mothers may be found anywhere but are most often found in car pool lines, parents' association meetings, and, inevitably, at parent teacher conferences.

For inexperienced educators the Tiger Mother is frightening and yet it is possible to learn How To Ride The Tiger [Mom]

A tiger symbolizes unlimited power. Durga riding a tiger indicates that She, Goddess Durga represents a united front of all Divine forces.

#1 Don't fake it---if you don't know something, admit it up front.

#2 Don't apologize for #1. [When the TM asks 'How do you use Bloom's taxonomy to structure your teaching?' you can use the standard 'Let me research that and I'll get back to you.' or, if you have real chutzpah, 'I teach from my heart and not from a book!']

#3 Never show fear. [TM's sense weakness at which point an interlocutor becomes prey] If you feel beleaguered insure that there are at least 2 in your hunting party-a senior teacher, dean or the like.

#4 Adopt training techniques. Re-enforce positive behavior [If at all possible, don't try to marginalize or avoid a TM, put the TM on an ad hoc committee, call her 1st to set an appointment, ask her to chaperon a trip.]

#5 Never threaten the cub. [Recently a TM told me that my pending decision on her daughter's kindergarten placement was 'The single most important educational decision that will ever be made for my daughter.' Reassurance combined with candid description of other, equally important markers was what was called for.]

Finally, it is important to remember that at certain moments anyone can become a TM. You can't run. Remain calm and think of ...Androcles.

Education is....?

2011-03-15T09:17:00.000-07:00

Non pro Schola sed pro Vita discimus.

‘We learn for Life, not for School’

Berkshire School motto[i]

Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is, not a preparation for life; education is life itself.

John Dewey

Spring 2011 It has been several years since I’ve written, or, to be candid, thought much about my ‘philosophy of education.’ A month-long study trip in South East Asia has just focused me for the first time since the 1970’s on the Vietnam era which might account for my identifying one intense period, 1965-1970, in my life as the crucible for my ‘educational philosophy’ and overall approach to students.

June 1965 Berkshire School Sheffield Massachusetts I always intended to be a teacher and assumed that, once I completed college and, most likely graduate school, I would be ready to go. If I had a philosophy of education at the time, I think it would have been predicated on the model of the teacher as a fount of knowledge and students as unfilled receptacles.

September 1965 Hobart College Geneva, New York. Began a two-year sequence in Western Civilization-comprehensive introduction through primary texts to all great thinkers Plato, Sophocles, Aristotle, St. Augustine, Anselm, Dante, Machiavelli, Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau, Mills, Bentham, Freud, and Eliot. [Optional-Confucius, Dream of the Red Chamber] List seemed quite complete to me.

June 1969 Had met Daniel and Philip Berrigan through friends at Cornell and had a student draft deferment. As an active member of student coalition against the War had interfaced with on- and off-campus groups including Students for A Democratic Society, ‘The Mobe.’ Heard about a new person in the area Tommy Tongyai who was later revealed to be an FBI provocateur dubbed ‘Tommy The Traveler.’

September 1969-June 1970 Secured a teaching job at Simon’s Rock Great Barrington Massachusetts responsible for teaching a Survey History of the World readings to include the Western Canon plus Cleaver, Freidan, and Fanon. Worked as faculty member of school anti-war coalition helped organize teach-in on campus in response to the May 1970 Kent State ‘Massacre.’ Began to read Summerhill and De-schooling Society.

In many ways I have spent the last forty years working on the issues that came as such revelations to me during this period; education and social adaptation, the meaning of citizenship in a nation and of the world, self-reflection versus self-absorption and, even, the impact of what seemed to be incredible new technology on the mode and manner of communication. While I am, no doubt, less idealistic [more cynical?] about fundamental human nature, I am more convinced than ever that a real education prepares students/people with habits of mind that enable them to interpret and integrate experience and prepare them to make a real contribution to the society in which they live.

Phil Deely March 2011

[i] Though I didn’t know it, my alma mater, Berkshire School, held to a fundamentally progressive mission-‘preparation for life.’ As a baby boomer in the immediate post-Sputnik-era, I assumed that ‘education was…’ preparation for more education.

How many lists do you have?

2010-05-07T11:02:00.000-07:00

One of the first questions I ask before taking on a consulting client is, "How many lists do you have?" Members, donors, students, grandparents, prospects, friends, board members are sometimes found in a multitude of places. Consolidating and updating data is the most important first step to take before launching a capital campaign or other special effort. Some key steps to take are:

Review and/or replace your current data management system. Does it give you the capacity to manage the basic fund raising functions outline in this chart--recognition, receipting etc.?
Start today to gather e-mail addresses-I'm amazed at the number of annual fund response envelopes or membership forms that don't ask for email.
Consolidate list management responsibility. There needs to be a single portal.

Time to plan!

2010-04-12T11:49:00.001-07:00

Institutional Planning Sessions [IPS’s] are intensive, facilitated programs designed to help non-profit organizations initiate important action steps. IPS’s provide boards and executive directors with a unique opportunity to reflect carefully on a key issue without the immediate pressure of other board business.

Recent IPS topics have included;

Governance review-committee function, bylaws

Succession planning

Fund raising review

Pre-capital campaign assessment

Board self-assessment

Board/executive coordination

Institutional priority review

Audience development

Community outreach

Marketing initiatives

The IPS approach makes the assumption that the most important part of the process consists of ‘planning to plan.’ It frequently happens that during initial session analysis the organization redefines or even completely discards the initial planning goal.

Presession Analysis [min. 4 weeks]

1. Initial contact with consultant.

2. Liaison established.

3. Preliminary questionnaire and discussion of IPS scope and focus.

4. Data review by consultant on a confidential basis. Examples; 990, strategic plans, annual reports, board/committee minutes, attendance analysis, grant applications, staff/board contact information.

Planning Session [3-6 hours]

Location

Length

Participants

Format

Desired outcome[s]

Post-session Assessment and Implementation [Post session]

· Confidential IPS assessment report from consultant

· Session assessment by participants

· Follow up action by organization

Philip Sedgwick Deely & Associates

David Mallery

2010-01-20T20:03:00.000-08:00

The news of David's death a few days ago came via a Facebook posting and I could hear him say, "Don't you just love the way people spread the word these days!?" David embraced Facebook and just about anything or anyone else who might do 'good work.' I am one of several thousand [ten's of thousands?] people who would like to claim a special relationship with David---for almost forty years I was one of David's lucky recipients of phone calls and notes of encouragement. After a particularly rocky posting or tough assignment, it brightened my day to be asked what new 'adventures' were heading my way! As a newly minted administrator I attempted to model my professional development programs after David's and after some embarrassing missteps I realized that David's 'secret' had everything to do with his attitude and very little to do with technique. Empathy was at David's core. David will be missed and I wish him well on his own fascinating, fascinating journey.

"What we have here is a failure to communicate..."

2010-01-06T07:46:00.000-08:00

Don't let your board become like Cool Hand Luke! Develop a Communications Plan!

The Parents’ Association [PA] and Governance

2010-01-04T12:13:00.000-08:00

Parents Association [PA]

AKA...

Parents Advisory Council [PAC]

Parent Teacher Association [PTA]

Parent Teacher Connection [PTC]

Parents Council [PC]

These groups go by many different names and, depending on school culture and history, Parent Associations [PA] serve a wide variety of functions-fund raising, socializing, recruitment, and yes, interest group. An important measure of a school’s health is the alignment between the PA, the Board, and the administration of the school.

Fund raising and the PA

It is important that the PA’s fund raising activities are, at a minimum, reviewed in concert with the other efforts conducted by the school. I routinely encourage PA representation on the development committee to help monitor the number and nature of solicitations for both in-kind and financial support.

A key element of healthy alignment is agreement regarding the purposes for which the PA raises funds; a common conflict is between a PA project and “the school’s” Annual Fund. Some PA’s serve as adjunct to the overall development effort and provide key volunteers for the annual fund. As a general rule the PA’s that are important in the fund raising mission have greater impact on the governance of the school. PA’s that are proudly independent of the school’s fund raising efforts often generate invidious competition or become hostage to a single faction.

