North Carolina Board Institute July 20, 2015

1. JAMES N. GOENNER, PH.D.
RILEY J. JUSTIS
JASON L. SARSFIELD
Knocking it out of the park
Charter Board University

2. Goals for Session
KIDS!!!
Share a Framework for Greatness
Learn & Grow Together
Advance Your Leadership
Have Fun!
1
2
4
5
6
3 Challenge Conventional Thinking

3. WWW.CHARTERINSTITUTE.ORG
THIS SLIDE DECK IS ACCESSIBLE AT
@QUALITY_SCHOOLS #GOENNEROHIO15
NATIONAL CHARTER SCHOOLS INSTITUTE

4. Hot Dots
What matters to you?

5. RELATIONSHIPS
“People don’t care how
much you know until they
know how much you care.”

6. National Charter Schools Institute
• The Institute is a values-driven, nonprofit organization
founded in 1995.
• Our mission is to inspire hearts and minds and help
organizations achieve breakthrough performance.
• We coach and consult with authorizers, boards, schools,
support organizations and policymakers.
• Our team is composed of passionate professionals.
• We seek to understand, honor and support our clients.
| 6

7. PART I:
Public Education, Charter Schools &
the Great American Experiment

8. Ideals of Public Education
• All children should have access to quality
education regardless of family income.
• All children should be prepared for happy and
productive lives.
• All children should be taught the rights and
duties of citizenship.
• Good schools help foster strong and cohesive
communities.
| 8

9. Education Reformers Believe
• There is a difference between the ideals of
public education and the institution of public
schooling.
• Criticism of the system should not be construed
as an attack on the ideals of public education.
• Parents make better decisions for their children
than government officials.
• Taxpayers deserve a better return for their
educational dollars.
• All children deserve quality educational options.
| 9

11. The Ideas Behind Chartering
| 11
States should…
1. Withdraw the exclusive geographic franchises given to school districts.
2. Create ways to establish new public schools that create competition for
existing schools and empower parents with choice.
These new public schools should…
1. Be authorized by an entity that oversees and holds them accountable,
but unlike a school district does not own or operate the school.
2. Be freed from unnecessary rules and regulations, in exchange for
producing results.
3. Be dually accountable: to the marketplace of parental choice and to the
standards of the public interest.

12. CHARTER SCHOOLS
A strategy to transform public
education by injecting choice,
change and competition
into the system.

14. PART 2:
Aligning for Greatness

16. Superior Performance
Distinctive Impact
Lasting Endurance
What is Greatness?
| 16

17. Collins’ Good-to-Great Framework
OUTPUT RESULTS
STAGE 1: DISCIPLINED PEOPLE
INPUT PRINCIPLES
Level 5 Leadership
First Who, Then What
STAGE 2: DISCIPLINED THOUGHT
Confront the Brutal Facts
The Hedgehog Concept
STAGE 3: DISCIPLINED ACTION
Culture of Discipline
The Flywheel
STAGE 4: BUILDING GREATNESS
TO LAST
Clock Building,
Not Time Telling
Preserve Core,
Stimulate Progress
DELIVERS SUPERIOR
PERFORMANCE
MAKES A DISTINCTIVE IMPACT
ACHIEVES LASTING ENDURANCE
Beyond Any Leader,
Idea or Setback
On the Communities
It Touches
Relative to Its Mission

18. “Good is the enemy
of great.”
Jim Collins

19. Framework for Greatness
Good, Not Great
Inflection
Point
Good, Not Great
Matched-Pair
Selection
Comparison
Cases
Good–to–Great
Cases
GAP

20. Building for
Breakthrough

21. The
Flywheel

22. “Greatness...is largely a
matter of conscious
choice and discipline.”
Jim Collins

23. KIDS
Authorizers
Boards
Schools

26. Aligning for Greatness
Develop a Relationship of Mutual
Trust & Respect
Set Clear Performance Expectations –
No Surprises!
1
2
3
Establish a Shared Vision & Values
| 26

27. WHAT REALLY MATTERS
Ensuring all students
are prepared for success in
college, work and life.

28. Correlation Chart:
Enjoyment over Learning

29. PART 3:
Governing vs. Managing

30. Purpose of a Charter School
Governing Board
“To ensure, on behalf of the public, that
students are learning, money and resources
are well stewarded, and the organization
passionately pursues greatness, while
modeling the highest legal and ethical
principles.”
Dr. James Goenner
National Charter Schools Institute

31. A Simple Way to Frame Roles
| 31
Governing Board
=
To Ensure
Management
=
To Execute
Ch. 7
pg. 45-50

32. Key Board Duties
Duty of Care
Exercising the “care” a prudent person would when making
decisions.
Duty of Loyalty
Gives undivided allegiance and putting the organization
above self when making decisions; avoiding conflicts of
interest and keeping confidential matters confidential.
Duty of Obedience
Acting in a manner that supports the school’s mission and
values; and fulfills the public trust.
| 32

