The Committee on Trustees AKA Trustees Committee Governance Committee Nominating Committee

1. The Committee on TrusteesAKATrustees CommitteeGovernance CommitteeNominating Committee

2. PopQuiz on Board Practices 1. Is your board a self-perpetuating, co-opted board? (except for non-voting, ex-officio members) 2. Does the committee on trustees conduct a board profile analysis before determining current needs of the school and identifying priority candidates accordingly? 3. Is there a clear process to recruit candidates for the pool of potential nominees?

3. PopQuiz on Board Practices(continued) 4. Is the pool of candidates rich enough to fill the identified needs of the school and greater than the number of seats available? 5. Does your board conduct an annual self-assessment? 6. Does your school have a clear plan for board leadership succession?

4. PopQuiz on Board Practices(continued) 7. Are new trustees given a thorough orientation? a. Meet all senior administrators b. Receive a comprehensive binder c. Get a tour of the school d. Receive a thorough briefing with opportunities for questions? 8. Are all board meeting dates set for the entire school year and distributed to all trustees before the first meeting of the year?

5. PopQuiz on Board Practices(continued) 9. Do committee’s reports, head’s report, minutes and all other documents related to board meetings arrive several days in advance of the meeting? 10. Does your school have: a. Current bylaws which reflect current best practices b. A trustee pledge c. A conflict of interest policy d. A nepotism policy e. A confidentiality policy statement

6. The Committee on Trustees’ Multiple Responsibilities • Populate the board • Nominate the chair • Ensure leadership succession • Orient new trustees • Educate and Evaluate • Nurture • Ensure effective board management

7. 1. Populate the Board

8. Assemble a Pool of Nominees • Analyze current composition of the board • Establish clear criteria and priorities • Determine specific needs to be filled to achieve current and future school goals • Cultivate potential nominees • Develop a rich pool of potential trustees

9. Determine General Criteria • Seek • Pro-active visionary thinkers • Well-connected individuals • Persons of high character • Broad thinkers with no personal agenda • Respectful of the mission and philosophy of the school

10. Determine General CriteriaContinued • Collegial individuals • People willing to give and get • Individuals not afraid to speak up • Representative of the school’s diversity

11. Gather Nominations • Reach out to the community both internal and external for potential nominations • Current trustees, administrators, parents, faculty, former trustees, alumni, friends of the school, grand parents, etc. • Community leaders • Association executives • Colleagues • Neighborhood advocates

12. Determine Fit • Review skills, background and expertise candidate offer • Compare to current set of needs • Conduct some preliminary due diligence • Evaluate level of candidate interest • Rank order candidate pool

13. Recruit/Screen Potential Trustees • Competence and commitment needed • Bring with them the 3 R’s (Raise image, students and money) and the 3 W’s (Work, Wealth, and Wisdom) • Exert due diligence before extending an invitation to join the board • Have a track record as team player who will fit into the culture of the board • Vet nominees on board committees • Make the 1st term a 1y+2y format

14. Establish a Clear Process • Develop a well thought out, consistent cultivation and recruitment protocol and script when contacting candidates • Assign committee members to meet with prospective nominees • Inform potential candidates of requirements at an initial meeting (No surprises) • Establish a clear process for renewal of current trustees’ term • Manage the re-nomination process

15. Establish a Clear ProcessContinued • Present nominees for board vote • Advise new trustees of their election • Assign a mentor • After a few months debrief with each new trustee

16. Make the Process Clear to All • Importance of transparency • Share criteria • Convey the professionalism of the process • Consider including the process description on the website • Run potential nominees by the full board • Ensure the committee is not perceived as an inner circle, nominating friends • Encourage the submission of nominations from all constituencies

17. 2. Nominate the Chair

18. Select the Chair • Key criteria • Knowledge of the school, commitment to its mission • Ability to lead and run meetings • A pro-active broad thinker • People skills (able to resolve conflicts) • Respected by all constituencies • Prepared and able to work well with the head • Willing and able to devote the necessary time to the task