Grievances and the PA

The PA can provide a valuable forum for parental concerns and, at times, may be the best conduit to the school administration and/or the board. If PA meetings are little more than coffee klatches for event planning, schools are at risk of creating a sense of frustration or may foster apathy among the parents. The PA executive committee can help interpret their understanding of parental sentiment to the head of school or to a board committee. PA’s can be a key player in helping stem attrition and promoting reenrollment—but only if they are taken seriously by the board and the school administration.

Factions and the PA

Occasionally PA’s become the forum for a vocal minority of parents who have a special interest or particular agenda. In the most extreme cases a self-perpetuating board may chose to revoke the charter of a dissident PA. Short of intervention the board may choose to ask the head to establish an ad hoc task force, conduct a series of open meetings, secure the services of a facilitator or even agree to arbitration.

Professional Development and the PA

The best PA’s, just like the best boards, model good governance practices especially;

Current by-laws
Regular organized meetings
Broad stakeholder representation
Gender balance
Clearly articulated strategic goal
Detailed plan for the year

Sexting? Not at Our School.

2009-12-30T13:06:00.001-08:00

An overheard conversation verbatim. "Sexting? No, we don't have that sort of thing at our school." The speaker a parent/board member. This happy certainty seemed at odds with the statistics reported nationally and was doubly unsettling for those of us who remember the cluster of incidents of hidden pregnancies and abandoned babies at 'elite' girls schools in the 1970's. [Of course this wasn't confined to single sex schools but the shock was greater when older staff and alumnae had to come to grips with a new reality.] The flip side of blithe dismissal is the parent/board member who is a Web 3.0 expert and social media guru who decides that it is his/her mission to get the school in line because 'all the administrators are techno troglodytes.'

So, what's a board member to do? Here as in so many other areas it is important to ask 'the right questions.'

What are the school's policies on 'sexting'?
Is our computer use policy current/broad enough?
Is social networking a part of the curriculum?
Are there other areas such as PDA [public display of affection] or behavior at dances that are of concern?
Do staff feel supported when they intervene?
How does the school resolve the inevitable conflict between parents whose values are more restrictive/permissive?

Mini-cases for teachers

2009-12-28T06:54:00.000-08:00

1. A parent stops you and asks what you think about the recent increase in the cost of a school lunch.

2. You are walking to your car and you see three teenage boys you don’t recognize.

3. Your cell phone rings and your cousin says, "CNN has a breaking story about a hostage situation in town."

4. A parent of one of your favorite students asks to be your ‘friend’ on Facebook.

5. At the Mall on Saturday night you see a group of 8^th Graders smoking.

6. A harried parent comes into class late with her child. She mumbles an excuse about traffic and you smell alcohol on her breath.

7. A visibly distraught student comes to you and says, ‘I have to talk with you. It’s incredibly urgent but you have to promise not to tell anyone about this.’

8. A parent tells you that the Board decided at its meeting last night to eliminate purchase of classroom materials for the remainder of the year.

9. A student drops his cell phone and when you pick it up you see a site that features a swastika.

10. You receive an e-mail from a parent asking why you, "refuse to give my daughter the extra help she needs."

11 You receive a request from a parent to help raise money for a class family whose home was destroyed by fire last night.

12. You drive into school and encounter a TV reporter who asks what you think about the report that the school gerbil tested positive for rabies.

SOX Appeal?

2009-12-22T10:14:00.000-08:00

Strategic Governance, Philanthropy, and Planning: Does your board have SOX appeal?

Non-profit board members are well advised to reflect on what the corporate sector has been facing for seven years!

Trajectories-the role of the interim head/leader

2009-12-10T07:01:00.000-08:00

Having served several schools as an interim head, I have begun to develop my own vocabulary to describe the sort of work that I and my colleagues in this specialized niche undertake at our schools. In recent years I have become enamored of 'trajectory' by which I mean objects/projects that are given an initial impetus by the interim leader, but, whose outcomes are often uncertain.

Examples of trajectories range from the mundane [reviewing policies and procedures and issuing new directives as needed] to the consequential [advocating and securing board approval for major investment in a key new position or program]. If the horizontal x-axis above represents time and the vertical y-axis could be thought of as amount of change. The other factor, if I remember my 1964/5 physics correctly, is the initial angle of the launch....my science goes no further!

The 'trajectories' that are the most important vary from school-to-school. If there has been a period of internal turmoil it's often necessary to put major emphasis on rearticulating the traditional roles and responsibilities of the head/staff and board. Conversely when succeeding a founder or long-serving head the interim's most important trajectory might be to initiate and facilitate a process of testing long held opinions or reviewing dispassionately existing protocols, policies or programs.

The area where it is important to tread most carefully is the initation of trajectories that represent a total reversal of past practice and which may be at odds with the school culture or with the reasonable expectations of current parents or potential applicants. While it may be reasonable to ask an interim to help 'shape things up' [implement policies that have lain dormant, for example], it is beyond the purview of the interim to effect a sea change--converting a 'warm and fuzzy' school based on team leadership and consensus to an efficient, top-down player in the 'hot, flat' world of the 21st Century.

'What will Your Non Profit [School] look like when the economic dust settles?'

2009-04-21T07:24:00.000-07:00

Managing in difficult times
April 20th seminar.

Russell Pomerantz of Fiscal Management Associates provided insight and technical expertise in his recent seminar under the aegis of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Ulster County Community Foundation, and the Dyson Foundation. Following an overview of historical precedents, Pomerantz led the participants through a systematic review of how to assess and implement financial priorities and develop processes-especially scenario budgeting. Pomerantz's presentation was reminiscent of recent discussions I've had with independent school board chairs regarding short and intermediate term options for dealing with the economic down turn.

The session underscored the chasm separating organizations with endowment/financial reserves and groups who rely on uninterrupted income to make payroll. Organizations with some form of financial reserve are able to plan for systematic cost reductions. Pomerantz provided a 'tool box' of tactics to help manage expenses ranging from furloughs, reducing or eliminating 'entitlements' such as annual COLA, and reducing or eliminating un/underutilized benefits.

From my perspective the single most important take-away from today's presentation was the opportunity provided by economic hard times to dispatch certain sacred cows in non-profit financial planning such as-
'Everyone should be treated the same.' In fact merit or performance based pay will likely increase in the future.
'The financial folks handle budget and program directors provide content.' Pomerantz distributed an article [CPA Journal Feb 2008] on how the CFO balances the dual role of 'visionary protector' and/or myopic bean counter.'

Undergirding Pomerantz's approach was a critical assumption-NPO's that survive will have been supported by effective engagement between staff and board. Establishing priorities, articulating the state of the organization, ameliorating the impact of income swings cannot be the sole province of even the most visionary Executive Director or the heaviest of heavy-hitting boards.

FYI in a 'previous life' Pomerantz was the Business Manager of an independent school!

Frugal Teacher Leaves $2 Million Gift--ho hum

2009-02-09T10:02:00.001-08:00

Frugal Teacher Leaves $2 Million Gift

[AOL Headline.....]

posted: 15 HOURS 35 MINUTES AGOcomments: 59
filed under: NATIONAL NEWS, CHARITABLE NEWS
A math teacher who never made more than $40,000 a year but pinched her pennies leaves $2 million to her Ohio alma mater. Laura Bickimer donated most of her estate to Baldwin-Wallace College when she died in April at age 93

How many stories like this have I read? Actually, quite a few. Our local YMCA got a multi-million dollar stock gift not too long ago and there are at least 6 other bequests of $100,000+ that I've seen to nearby, worthy non-profits.

Is this just the luck of the draw? Usually not though everyone loves the story of the bolt from the blue.

Ex teachers are often frugal and sometimes have remained unmarried. These folks have often been life long investors in TIAA-CREF and even though we've all taken a pounding if you make it to 93 dollar-cost-averaging is on your side!

Do you promote planned giving to your staff, present and past---if not would that be worth considering? Yup

The New Work of the Nonprofit Board

2008-11-30T08:48:00.000-08:00

Some of these aphorisms [governance='rare and unnatural act'] have become commonplace in discussions of non-profit governance and, yet, the four characteristics of 'the new work' are deceptively easy...

I'd buy each member of the Governance/Committee on Trustees their own copy of the full article and use it as a starting point for a discussion of how your board operates.

The New Work of the Nonprofit Board
Is your board adding value or simply wasting its members’ time?
by Barbara E. Taylor, Richard P. Chait, and Thomas P. Holland

Effective governance by the board of a nonprofit organization is a rare and unnatural act. Only the most uncommon of nonprofit boards functions as it should by harnessing the collective efforts of accomplished individuals to advance the institution’s mission and long-term welfare. A board’s contribution is meant to be strategic, the joint product of talented people brought together to apply their knowledge and experience to the major challenges facing the institution.