33. Board
Responsibilities12

34. ENSURE all students are being prepared for
success in college, work and life.1

35. ENSURE the public’s money and resources
are well stewarded.2

36. ENSURE the organization is run by a great leader and
infused with a positive culture and learning environment.3

37. The Most Consistently Admired
Characteristics of Leaders:
Honest
Forward-Looking
Competent
Inspiring
| 37

38. Chickens & Pigs!
| 38

39. Leadership
Pyramid

40. What Kind of Leader Do You Want?
Level 3 Leader
• Organizes people and resources
toward the effective and efficient
pursuit of predetermined
objectives.
| 40

41. What Kind of Leader Do You Want?
Level 5 Leader
• Ambitious first and foremost for the
cause, the organization, the work —
not themselves.
• Displays a paradoxical blend of
personal humility and professional will.
| 41

42. Winners Want to be Associated with a Board
That…
• Knows its purpose and why it exists
• Understands it is the highest authority in
the organization
• Knows it represents the public
• Is disciplined in its role and behaviors and
those of its individual members
• Is trustworthy and predictable
| 42

43. Winners Want to be Associated with a Board
That…
• Uses its authority to empower, not strangle
• Ensures the organization is effective
and efficient
• Has high expectations and measures
performance
• Is unafraid to judge, but does so fairly
• Continuously earns credibility
| 43

44. ENSURE the terms of the charter contract are fulfilled
and the organization is prepared for renewal.4

45. ENSURE the organization is true to its vision,
mission and values.5

46. ENSURE goals are clear and people and programs are wisely
empowered, supported, evaluated and held accountable.6

47. ENSURE the organization operates legally
and ethically.7

48. ENSURE the organization continuously improves
and stays viable.8

49. “If you do not change, you
can become extinct.”
Who Moved My Cheese?

50. ENSURE the board recruits, orients and develops its
members and its capacity to govern.9

51. ENSURE the board adopts and properly maintains its
governing policies.10

52. ENSURE the board speaks with one voice.
11

53. How Boards Earn Credibility
• “They practice what they preach.”
• “They walk the talk.”
• “Their actions are consistent with their words.”
• “They put their money where their mouth is.”
• “They follow through on their promises.”
• “They do what they say they will do.”
The Leadership Challenge
| 53

54. ENSURE the board and its members are positive
ambassadors for the charter idea!12

55. LUNCH
Networking & General Session

56. PART 4:
Making Board Meetings Effective

57. “Know
Thyself”
The First Person You Lead Is Yourself
Who Said…
| 57

58. | 58
Some People Observe That…
“ Trustees are often little more
than high-powered, well-
intentioned people engaged in
low-level activities.”
Chait, Holland and Taylor

60. The Seven Habits
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Be Proactive
Begin with the End in Mind
Put First Things First
Think Win-Win
Seek First to Understand,
Then to be Understood
Synergize
Sharpen the Saw

61. Public Meeting or Meeting in Public
| 61

62. Public Meeting or Meeting in Public
| 62

63. | 63
“We believe boards that govern
for greatness ask wise
questions and measure things
that really matter.”
Dr. James Goenner
National Charter Schools Institute

64. WHAT REALLY MATTERS
Ensuring all students
are prepared for success in
college, work and life.

67. HOW WELL IS OUR SCHOOL…
Preparing Students for College, Work and Life
Leveraging Resources
Fulfilling Its Commitments?
Wise Questions

68. Board Meeting Agenda
30 minutes on
Academics
30 minutes on
Finance
30 minutes on
Capacity
To Govern
= 90 Minute Board Meeting
Ch. 15
pg. 99
+ +

71. Key Legal and Governing Documents
Ch. 5
pg. 31-35

72. Charter
School
State &
Federal
Law
Authorizer
& Charter
Contract
Board
Policies &
Procedures
Structural Overview
| 72

73. Correlation Chart:
Enjoyment over Learning

74. PART 5:
Developing the Board’s
Capacity to Govern

75. | 75
Common Board Challenges
Dysfunctional Group Dynamics
Disengaged Board Members
Uncertainty About Roles and
Responsibilities
Source: Problem Boards or Board Problems?
The Nonprofit Quarterly
1
2
3

