Jonathan	
  E.	
  Mar,n	
  
Clair	
  Ward	
  
Commonly Heard
about Board Meetings
I don’t learn anything that I couldn’t have read in a report.
All the decisions are made before we arrive.
We always hear from the same people.
My opinion doesn’t really matter or even get solicited.
All they want is my money. What about my knowledge and expertise?
It’s one report after another
We rarely get to hear from the students and faculty, just administrators
I don’t understand what our head and administrators mean
by 21st century learning. Is that just jargon?
Why is it always good news? I want to know what the problems are so I can help.
Disagreement isn’t appropriate. Why does every vote have to unanimous?
Ye
s
Ye
s
Ye
s
Ye
s
Ye
s
I would never run a meeting like this at my business
Needs:	
  	
  
To	
  be*er	
  engage	
  the	
  board.	
  	
  
To	
  generate	
  be*er,	
  deeper	
  
thinking	
  about	
  cri8cal	
  issues.	
  	
  
To	
  introduce	
  and	
  orient	
  the	
  
board	
  to	
  21st	
  century	
  learning.	
  	
  
Two birds with one stone.
Use 21st Century Teaching and Learning Techniques,
e.g., flipped classroom, case study, PBL, design thinking, gallery walks, etc.
VIDEO	
  
Employ	
  performance	
  task	
  
assessment	
  and	
  
project-­‐	
  based	
  learning	
  
strategies:	
  	
  
	
  
Task:	
  Consider	
  Hill’s	
  
strategic	
  goal	
  of	
  becoming	
  a	
  
“des5na5on	
  place	
  of	
  
employment”	
  for	
  the	
  most	
  
talented	
  boarding	
  school	
  
•  Form	
  Teams	
  
•  Provide	
  challenge	
  ques8on	
  
•  Provide	
  materials	
  to	
  study,	
  examine,	
  
interpret	
  
•  Provide	
  research	
  resources	
  for	
  further	
  
inquiry	
  
•  Invite	
  addi8onal	
  research	
  
•  Require	
  explana8on	
  of	
  answer	
  in	
  form	
  of	
  
both	
  posters	
  and	
  presenta8ons	
  
Apply	
  the	
  case	
  study	
  method	
  to	
  contemplate	
  
the	
  acquisi8on	
  of	
  a	
  nearby	
  property.	
  
	
  
•  Create	
  4-­‐5	
  page	
  HBR	
  style	
  Case	
  Study	
  and	
  
distribute	
  in	
  advance	
  
	
  
•  Conclude	
  Case	
  Study	
  with	
  a	
  ques8on:	
  	
  
•  What	
  should	
  the	
  Headmaster	
  and	
  Board	
  Chair	
  
Do?	
  	
  
•  Invite	
  Small	
  Groups	
  to	
  discuss	
  
•  Facilitate	
  full	
  group	
  discussion,	
  s8mulate	
  debate,	
  
seek	
  consensus	
  
	
  
•  	
  Use	
  a	
  flipped	
  classroom	
  approach	
  to	
  review	
  
Hill’s	
  new	
  Campus	
  Master	
  Plan;	
  
•  Instead	
  of	
  wri*en	
  report,	
  produce	
  film	
  as	
  
comprehensive	
  introduc8on	
  to	
  the	
  topic	
  and	
  
issues.	
  
	
  
•  Distribute	
  and	
  Ask	
  Trustees	
  to	
  Watch	
  Film	
  in	
  
Advance	
  
•  Jump	
  straight	
  to	
  Q&A	
  about	
  film	
  	
  
	
  
•  Prepare	
  and	
  post	
  posters	
  about	
  the	
  cri8cal	
  issues	
  
raised	
  in	
  film,	
  and	
  ask	
  Trustees	
  to	
  ask	
  as	
  many	
  
ques8ons	
  and	
  make	
  as	
  many	
  comments	
  as	
  
possible.	
  	
  
•  Par8cipate	
  in	
  a	
  
collabora,ve	
  learning	
  protocol	
  to	
  evaluate	
  
the	
  preliminary	
  case	
  statement	
  for	
  our	
  
comprehensive	
  capital	
  campaign.	
  	
  	
  
	
  
•  	
  Use	
  PLC	
  and	
  Cri8cal	
  Friends	
  Group	
  Protocols	
  
•  Invite	
  Faculty	
  Leaders	
  to	
  Facilitate	
  
•  Use	
  with	
  Real,	
  Per8nent	
  Ma*ers	
  
	
  
•  	
  Try	
  back-­‐channeling	
  	
  and	
  
real-­‐,me	
  classroom	
  response	
  systems	
  to	
  
consider	
  the	
  proposed	
  FY2015	
  budget,	
  
revisions	
  to	
  the	
  strategic	
  plan,	
  and	
  the	
  funding	
  
of	
  campaign	
  expenses;	
  	
  
	
  
•  	
  Learn	
  how	
  to	
  produce	
  screencasts	
  to	
  share	
  
our	
  board	
  commi*ee	
  reports.	
  