What happens instead? Nonprofit boards are often little more than a collection of high-powered people engaged in low-level activities. Why? The reasons are myriad. Sometimes the board is stymied by a chief executive who fears a strong board and hoards information, seeking the board’s approval at the last moment. Sometimes board members lack sufficient understanding of the work of the institution and avoid dealing with issues requiring specialized knowledge. Individual board members may not bring themselves fully to the task of governance, because board membership generally carries little personal accountability. And often the powerful individuals who make up the board are unpracticed in working as members of a team. No matter which cause predominates, nonprofit board members are often left feeling discouraged and underused, and the organization gains no benefit from their talents. The stakes remain low, the meetings process-driven, the outcomes ambiguous, and the deliberations insular. Many members doubt whether a board can have any real power or influence.

The key to improved performance is discovering and doing what we call the new work of the board. Trustees are interested in results. High-powered people lose energy when fed a steady diet of trivia. They may oblige management by discussing climate control for art exhibitions, the condition of old steam lines, or the design of a new logo, but they get charged up when searching for a new CEO, successfully completing a capital campaign, or developing and implementing a strategic plan. New work is another term for work that matters.
The new work has four basic characteristics.
First, it concerns itself with crucial, do-or-die issues central to the institution’s success.
Second, it is driven by results that are linked to defined timetables.
Third, it has clear measures of success.
Finally, it requires the engagement of the organization’s internal and external constituencies. The new work generates high levels of interest and demands broad participation and widespread support.

Letter from President Faust about the global economic crisis

2008-11-13T10:11:00.000-08:00

President Faust is an eloquent scholar; her brillant book on the impact of death during the Civil War, A Republic of Suffering, puts our current challenges into perspective! The following letter [excerpted with my added emphasis/italics] show how to balance core mission with financial realities. Even if your endowment is less than Harvard's the emphasis on collaboration and hard choices resonates for all of us.

November 10, 2008

To Harvard Faculty, Students, and Staff:

I write today about the global economic crisis and its implications for us at Harvard.
We all know of the extraordinary turbulence still roiling the world’s financial markets and the broader economy. The downturn is widely seen as the most serious in decades, and each day’s headlines remind us that heightened volatility and persisting uncertainty have become our new economic reality.

For all the challenges such circumstances present, we are fortunate to be part of an institution remarkable for its resilience. Over centuries, Harvard has weathered many storms and sustained its strength through difficult times. We have done so by staying true to our academic values and our long-term ambitions, by carefully stewarding our resources and thoughtfully adapting to change. We will do so again.

But we must recognize that Harvard is not invulnerable to the seismic financial shocks in the larger world. Our own economic landscape has been significantly altered. We will need to plan and act in ways that reflect that reality, to assure that we continue to advance our priorities for teaching, research, and service.

Our principal sources of revenue are all likely to be affected by these new economic forces. Consider, first, the endowment...we can hope that markets will improve, we need to be prepared to absorb unprecedented endowment losses and plan for a period of greater financial constraint.

The economic downturn also puts pressure on other revenues that fuel our annual budgets. Donors and foundations will be harder pressed to support our activities.

Tuition remains an important source of revenue, but in times like these we want to keep increases moderate, mindful that many students and families are facing economic strain.
We have to think not just about what more we might wish to do, but what we might do at a different pace or do without. Tradeoffs and hard choices that can be avoided in times of plenty cannot be averted now. And, given the ongoing volatility and uncertainty, we need to plan and budget with a range of contingencies in view, including scenarios for reducing our spending both this year and next.

As we plan, we must also affirm our strong commitment to financial aid for our students.

Harvard values its reputation as a stable and supportive employer, and we view our workforce as a critical part of all we do. We recognize as well the responsibility that comes with being one of the largest employers in the commonwealth of Massachusetts. At the same time, changing financial realities will require us to look carefully at compensation costs, which account for nearly half the University’s budget.

We are assessing all aspects of our ambitious capital planning program,
We are working with administrative and financial deans from across the University to develop new approaches for generating both savings and new revenue sources, building on the ideas and best practices of each of the Schools.

Harvard is a famously decentralized place, and one size will not fit all. Each School will face its own particular challenges. But we must at the same time join together to address these new circumstances with creativity and a spirit of common enterprise.

Today, perhaps as never before, we need to work collectively to develop approaches and efficiencies that will allow every part of Harvard to thrive in the years to come. Together, we must continue to advance the priorities that define us.

For all that has changed in recent weeks, we remain devoted to attracting the very best students, faculty, and staff to Harvard. We will undertake the daily work of education and scholarship with the same intensity and imagination. We will set our academic sights just as high, and we will ensure that the ambitions and vibrancy of our community and the strength of its commitment to the pursuit of truth remain unsurpassed.

Drew Faust

Robert's Rules of Order or Phil's Rules of Order?

2008-11-12T07:31:00.000-08:00

While a passing familiarity with Robert’s Rules of Order is important for every non-profit board http://www.robertsrules.com/default.html , I’d like to suggest supplementing those procedures with a few of my own.

No surprises. This begins at the top---the executive director/head and the board chair need to insure that neither of them is surprised with new information or a sudden motion from the floor at meetings.
Preplan meetings. Set and circulate the agenda in advance and insure that no document is handed out at a board meeting which has not been circulated in advance. Consider-“What is the single most important concept/discussion/decision that everyone should take away from this meeting?”—answer this in advance of the meeting.
Business, not friendship or family. A board meeting isn’t a social occasion. Friends and family can goof around, not board members and staff. Whispered, ‘sidebar’ conversations work at a party, not a board meeting. Board members and staff can plan vacations or debrief on the latest party somewhere else.
Vary the format. Use this approach at 1 meeting a year…
Approval of Minutes
Old Business
Finance
Development
Building Project
New Business

Consider-beginning with a phrase from the mission statement “the school/museum is committed to diversity…” and discuss. Hand out all the written committee reports at the same time and have them reviewed in 3-5 person break out groups. End some [every meeting] by handing out a 3” x 5” card and ask for input on the meeting and asking for suggestions for the next one.

The New Work of the Nonprofit Board

2008-11-10T08:21:00.000-08:00

Some of these aphorisms [governance='rare and unnatural act'] have become commonplace in discussions of school governance and, yet, the four characteristics of 'the new work' are deceptively easy...

I'd buy each member of the Governance/Committee on Trustees their own copy of the full article and use it as a starting point for a discussion of how your board operates.

The New Work of the Nonprofit Board
Is your board adding value or simply wasting its members’ time?
by Barbara E. Taylor, Richard P. Chait, and Thomas P. Holland

Effective governance by the board of a nonprofit organization is a rare and unnatural act. Only the most uncommon of nonprofit boards functions as it should by harnessing the collective efforts of accomplished individuals to advance the institution’s mission and long-term welfare. A board’s contribution is meant to be strategic, the joint product of talented people brought together to apply their knowledge and experience to the major challenges facing the institution.

What happens instead? Nonprofit boards are often little more than a collection of high-powered people engaged in low-level activities. Why? The reasons are myriad. Sometimes the board is stymied by a chief executive who fears a strong board and hoards information, seeking the board’s approval at the last moment. Sometimes board members lack sufficient understanding of the work of the institution and avoid dealing with issues requiring specialized knowledge. Individual board members may not bring themselves fully to the task of governance, because board membership generally carries little personal accountability. And often the powerful individuals who make up the board are unpracticed in working as members of a team. No matter which cause predominates, nonprofit board members are often left feeling discouraged and underused, and the organization gains no benefit from their talents. The stakes remain low, the meetings process-driven, the outcomes ambiguous, and the deliberations insular. Many members doubt whether a board can have any real power or influence.

The key to improved performance is discovering and doing what we call the new work of the board. Trustees are interested in results. High-powered people lose energy when fed a steady diet of trivia. They may oblige management by discussing climate control for art exhibitions, the condition of old steam lines, or the design of a new logo, but they get charged up when searching for a new CEO, successfully completing a capital campaign, or developing and implementing a strategic plan. New work is another term for work that matters.
The new work has four basic characteristics.
First, it concerns itself with crucial, do-or-die issues central to the institution’s success.
Second, it is driven by results that are linked to defined timetables.
Third, it has clear measures of success.
Finally, it requires the engagement of the organization’s internal and external constituencies. The new work generates high levels of interest and demands broad participation and widespread support.

