Thousands of independent non profit schools are governed by Boards of Directors made up primarily of parents. These volunteers agree to take responsibility for school finances, fundraising, planning, budgeting, and oversight of the school principal or director. With little or no training, private school Boards tackle projects involving finance, real estate, leasing, contracts, insurance, and liability. In some cases these Boards accomplish great things by working together with school staff and parents to build a community of support for the children in their care. However, often times, private school Boards fail to support their institutions and lead them into crises or decline. Board members are rarely given the training they need to approach their jobs effectively.
One of the most important ideas for Board members to understand is the challenge of being both and owner and a customer in the same organization. In most of our day to day life we are either owner or customer. As owners of a business we strive to make decisions that will benefit us long term. We seek to satisfy all of our customers, even those whose needs differ widely from others. We don’t...