19. 3. Ensure Leadership Succession

20. Select Other Officers • Key criteria • Knowledge of the school, commitment to its mission • Possesses necessary expertise for the position (particularly important for Treasurer) • Ability to see the “big picture” • Willing to give the time necessary • Respected by other trustees • Able to work well with the head • Potential for leadership succession (make judicious committee or officer appointments with this in mind)

21. 4. Orient New Trustees

22. Conduct Effective Orientation of New Trustees • Ensure that new trustees: • Have been assigned a “mentor” • Understand their role vs. the administration’s role • Board and board members expectations • Receive a complete tour of the facilities

23. Conduct Effective Orientation of New Trustees (Continued) • Meet with and hear from senior administrators • Benefit from a thorough orientation meeting with enough time to ask questions • Understand board structure and organization

24. Conduct Effective Orientation of New Trustees(Continued) • Prepare a complete binder including: • NAIS Trustee Handbook and a complete set of Principles of Good Practices • The School’s history • Publications: Brochures, newsletters, Annual Report, students’ publications • Board Organization: • Bylaws, • board committees description, • Board roster, • Minutes from recent board meetings, • board policy manual

25. Conduct Effective Orientation of New Trustees(Continued) • Finances: • latest audited financial statement • budget • financial aid info, etc. • Statistics • enrollment (admission funnel, attrition, demographics) • HS or College admissions, • academic results (ERB, SAT, ACH, AP, IB, etc.)

26. Conduct Effective Orientation of New Trustees(Continued) • Programs • Most recent Strategic Plan • Board responsibilities and ethical standards: • Duty of care (making decisions while fully informed) • Duty of loyalty (putting the school first) • Duty of obedience (respecting the school’s mission) • Confidentiality, • Conflict of interest, • Nepotism • Recent key committee reports

27. 5. Educate and Evaluate

28. Encourage Board Development • Ensures that: • Productive board retreats are planned • Invite experts to make presentations • Trustees attend relevant associations conferences • Identify areas needing further information • Legal • Organizational

29. Board Retreats • The expanded time offered by board retreats yields many benefits They are an opportunity for trustees: • to become better acquainted with each other • to receive in depth training on best practices of trusteeship • to revue and update the long range strategic plan • to carry in-depth discussions about complex issues

30. Board Development/Evaluation • Produce a board member pledge and ensure compliance • Conduct an annual self-assessment of the board and make a report to the board • Assess individual trustees, officers and committee chairs • Evaluate board meetings efficiency/effectiveness • Establish a process for easing ineffective trustees out of the board

31. 6. Nurture Trustees

32. Nurture Trustees • Ensure that: • A proper welcome is extended and announcements are made • Board meetings calendar is distributed at the beginning of each year • Documents for meeting preparation are sent in a timely fashion • Board meetings are run efficiently • Adequate refreshments and comfortable meeting space are provided

33. Nurture Trustees (continued) • Trustees are not overburdened with meetings • Encourage conference calls meeting • Make judicious committee assignments • Extra effort and contributions are recognized • Exit interviews with departing trustees are conducted • A trustee recognition program is implemented • Note:(many of these items will be implemented by the board chair and the head, but the committee on trustees must make sure it happens)

34. 7. Ensure Effective Board Management

35. Oversee Board Management • Maintain bylaws and board policy handbook up to date (conflict of interest, confidentiality, nepotism, etc.) • Institute the practice of a trustee pledge • Assist board chair with recommendations for chairs of committees and membership of each committee • Ensure board committees create yearly goals which advance the school’s strategic plan • Foster good communication between the board and the community (typically carried out by the board chair)

36. A.M.P. & Associates, LLC Anne-Marie Pierce, President 536 Parker Avenue San Francisco, CA 94118 Tel. 415-386-4008 Fax. 415-386-4003 Cell 415-671-9943