What do we do in a recession?

2008-11-09T10:49:00.000-08:00

All schools are looking at some stern realities. For some, financial management in tough times may entail increasing the reliance on endowment, for others, it's a question of institutional survival. A recent discussion elicited some suggestions/comments:

$Contingency contracts-step shy of reduction in force, staff contract contingent on income

$No-raise policy-salary freeze applied across the board-will staff super stars get cherry picked?

$Immediate, across the board reduction in budget

$0-based budgeting

$Increase in ‘productivity’-increase section size and or reduction in force

$Premium program charges

Crisis planning 101

2008-11-09T09:46:00.000-08:00

At a recent meeting board participants looked at mini cases and then we talked about the following from the government.

All agreed that the 'right questions' for board chairs/members involved oversight-

Do we have a plan?

When was it updated?

Does the school have the resources it needs?

Is there an administrator on duty when the head's unavailable? What about a board member on duty?

Do I have a copy of the school emergency plans, communications protocols, contact info [staff, parents, students, legal, bank, insurance etc.]

Practical Information on Crisis Planning:
A Guide for Schools and Communities
U.S. Department of Education
August 2004

Preparing Your School for a Crisis

Taking action now can save lives, prevent injury, and minimize property damage in the moments of a crisis. If you do not have a crisis plan in place, it is time to develop one. If you have one, review, practice, and update your plan. This brochure is designed to assist schools and communities in either situation. Although every school’s needs and circumstances are different, these checklists provide general guidance that can be adapted as appropriate to each district’s or school’s circumstances.

If you would like additional, more detailed information on how to prepare your school or district for a crisis, you can order a free copy of Practical Information on Crisis Planning: A Guide for Schools and Communities, from which these checklists have been taken, on the U.S. Department of Education Office of Safe and Drug-Free School’s emergency preparedness Web site: www.ed.gov/emergencyplan. This Web site contains many other crisis planning resources as well.

Additional Web Sites

www.ed.gov/emergencyplan
http://www.ready.gov/
www.fema.gov/kids/
www.redcross.org/services/disaster
http://www.nasponline.org/

Mitigation and Prevention

+The goal of mitigation is to decrease the need for response as opposed to simply increasing response capability.
+Connect with community emergency responders to identify local hazards.
+Review the last safety audit to examine school buildings and grounds.
+Determine who is responsible for overseeing violence prevention strategies in your school.
+Encourage staff to provide input and feedback during the crisis planning process.
+Review incident data.
+Determine major problems in your school with regard to student crime and violence.
+Assess how the school addresses these problems.
+Conduct an assessment to determine how these problems—as well as others—may impact your vulnerability to certain crises.

Preparedness

Good planning will facilitate a rapid, coordinated, effective response when a crisis occurs.
· Determine what crisis plans exist in the district, school, and community.
· Identify all stakeholders involved in crisis planning.
· Develop procedures for communicating with staff, students, families, and the media.
· Establish procedures to account for students during a crisis.
· Gather information about the school facility, such as maps and the location of utility shutoffs.
· Identify the necessary equipment that needs to be assembled to assist staff in a crisis.

Response

A crisis is the time to follow the crisis plan and make use of your preparations.
· Determine if a crisis is occurring.
· Identify the type of crisis that is occurring and determine the appropriate response.
· Activate the incident management system.
· Ascertain whether an evacuation, reverse evacuation, lockdown, or shelter-in-place needs to be implemented.
· Maintain communication among all relevant staff at officially designated locations.
· Establish what information needs to be communicated to staff, students, families, and the community.
· Monitor how emergency first aid is being administered to the injured.
· Decide if more equipment and supplies are needed.

Recovery

*During recovery, return to learning and restore the infrastructure as quickly as possible.
*Strive to return to learning as quickly as possible.
*Restore the physical plant, as well as the school community.
*Monitor how staff are assessing students for the emotional impact of the crisis.
*Identify what follow up interventions are available to students, staff, and first responders.
*Conduct debriefings with staff and first responders.
*Assess curricular activities that address the crisis.
*Allocate appropriate time for recovery.
*Plan how anniversaries of events will be commemorated.
*Capture “lessons learned” and incorporate them into revisions and trainings.

Board chair mini-case-Nearby disaster

2008-11-09T09:39:00.000-08:00

You turn on the television and learn that there has been an unexplained outbreak of Ebola virus in a town 20 miles away from the school. The story is all over CNN.
What do you do? What actions might you be called upon to take?

Board chair mini-case-being sued

2008-11-09T09:38:00.000-08:00

There’s a thick envelope in your mail. You open it and learn that the McKenna’s are suing you and the school for negligence due to son Bobbie’s serious accident on the school playground eight months before. Bobbie’s father, George McKenna is on your board.
What questions are running through your mind? What do you do about George?

Board chair mini-case-death of faculty member

2008-11-09T09:36:00.000-08:00

You get an Blackberry email from the head. “We just learned that Mrs. Jenkins [beloved science teacher] was struck and killed last PM by a hit-and-run driver. I’ll call with more details in a half hour.”
What will you talk to the head about? What will you want to know?

Board Chair Minicase-Overheard gossip

2008-11-09T09:34:00.000-08:00

You are in the gym and happen to overhear Suzie Johnson, president of the Parent’s Council on her cell with her best friend. Suzie is saying, “I know exactly what you mean. Jessie Manson [school’s director of development] is a disaster and Bob and I have decided to skip the benefit. Oh really, so you’re not going, too? Why don’t the four of us get together for dinner at the club?” [Suzie and her best friend bought 50% of the items at last year’s live auction…]
Do you say anything to Suzie on the spot? What will you say to the head?

Board Chair Mini case-pornography possession

2008-11-09T09:32:00.000-08:00

You pick up the phone and hear, “Hello, I’m Susan Johnson from WBBD-TV. I’d like your comment about the arrest of James Smith [longtime girls’ soccer coach on charges of child pornography].” It’s spring vacation and the head of school is on a boat charter somewhere in the Caribbean. What do you say? What do you do next? Who will you call?

It's a situation, Not a Crisis

2008-10-08T07:03:00.000-07:00

Fairview School is located in Dallas Texas. PK-9, the school has an enrollment of 350 students. Median tuition is $16,000. The operating budget is $6.2 million. Fairview raises $250,000 per year at its signature special event, Denim and Diamonds {D&D}, the annual fund raises $100,000 a year, and operating shortfalls are made up from The Rainy Day Account—currently $2.6 million in funds functioning as endowment.

It’s Saturday October 3rd…
Susan Newton, head of Fairview, and Mary Hughes, board chair, are sitting at Starbucks for their usual post-board meeting debriefing talk. Earlier in the week Susan had gotten several urgent emails from board members and, in consultation with Mary, they decided to open the floor at the beginning of the meeting already scheduled last night, Friday October 2.

Robert [Bob] Johnson, Finance Committee Chair, and Lindsay LaBrecque, Development Committee Chair were the first to speak. “I’ve spoken to the trust department and reviewed our portfolio. In June market value in the Rainy Day Account was $3.8 million. We’ve dropped $1.2 million.”

Lindsay followed, “The annual fund solicitation is due to go out in two weeks and I know that we won’t make our goal.”

Board President Mary Hughes said, “We certainly know that things could get rough. Our cash situation is critical. Susan, did you call the Axelrod’s about their final pledge balance payment [$50,000] and what’s the cash flow situation?”

Before Susan could answer Bob jabbed “The development office added $65,000 this year in salary and benefits for a ‘special events person.’ I know where the first cut should be.”

Lindsay shot back, “We don’t have a chair for D&D so you’re right we don’t need that staff position since we won’t be having an event anyway. I know that Susan won’t be heartbroken if there’s no party, she didn’t like Mindy Jensen last year’s chair and she refuses to ask Bob and Alice Sherman to take this on.”

Susan began to respond, “Mindy is a fine person it’s just that she…”

Mary rapped on the table and the board room fell silent. “We need to get this meeting ‘back on track,’ said Mary and the board fell back into its usual routine, minutes approved, reports made. In fact, what was planned to be a two hour meeting was over in less than 90 minutes.