76. | 76
Recruiting and Orienting a New Board member

79. Interrelation Diagraph
How are the issues related?

80. Break
& Networking

81. PART 6:
Organizational Health
& Sustainability

82. Four Disciplines
of a Healthy
Organization

83. Cohesive teams build trust, eliminate politics, and
increase efficiency by…
• Knowing one another’s unique strengths and
weaknesses.
• Openly engaging in constructive, ideological conflict.
• Holding one another accountable for behaviors and
actions.
• Committing to group decisions.
1: Build a Cohesive Leadership Team
| 83
Four Disciplines of a Healthy Organization

84. TEAMWORK
• We recognize that no one of us is
as good as all of us.
• We put the team’s goals before our
own.
• We collaborate and fulfill our
commitments.
• We are responsible for ourselves
and accountable to each other.
• We win as a team and lose as a
team.
• We celebrate our successes and
have fun.| 84
The Power of Clarifying Values to
Guide Behaviors and Actions

85. The Five
Temptations
of a CEO
Invulnerability
Over
Trust
Harmony
Over
Conflict
Certainty
Over
Clarity
Popularity
Over
Accountability
Status
Over
Results
| 85

86. Healthy organizations minimize the potential for
confusion by clarifying…
• Why do we exist?
• How do we behave?
• What do we do?
• How will we succeed?
• What is most important—right now?
• Who must do what?
2: Create Clarity
| 86
Four Disciplines of a Healthy Organization

87. How Clear Is Your Organization About Its...
Vision
Mission
What is the organization really trying to accomplish?
Is it compelling? Will it make a significant difference?
How will the organization proceed with making this
vision a reality?
Values
What are the core things the organization will use to
guide and evaluate all of its actions and behaviors?
| 87

88. FORWARD-LOOKING & INSPIRING
• We dare to be different.
• We are willing to take risks.
• We lead with passion.
We are not limited by others.
• We are persistent.
• We strive to exceed
expectations.
• We inspire growth in ourselves
and others.
| 88
The Power of Clarifying Values to
Guide Behaviors and Actions

89. HONEST & RESPECTFUL
• We tell the truth.
• We are open to feedback.
• We trust each other to speak our
minds.
• We always strive to do the right
things for the right reasons.
• We communicate with candor and
tact.
• We are tough on the issue, not on
the person.
• We value people for who they are
and what they bring.
| 89
The Power of Clarifying Values to
Guide Behaviors and Actions

90. Healthy organizations align their employees around organizational clarity
by communicating key messages through…
• Repetition: Don’t be afraid to repeat the same message again and
again.
• Simplicity: The more complicated the message, the more potential for
confusion and inconsistency.
• Multiple Mediums: People react to information in many ways; use a
variety of mediums.
• Cascading Messages: Leaders communicate key messages to direct
reports; the cycle repeats itself until the message is heard by all.
3: Over-Communicate Clarity
| 90
Four Disciplines of a Healthy Organization

91. “Doing everything keeps
us so busy we don’t have
time to think about what
is really important to us.”

92. | 92

93. Organizations sustain their health by ensuring
consistency in…
• Hiring
• Managing performance
• Rewards and recognition
• Employee dismissal
4: Reinforce Clarity
| 93
Four Disciplines of a Healthy Organization

94. Correlation Chart:
Enjoyment over Learning

95. PART 7:
Being Ambassadors for Excellence

97. Model the Way
Inspire a Shared Vision
Challenge the Process
Enable Others to Act
1
2
3
4
Encourage the Heart5
Five Practices of Exemplary Leaders
Kouzes and Posner
| 97

98. | 98
Model the Way1

99. How Leaders Earn Credibility
• “They practice what they preach.”
• “They walk the talk.”
• “Their actions are consistent with their words.”
• “They put their money where their mouth is.”
• “They follow through on their promises.”
• “They do what they say they will do.”
The Leadership Challenge
| 99

100. | 100
Inspire a Shared Vision2

101. | 101
Challenge the Process3

102. “Great spirits have
always encountered
violent opposition from
mediocre minds.”
Albert Einstein

103. | 103
Enable Others to Act4

104. | 104
Encourage the Heart5

105. “Set the standards higher
for yourself than others
would set them for you.”
John Maxwell

106. Resources for Pursuing Greatness
Good-to-Great Diagnostic Tool
www.jimcollins.com/tools.html
The Advantage
Comprehensive Check List
www.tablegroup.com
Institute for Excellence in Education
www.ExcellenceInEd.org
Illinois Mathematics and
Science Academy
www.imsa.edu
IIT Boeing Scholars Academy
blogs.iit.edu/boeing_scholars/
Chicago Scholars
(88% to-and-through college in 6 yrs.)
www.ChicagoScholars.org
Project Lead The Way
www.pltw.org

108. Correlation Chart:
Enjoyment over Learning

109. THANKYOU!
VIEW THIS SLIDE DECK ONLINE AT
WWW.CHARTERINSTITUTE.ORG