“Well,” said Mary, “I’m glad we were able to keep the lid on it last night!”

©Philip S. Deely 2008

What are the financial issues? The communications issues?

ISCA

2008-10-07T11:43:00.000-07:00

ISCA
INDEPENDENT SCHOOL CHAIRPERSONS ASSOCIATION
2008 Fall Conference Agenda:
Meeting Independent School Challenges through Transformational Board Leadership
November 7 & 8, 2008

Marriott Boston Cambridge Hotel
2 Cambridge Center, (Broadway & 3rd Street), Cambridge, MA

Friday, November 7th
10:00-11:30 ISCA Board Meeting (for Board members)
12:00-1:00 Opening Lunch
1:00-2:30 Governing at the Boundaries: Our first session is presented by Dr. Jerry Larson, a Partner with Educational Directions, Inc. Jerry will speak on emerging critical school issues such as globalization, ethics, diversity and social networking, all of which call for Boards to "govern at the boundaries". A seasoned consultant to independent schools, Jerry is a former Head of School and has been a trustee of several schools. His full bio is at: http://www.edu-directions.com/bios.aspx#jl

2:45-4:00 Governance in Crisis Management: Our second session will be led by Phil Deely, Principal Consultant with Deely & White, who will present a workshop on governance strategies in dealing with crisis management and communication. Phil will consider how Board Chairs can react effectively in dealing with such matters as suits (e.g., wrongful termination), health and safety (e.g.,firearms on campus) and social and community crises (e.g., teacher/student/parent petitions). In his rich and varied career, Phil has been a head of school, a Klingenstein Fellow, a museum executive, and now a consultant. His bio can be found at: http://www.deelywhite.com/profile.html

4:15-5:30 ISCA Annual Meeting: This session features an interactive discussion among all the conference participants regarding the mission and future direction of ISCA. Conducted by the officers and members of the ISCA Board.
6:30-10:00 Cocktail Reception and Dinner, hosted by ISCA’s Board

Saturday, November 8th

8:00-8:30 Continental Breakfast
8:30-10:00 Passing the Baton - Advice for New Chairs: An ISCA tradition, this annual workshop features veteran current and former Chairs discussing critical success factors for newly-minted Board Chairs/Presidents. A “must” for ISCA’s newest members. Guided by Tim Matlack, President of ISCA and former Board Chair, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School (Potomac, MD).
10:15-11:30 “Hot Topics” Discussion: Choose a favorite topic from the prior sessions and engage your colleagues in an informal conversation to answer your questions and learn some practical, proven solutions to take home and try.
11:30 Conference Wrap-up and Adjournment

Board Member of Private School Ousted

2008-09-10T06:47:00.000-07:00

An alumnus of the Phillips Exeter Academy, in N.H., has successfully ousted the vice president of the school’s board of trustees, Paul Goldenheim, according to the Boston Globe.
Dr. Goldenheim was a vice president and chief medical officer at Purdue Pharma, in Stamford, Conn., when he and the company pleaded guilty to charges of “misbranding” the company’s painkiller OxyContin. The government convicted Purdue of playing down the addictive qualities of the drug.
Before the sentencing, Mr. Goldenheim offered to resign from the academy’s board. When trustees declined to remove him, an Exeter alumnus, whom the newspaper did not name, contacted other Exeter graduates to protest Mr. Goldenheim’s involvement on the board.
Neither the president of the board, Charles Harris, nor Dr. Goldenheim were willing to comment on the matter, the newspaper reported.

Setting a Strategic Agenda: Development

2008-08-20T09:23:00.000-07:00

For those who like their data from 50,000 feet GivingUSA publishes annual cumulative information on charitable contributions. It can be illuminating to prepare a similar report for your own organization and then ask some questions....

What does our circle chart look like? If we deviate from this model is this healthy, or, are we receiving less than 'our share' of support from some sector?
Is our fundraising structure congruent with our sources of support? If we receive 75%+ of our funding from individuals [83%+ counting bequests], should we apply 75-83% of staffing/budget/time to reach out to individuals?
If we hope to expand our support from one sector [planned gifts, for example], what are the implications for staffing and/or board development?

Whose job is it??

2008-07-30T12:57:00.000-07:00

I maintain that all high functioning, long lasting non-profit organizations have, over time, developed the ability to answer to the perennial question, Whose job is it? Territorial squabbles are a sure sign of organizational dysfunction and,if left unresolved, these disputes are a precursor to a board/staff showdown.

Mary DeKuyper developed this chart to illustrate the optimal roles for the 'staff' [head of school, executive director] and the 'board' [trustees, directors]. There are three assumptions underlying her model;

The board has ultimate responsibility for insuring financial viability and preservation of mission.

The board is self-perpetuating and is the employer of the executive director.
The board and the director/staff are willing to cede control of respective strategic and operational areas of responsibility.

Founder-led, progressive/Montessori schools, or start-up non profits often deviate from this model. For example, a founder may oversee board deliberations and daily operations. Progressive/Montessori schools could have a 'philosophical' requirement that the board is primarily accountable to others--parents or full staff. Board members of most start-ups are quite literally hands-on and provide direct services and other critical support-functions usually performed by staff.

Regardless of your current governance approach, I recommend that you routinely review and reassess the degree to which your organization does and does not adhere to this model. The Trusteeship Committee might be charged with insuring that the review of the governance process takes place annually. It is particularly important that new board members [or, a new executive director for that matter!] understand the rules of game.

Strategic Action not Strategic Planning

2008-07-12T07:06:00.001-07:00

Ram Charan may not be well known in non-profit circles, but, his views have had a major impact on strategic management in the corporate world for more than a decade. Charan's emphasis on 'laser-like' focus and action are popular antidotes to endless planning exercises. This clip gives you a taste of his approach...

Who's on your A Team?

2008-06-20T13:26:00.000-07:00

In our recent seminar, a participant talked about the role that 'The A Team' played in dealing with a recent crisis. Every 'A Team' is different; a structured [all-boys!] organization might want...

Head-white haired guy

Associate Head-guy with ascot

Business/Plant Manager[s]-guy with cap

Security-Mr. T.

Of course some organizations adopt a less hierarchical model:

Brains--Long blond hair

Daring-Short blond hair

Cunning-Dark hair any length

No matter how you go about it, your school should
[1] Have an 'A Team'
[2] Conduct 'A Team' Meetings on a regular basis.-every 4-8 weeks...every year.

One of the A Team's first tasks is to develop a communications plan. It is crucial to coordinate this plan with the board. Decide in advance who will typically be releasing public statements to the press. Figure out a protocol for blast e-mails and also a technique for sending out blasts from off-site in case of power loss or other disruption.

The "Right Questions"

2008-06-18T12:22:00.000-07:00

One of the dicey-est areas in board/head [school] relations is the role of the board vis-à-vis program. The design and implementation of ‘curriculum’ [which I use to include all programming both in and out of the classroom] is clearly the province of the head and staff…board can advise but ultimately cannot decide. On the other hand there are areas which are clearly in the board’s domain…we can build either a super new gym or a top flight arts facility---which will it be?

Here are some questions I’d recommend that a board ask a head. Depending on the head, these may be sufficient to spark a searching review if, for example, one or both of these is a major topic at a board meeting and/or planning retreat. Sometimes it’s helpful to bring in outside counsel to help facilitate the overall discussion or area specialists to dig more deeply.

Arts
1. Are the arts given positive broad support from stakeholders?
2. Are the facilities and investment in the arts sufficient to produce the product desired?
3. Do the school’s academic requirements acknowledge the role of the arts?
4. Are students attracted to the school because of the arts program?
5. Are performances and other activities given appropriate marketing support?
6. Since colleges are increasingly looking at ‘the whole student’ does our arts program enhance our students’ college admissions prospects?
7. Does the arts program serve to reinforce the central values and mission of the school? [the board’s domain]

Athletics
1. Is there an appropriate balance between mind and body at the school?
2. Are the coaching resources and facilities adequate to deliver the desired program?
3. Is there an appropriate balance between interscholastic competition and life sports/conditioning?
4. Is there gender equity in the sports program?
5. Is the program supported by the administration, parents, faculty and alumni/ae?
6. Does the sports program serve to reinforce the central values and mission of the school? [the board’s domain]

VCDS Board Contracts

2008-06-16T12:42:00.000-07:00

One element of the case study we didn't get a chance to use was the following 'board contract' which was intended to illustrate one way that the head might have improved the overall professionalism of his board. I'm a real advocate of individual contracts [and/or trustee 'job descriptions']. You may think they're hokey but, in fact, many board members appreciate the explicit instructions.
Have any of you had experience with these...?

Vineyard Country Day School
Board Contract

Helen Johnson
2nd Term Class of 2009

Committee assignments 2008-2009

Finance-Chair
Establish 2008-9 schedule
Initiate task force on teacher salary scale
Work with senior staff to increase financial aid

Governance-member
Conduct new trustee introduction to VCDS Budget process

Development-member
Set up Planned Giving meeting in coordination with Senior Staff

Expectations
· Attend at least 5 of 8 board meetings. [By-law requirement]
· 2008-2009 Annual Fund Gift
· Host two receptions at home or club
· Attend Midnight Madness Gala May 17th

Cyberspace Challenge

2008-06-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

It was 11 AM on Sunday morning June 8th 2008 and Bob Johnson sat in his office at Vineyard Country Day School [VCDS] simply enjoying the silence. Boxes of unused napkins and piles of decorations gave evidence of yesterday’s Commencement exercises. Gazing out the window Bob could still make out the message, written in spray-paint on the nearby playing field, “Congratulations Class of 2008.”

For the first time since September there were no messages on Bob’s phone and only a few emails in his inbox. Glancing at the message headers, he spied one intriguing title, ‘Fwd: VCDS Rocks!’ The message had been sent to him by Kanesha Welles, mother of two daughter a Junior and a Senior. Kanesha also served as vice president of the Parents Association and chair of the newly formed Multi-cultural Taskforce. Opening the email Bob read, “My daughter sent this to me by mistake and I was really upset. I got her to give me her password ‘2009willrule.’ What’s your reaction?” At the end of the e-mail was a hyperlink, myspace.com/vcdsrules

Clicking on the link, Bob found himself at a portal-snatches of heavy metal music and images of VCDS students and staff flickered on the screen. With a sense of uneasiness Bob entered Janesha Welles’ password.

As the site, opened Bob relaxed, somewhat. The Home Page headed, ‘2009 Rules, 2008 Drools,’ featured a host of silly photos taken two nights before at the Junior/Senior Banquet. A group photo of the Class of 2008 was surrounded by hyperlinks and arrows pointing to every graduating senior.

Bob clicked on Allison Hardy, president of the senior class. “Rock on VCDS. Hope to see y’all at U of D this fall.” The embedded link redirected Bob to the University’s freshman web site. Randy Blake, the captain of the football team, had two links; one to the University of Kentucky and another to the Washington Redskins. Then, Bob clicked on Sarah Golden. He froze when a the words, ‘Sarah’s a JAP’ appeared along with a link to Wellesley and another to Tiffany&Co.. Janesha Welles’ site transported Bob to Dennison as well as to an audio clip of NWA’s ‘A Bitch is A Bitch.’ Finally, Bob returned to the class photo and sought out Bill Duncan a gifted choreographer and son of George Duncan, the chairman of the VCDS board. George was linked to Vassar, his college in the fall, and to Slavic Stallions a suggestive pay site hosted in Russia.

After ‘visiting’ each of the seniors site Bob saw link to www.Shutterfly.com , a free picture hosting service which enables anyone with a computer to up load jpegs/photos to an ‘album’-in this case an online collection of 75 photographs entitled ‘Senior Trip March 08.’ The seniors, along with Board Chair George Duncan, his wife Sandy, and Burt Smith, class advisor had all gone to the Duncan’s summer home at the Shore. The photos showed the seniors; frolicking at The Great Escape, visiting a nearby museum, having lunch, and, concluding with two photos , obviously taken after hours at the Duncan’s house, featuring the football team mooning the camera and the last of Allison Harding, wearing a U of D beanie, and almost nothing else. Bob noted that whoever had set up the album left it in the public domain rather than restricting access via a secure link.

Even though it was still quiet in his office Bob Johnson was no longer relaxed. He called Board chair George Duncan and quickly outlined what he’d discovered. Bob was nonplussed when George said, “C’mon Bob don’t be a stuffed shirt. ‘Son Bill’ helped design the site for gosh sakes and the kids put up their own links.” Bob asked to speak with Bill Duncan and the young man confirmed what his father had said, the seniors had set up their own pages and the site was open to juniors and seniors only.

After hanging up the phone it rang again immediately. The caller, Betsy Donald, a reporter for The Vineyard Record, said “Look I came across ‘those pictures’ on Shutterfly site since I monitor VCDS and other organizations in town, on line. I hear that this is just the tip of the iceberg and I demand to know the password for www.vcdsrules.myspace.com.” Bob told Betsy that he wasn’t able to make a statement at the moment and she responded, “That’s fine. I understand, but, I am going to press at 5 PM tonight and, unless you want the article to say ‘No Comment,’ you’ll have to send me something before then.”

What does Bob Johnson do? In the next 6 minutes? Six hours? Week? Month?
Should reporter, Betsy Donald, get a statement? If so, what does it say? Should she be told the password by someone at VCDS?
What are the governance considerations in this case?
What are the policy/procedural considerations?
Imagine that it is now September 2008. There are two alternative headlines in The Vineyard Record.
[A] VCDS Head Johnson outlines vision at Convocation
[B] VCDS Interim Head Blackwell to Lead Local School

Create a short, believable scenario which produces [A] and [B].

©2008 Philip S. Deely
May be reproduced in its entirety with acknowledgement

The Trustee Handbook

2008-06-16T06:13:00.000-07:00

The single best printed resource for questions about board governance and The Partnership between boards and heads is the NAIS Trustee Handbook by Mary DeKuyper which is now in its 9th [!] edition.
The Handbook incorporates material from NAIS various governance programs and has lots of useful case studies.

Organizational Alignment: How to implement change after a board retreat

2008-06-09T06:26:00.001-07:00

Overcoming inertia is the single greatest obstacle to change…not lack of money, nor, lack of time. All of us have experienced the post-partum depression attendant a fantastic retreat. Too often, the insights and sense of possibility characteristic of a powerful planning session evaporate by Monday morning. How can an Executive Director[head]/Chair translate the work of a few hours or days into reality for their entire enterprise?

Share the news!-communicate early and often with your stakeholders. Too often there is no post-retreat communication plan. The first people to engage are board members and some senior staff members who were absent from the retreat. This group is immune to the newly created sense of urgency and purpose and, in fact, may actively resent those who were in attendance. I sometimes recommend that the ED/Board chair hold a special make-up briefing session to bring these key stakeholders up to speed. In several cases when a a potential major donor/board member has been absent I've set up a 1:1 visit with the board chair, head, and, in one case, with the facilitating consultant.

Institutionalize the goal[s]-once a strategic direction has been decided upon it is important to translate complex goals into short, direct messages which can be easily disseminated. One school I worked with created “The 24 hour rule”—all contacts initiated with anyone at the school had to be acted upon within 24 hours. No exceptions. 365 days @ year. Email. Phone messages. Face-to-face requests. Notes. No exceptions….. Through in-service, workshops, and new applications of technology [mass phone call service, for example] the staff and faculty worked on increasing their speed of response. Seemingly impossible challenges [“OK an angry parent calls at 10 PM on Christmas Eve demanding a meeting about a teacher. What will you do about that?] were met with ingenious solutions, “We set up an 800 # parent’s only hotline. The the line is monitored daily and they get an email saying the dean will call them on her first day back on January 5th.

Reflect and Remember- David Mallery employs a simple device-seminar participants write a postcard to themselves summarizing a resolution for change and six months after the seminar he posts these missives. For busy teachers this easy device cuts through the inevitable clutter of daily life at school. I’ve sometimes asked a group to put together a ‘time capsule’ containing materials generated at a retreat planning session. Opening the capsule can help recreate some of the initial impetus which produced the planning effort. Major change initiatives need to be supported by an ad hoc board committee charge with monitoring the new initiative. In any case the fundamental element of effective change is to take a good idea, institutionalize it, and then spend the time to remember why the change seemed important in the first place!

Bassett Blog: The NAIS Affordability Index

2008-06-03T11:49:00.000-07:00

NAIS President Patrick F. Bassett
The "perfect storm" facing many independent schools includes three compounding factors:
• a softening in the school-age population demographics in their locale;
• a hitting of the "price-break point," as tuitions escalate to the point that independent schools have become a luxury not a necessity; and
• a looming recession, where even affluent Americans are wary of long-term and expensive commitments.

A great local resource!!!

2008-05-23T13:33:00.001-07:00

If you are looking to take your board 'to the next level' I'd suggest attending the BoardSource Leadership Forum which will be held in Washington, DC October 29-31. I have attended many of their national meetings over the years and have found the sessions as useful as the 'sidebar' conversations in the hallway---from my perspective that's the best thing you can say about any conference!Attendees cover the gamut of the non-profit spectrum--arts, education, international NGOs, environmental activists, etc.. I think that's one of the conference's great strengths because unlike sector-specific gatherings where 'everyone speaks the same language' BoardSource participants are challenged to find common ground and insights from a broad spectrum of organizations.

Putting a Strategic Plan in Place

2008-05-08T08:38:00.000-07:00

This post has application to our work in June!
One of the perils of strategic planning off-site meetings is post retreat 'glow'-the happy satisfaction of a job well-done can sometimes be confused with tangible accomplishment. Taking a strategic plan 'from concept to reality' requires an ongoing commitment of time and investment on the part of the organization. To avoid the one-off approach to planning, management gurus advocate creating an institutional 'culture' enlivened through 'continuous improvement' - an approach akin to total quality management [TQM].

Once a strategic plan has been adopted there are some relatively easy steps which will help insure that good intentions translate into real progress;
Price out the plan-inevitably real change requires an infusion of money and/or sweat equity. Putting a price tag on the plan focuses the board on its fundamental responsibility to provide resources and this exercise translates easily into a case statement for fund raising.
Establish compliance benchmarks-Once the plan is approved and resources provided, staff and volunteers can be given specific tasks and deadlines for accomplishing them. Board committees for example might be asked at the start of a fiscal year to provide a strategic agenda for the next 12 months. This approach has the dual benefit of focusing the committee and improving volunteer morale with meaningful work.
Publish an Annual Update-The Annual Meeting or Annual Report is the logical point at which to assess progress to date and to disseminate an executive summary detailing the state of the plan. Periodic review will also highlight when the plan has become 'old news.'
Create a planning culture- In a high functioning organization 'strategic planning' is an integral part of everyday operations. A planning culture begins with the board and executive director. If their interactions are on a strategic level and not mired in daily, operational matters, this will free up time and energy for strategic thinking. In independent schools, for example, present parent board members should be focused on creating the school they would like for their grandchildren!

Planned Giving

2008-05-05T11:20:00.000-07:00

Many of the schools with which I have worked have been reluctant to even talk about planned giving---'we don't have that kind of clientele' is a common refrain. I ran across this case study which I thought was quite well-written to make the point that planned giving isn't the sole province of high net-worth individuals!

A Twice-Blessed Gift

Annie Arnold is a retired day school administrator with a modest estate. In this presentation case study, Annie shows that with a testamentary trust and a little time, a little can go a long way for both her family and charity.

The Facts:
When Annie Arnold told her closest friend she was planning to make a twice-blessed gift, her friend asked, "A what?" "I'm planning on using the same asset to make a gift to my family and then to my favorite charity," she told her friend. "I'm going to give the gift twice!"
Annie worked all her life, from her teen years until retirement at age 65. She had a married son and three grandchildren she loved dearly. She had been the administrator of the Community Day School for the last 30 years and had seen her students grow and blossom. Now, her former students were sending their own children to the day school. That is where the "twice-blessed gift" idea was born.

The Challenge:
Annie Arnold's estate was modest, about $270,000 which included the value of her modest home. With her retirement income, Social Security, Medicare, and careful planning, she managed just fine; however, there wasn't enough to make a major gift now. Annie owned a $200,000 asset that she planned to pass to her family. But how could she balance her love of family with her passion for young children who needed a quality day school experience? She wanted to give the asset to both her family and the day school, but giving half to each just didn't feel right. How could Annie benefit her family and her day school?

The Solution:
Annie Arnold posed that question to her financial advisor, Karen Simmons, a former student and close friend. Karen said:"Why don't you give the gift twice?" Give the $200,000 first to your family and then to the Community Day School. Karen went on to explain that Annie could make a provision in her will that upon her death, the asset would be transferred into a trust. The trust would not need to be a charitable trust that qualifies for a charitable estate tax deduction because the value of Annie's estate is below the amount on which estate tax would be imposed. The trust document would instruct the trustee to invest the asset and pay all income and gains (annually or otherwise stated) to Annie's family until $200,000 of income was paid out. Then, the $200,000 trust principal would be distributed to the Community Day School. "In effect, given enough time, you will be able to give the asset twice; once to your family and once to charity." Annie liked the idea, especially because her family would receive an income stream rather than principal. "That will help them manage better," she said, "it's not always good if the children and grandchildren get too much at once."

The Result:
Annie talked to her family and told them about her plan. They were delighted. She then talked to the Community Day School administrator, and she was delighted too. In fact, the Community Day School initiated the Annie Arnold Scholarship. Annie had her attorney draft a new will that contained the "give it twice" plan. Now Annie tells all her friends, "I have made a
twice-blessed gift." Indeed it will be!

Copyright © 2006 Composer Interactive, LLC and Planned Giving Design Center, LLC

Spring Vacation

2008-04-18T13:24:00.001-07:00

A recent vist to Chiapas/Oaxaca proved the inspiration for looking for ways to say 'thank you' which go beyond the usual round of tips for services and purchasing local handicrafts.http://www.mayaedufound.org/

It Ain't Peanuts!

2008-02-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

Case Study #28: The Case of Governance Ain't Peanuts - Legal Expectations and Risk Management

April 7, 2004 Philip S. Deely

Due to concerns about allergic reactions to peanuts the school* staff decides to ban all peanut products at the school. Parents receive initial notification of the policy before school opens in a memorandum and in the Parent Handbook.

On Tuesday, the second day of classes in September, a fourth-grade child is observed eating a peanut butter sandwich -- it is taken away by the teacher who provides the student with an alternate sandwich. The parent of the child whose sandwich was taken calls the head of school to complain, "The teacher had been rude and her child felt singled out."

On Wednesday a member of the Parents Association observes ninth graders eating peanut butter sandwiches. When queried, the homeroom teacher responds that, since he's instructed the students not to share their food, he doesn't see a risk.

On the Friday the head receives a letter from a fourth-grade parent who is a specialist in allergies and institutional environments. The doctor/parent writes to underscore the extreme risk of peanut allergies from ingestion of even a crumb or accidental use of unwashed implements.

On Monday of the following week, the parent of the fourth-grade child whose sandwich had been taken away informs the Parents Association of a petition signed by 25 other parents, sent to the head of school and board of trustees that demands, in light of the recent stand against peanut butter, the school ban the following:
Use of perfume, cologne, or deodorant by any member of the school community -- adults and students.
Remove all live animals from the campus immediately -- no staff pets on site, no schoolroom mascots or lab animals, parents and visitors forbidden to bring pets to campus.

The board chair and head have coffee on Tuesday and discuss how the topic will be handled at that evening's board meeting, the first of the year.

* The scenarios in the case studies presented on the NAIS website are based on real-life situations that have occurred in multiple schools over time. These scenarios were chosen as case studies because they are representative of the types of challenging situations that schools routinely face. The names of schools and individuals named herein are intended to be fictional. Any similarity to other schools or individuals of the same or similar names is purely coincidental.Source: www.nais.org. Author: Philip S. Deely, Deely & White consultants. Reprinted with permission.

Feasible, Yes! Desirable...?

2008-02-01T11:33:00.000-08:00

Non-profit organizations sometimes fall into the trap of failing to distinguish between 'feasibility'-undertakings which can be done; and 'desirability'-projects satisfying real needs. The public sector is not immune, of course, as the Brazilian government can attest after decades of trying to infuse life into Brasilia, the dream capital!

Whether considering new bricks and mortar projects or 'exciting' new program initiatives a key responsibility of the board is to assess both halves of the equation.

Feasibility

No private investor would commit his/her funds without taking a long look at a detailed business plan including analysis of demand, start-up costs, and build-out scenarios. Successful investors use this information to distinguish between immediate, transitory demands and long term, sustainable market trends. Most non-profit boards are well-prepared to help assess if a project can be launched. However, all too often, once a project gets past this first test, discussion then goes directly into implementation-how do we get it done?

Desirability is the other half of the equation...

Is this [building] sustainable in the long run? Woe betide the board that falls into "The Field Of Dreams" fallacy--Build it and They [students, patrons] Will Come! Has provision been made to increase endowment to cover additional expenses, for example?

Is this new [program] compatible with our core competencies and our mission? My personal favorite example here is my alma mater, Berkshire School c. 1965, which gleefully accepted funding to construct and equip a rifle range! Even though this was a more innocent time, it didn't take long before the school put away the high powered weapons and retrofitted the space into an environmental science center!

Whose wants and needs does this project answer? Does this project serve all of our stakeholders? Is this a pet of a few vocal supporters or lead donor? I once had the unhappy duty of returning a $75,000 implementation grant to a foundation following the overly enthusiastic pursuit of a program we were unable to deliver.

The recent stock market trends provides a macro-economic setting which will temper some over-reaching projects. None the less whether financial resources are easily at hand the board needs to be sure they are confident that 'can be done' goes hand in hand with 'should be done'!

Too Rich? How big should our endowment be?

2008-01-26T09:15:00.000-08:00

"How much endowment is too much?" Most non-profits respond like Babe Paley who famously observed , "You can't be too rich or too thin!" Recent headlines about endowment growth at universities and independent prep schools make un- or under-endowed nonprofits drool with envy. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/26/business/26prep.html?hp

I, too, had always assumed that everyone shared my commitment to endowment and, therefore, was put back on my heels when, several years ago, a philanthropist responded to my solicitation for endowment support with, "Sorry. But, I don't give to other people's savings accounts."

Initial discussions of endowment creation all too often neglect to address two fundamental questions; Why do we want endowment? and How much do we need?

Why Endowment?

Properly deployed, of course, endowment income provides a host of mission-driven benefits: increasing access to programs through financial aid/underwritten performances, providing off-set to increased operational costs, or, 'rainy day' funding in case of unanticipated income fluctuations due to enrollment decline, and investment in new and/or controversial program initiatives. Each of these laudable goals has its downside doppelganger...tuition/program underwriting can mask declining interest in or need for core programs, endowed positions can morph into sinecures, 'rainy day' reserves postpone necessary, but unpopular, decisions, and, non-profits have been known to grasp at funded initiatives, even at the expense of compromising mission. Articulating your case for endowment is crucial. As I learned simply assuming that 'everyone' knows endowment is a good thing doesn't pass donor scrutiny!

How Much?

'How high the sky? How deep the ocean?' is not, in my opinion, a helpful answer, and, in any case, some endowment metrics are deceptive--- as student enrollment declines per student endowment increases! In other cases an 'endowed' program or position funded with memorial contributions several decades ago may have migrated into the operating budget. [I've noted that an increasing number of non-profits are distinguishing between positions which are named for a finite period of time and those which are funded 'in perpetuity'-the most fraught phrase in the development realm.] Establishing a goal which produces income equivalent to a defined % of the operating budget may be a good place to begin. For some donors for whom endowment is a foreign concept respond to an appeal to 'endow their annual fund gift'--$20,000 to endow a $1000 annual fund gift assuming a 5% draw. Articulating an 'appropriate' endowment target is crucial to launching a successful program.

Best of the Blogs?

2008-01-22T12:29:00.000-08:00

http://philanthropy.com/giveandtake/

There is a surfeit of information in the blog sphere and it is a real challenge to figure out what is worthwhile. For fund raising and governance I track the blogs and other information available from The Chronicle of Philanthropy. This blog is 'syndicated' on this site and there are several here which I read with regularity.

Independent School Chairs Association

2008-01-14T12:20:00.000-08:00

http://iscachair.org

I have belonged to this group for many years and, up 'til now, I have not recommended it to chairs outside of New England because their focus for the most part was on the Boston-New York axis. The new president Bill Andres seems to be reviving this group and it's worth a look for Board Chairs who are seeking an on-line resource.

Angry Teacher....

2008-01-12T12:19:00.000-08:00

You are a board member and your 8th grade son posts this clip of an incident in October on his MySpace page. You realize that, in fact, his phone wasn't stolen after all. He pleads with you not to "make any trouble" for his teacher and says that all the kids love Mr. Johnson and that he's a really good teacher. What do you do?

Fund Raising and the Independent School Trustee

2008-01-08T13:12:00.000-08:00

Strategic Governance, Philanthropy, and Planning: Fund Raising and The Independent School Trustee

Several months ago my blog http://www.strategicgov.blogspot.com was 'syndicated' by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. All that really means is that they established a 'hot link' to my site on their daily email blast. You might want to poke around here as many of the postings are relevant to independent schools.

Professional/Personal Development

2008-01-08T12:49:00.000-08:00

http://www.davidseminars.com/welcome.html

Over the years I have been one of the thousands of independent school folk who have been inspired by David Mallery. Rookie teachers, experienced heads, newly minted administrative leaders, and board members have participated in David's seminars and I recommend them without reservation. For me the central element of David's approach is to remember to acknowledge and embrace the fundamental humanity of the people you are working with at your school.

In my work as a consultant to non profits I have benefited from some non-traditional resources such as stress reduction techniques adapted from the Kripalu experience. By the way any head or board member looking for some R and R and an addition R for reflection should check out http://www.kripalu.org and, no, I don't get a commission from anyone!

Setting priorities....

2008-01-08T12:17:00.000-08:00

I suspect that anyone who has served as a head of school can identify with this performer! Some of her plates have pretty good momentum, others are about to tumble unless she can reach them in time...and throughout she maintains a cheery demeanor and crisp appearance. In my own work as an administrator I soon learned that a frantic balancing act was beyond my reach. I might start the year with the 'plates' in sync, but, before long, the sounds of broken crockery would echo through the admin offices.

At last I adopted a more systematic approach and periodically I would engage my senior staff and the executive committee in a systematic analysis of outstanding issues:

Important/Urgent
Important/Not Urgent
Not Important/Urgent
Not Important/Not Urgent

At least once a week I'd either close my office door or go off site and I'd begin by creating a matrix for school issues as I saw them. Periodically I'd begin senior admin and executive committee meeting with a quick overview of issues as I saw them. Inevitably I would have overlooked something or upon reflection have mis-categorized an issue. Although this approach was not a panacea, it has helped me communicate my priorities to others and simultaneously, I've been able to change course if necessary.

What approaches have you used to try to keep the plates from hitting the floor?!

Sail on......

2008-01-07T11:46:00.000-08:00

As a former history teacher the school:ship analogy seems useful at least up to a point...life aboard ship more closely resembles the school experience when I think of an extended voyage during which time the captain/head is joined by an admiral/board chair. During normal operations everything goes smoothly; however, when an unexpected storm blows up there may be some strain as the captain/crew interact with an anxious admiral and his/her staff!

Trusteeship 101

2008-01-07T11:44:00.000-08:00

Periodically I think it's a good idea for boards and heads to review some of the basic 'industry standards.' NAIShttp://nais.org is a good place to start...

A trustee actively supports and promotes the school's mission, vision, strategic goals, and policy positions.

A trustee is knowledgeable about the school's mission and goals, including its commitment to equity and justice, and represents them appropriately and accurately within the community.

A trustee stays fully informed about current operations and issues by attending meetings regularly, coming to meetings well prepared, and participating fully in all matters.

The board sets policy and focuses on long-range and strategic issues. An individual trustee does not become involved directly in specific management, personnel, or curricular issues.

The trustee takes care to separate the interests of the school from the specific needs of a particular child or constituency.

A trustee accepts and supports board decisions. Once a decision has been made, the board speaks as one voice.

A trustee keeps all board deliberations confidential.

A trustee guards against conflict of interest, whether personal or business related.

A trustee has the responsibility to support the school and its head and to demonstrate that support within the community.

Authority is vested in the board as a whole. A trustee who learns of an issue of importance to the school has the obligation to bring it to the head of school, or to the board chair, and must refrain from responding to the situation individually.

A trustee contributes to the development program of the school, including strategic planning for development, financial support, and active involvement in annual and capital giving.

Each trustee, not just the treasurer and finance committee, has fiduciary responsibility to the school for sound financial management.