Culture	
  of	
  Conversa8on	
  
•  The	
  region	
  
•  The	
  School	
  &	
  the	
  Board	
  of	
  Trustees	
  
•  Recent	
  Growth	
  
	
  
The	
  Challenge	
  
•  Engage	
  the	
  strategic	
  posture	
  of	
  each	
  trustee	
  
•  Address	
  the	
  unthinkable:	
  	
  finances	
  
	
  
Retreat	
  Format	
  
•  Opening	
  &	
  context	
  (Board	
  President)	
  
•  Financial	
  picture	
  (Board	
  treasurer)	
  
–  Current	
  architecture	
  
–  20-­‐year	
  forecast	
  
•  Small	
  group	
  work	
  
–  Is	
  it	
  or	
  should	
  it	
  be	
  the	
  Board’s	
  goal	
  to	
  run	
  VSL	
  without	
  financial	
  support	
  
from	
  the	
  founding	
  family?	
  
–  Will	
  the	
  current	
  financial	
  model	
  sustain	
  us	
  indefinitely?	
  	
  What	
  will	
  Valley	
  
need	
  financially	
  to	
  sustain	
  itself	
  in	
  20	
  years?	
  
–  What	
  is	
  keeping	
  us	
  from	
  making	
  the	
  decisions	
  we	
  would	
  want	
  to	
  make?	
  
•  Dinner	
  and	
  Gallery	
  Walk	
  
•  Genera8ve	
  Discussion	
  
•  Iden8fica8on	
  of	
  Next	
  Steps	
  
	
  
Next	
  Steps/Advice	
  
•  Rotate	
  the	
  Board	
  mee8ngs	
  throughout	
  the	
  building	
  
•  Use	
  of	
  case	
  studies	
  
•  Use	
  of	
  par8cipant	
  polls	
  	
  
•  Board	
  of	
  Visitors	
  
•  Consider	
  using	
  consultants	
  and/or	
  organiza8onal	
  psychologist	
  to	
  help	
  shig	
  
culture	
  carefully/construc8vely	
  
Board not bored nais
Board not bored nais

Board not bored nais

  • 1.
    Jonathan  E.  Mar,n   Clair  Ward  
  • 3.
  • 4.
    I don’t learnanything that I couldn’t have read in a report.
  • 5.
    All the decisionsare made before we arrive.
  • 6.
    We always hearfrom the same people.
  • 7.
    My opinion doesn’treally matter or even get solicited.
  • 8.
    All they wantis my money. What about my knowledge and expertise?
  • 9.
    It’s one reportafter another
  • 10.
    We rarely getto hear from the students and faculty, just administrators
  • 11.
    I don’t understandwhat our head and administrators mean by 21st century learning. Is that just jargon?
  • 12.
    Why is italways good news? I want to know what the problems are so I can help.
  • 13.
    Disagreement isn’t appropriate.Why does every vote have to unanimous? Ye s Ye s Ye s Ye s Ye s
  • 14.
    I would neverrun a meeting like this at my business
  • 15.
    Needs:     To  be*er  engage  the  board.     To  generate  be*er,  deeper   thinking  about  cri8cal  issues.     To  introduce  and  orient  the   board  to  21st  century  learning.    
  • 16.
    Two birds withone stone. Use 21st Century Teaching and Learning Techniques, e.g., flipped classroom, case study, PBL, design thinking, gallery walks, etc.
  • 17.
  • 18.
    Employ  performance  task   assessment  and   project-­‐  based  learning   strategies:       Task:  Consider  Hill’s   strategic  goal  of  becoming  a   “des5na5on  place  of   employment”  for  the  most   talented  boarding  school  
  • 19.
    •  Form  Teams   •  Provide  challenge  ques8on   •  Provide  materials  to  study,  examine,   interpret   •  Provide  research  resources  for  further   inquiry   •  Invite  addi8onal  research   •  Require  explana8on  of  answer  in  form  of   both  posters  and  presenta8ons  
  • 20.
    Apply  the  case  study  method  to  contemplate   the  acquisi8on  of  a  nearby  property.    
  • 21.
    •  Create  4-­‐5  page  HBR  style  Case  Study  and   distribute  in  advance     •  Conclude  Case  Study  with  a  ques8on:     •  What  should  the  Headmaster  and  Board  Chair   Do?     •  Invite  Small  Groups  to  discuss   •  Facilitate  full  group  discussion,  s8mulate  debate,   seek  consensus    
  • 22.
    •   Use  a  flipped  classroom  approach  to  review   Hill’s  new  Campus  Master  Plan;  
  • 23.
    •  Instead  of  wri*en  report,  produce  film  as   comprehensive  introduc8on  to  the  topic  and   issues.     •  Distribute  and  Ask  Trustees  to  Watch  Film  in   Advance   •  Jump  straight  to  Q&A  about  film       •  Prepare  and  post  posters  about  the  cri8cal  issues   raised  in  film,  and  ask  Trustees  to  ask  as  many   ques8ons  and  make  as  many  comments  as   possible.    
  • 24.
    •  Par8cipate  in  a   collabora,ve  learning  protocol  to  evaluate   the  preliminary  case  statement  for  our   comprehensive  capital  campaign.        
  • 25.
    •   Use  PLC  and  Cri8cal  Friends  Group  Protocols   •  Invite  Faculty  Leaders  to  Facilitate   •  Use  with  Real,  Per8nent  Ma*ers    
  • 29.
    •   Try  back-­‐channeling    and   real-­‐,me  classroom  response  systems  to   consider  the  proposed  FY2015  budget,   revisions  to  the  strategic  plan,  and  the  funding   of  campaign  expenses;      
  • 30.
    •   Learn  how  to  produce  screencasts  to  share   our  board  commi*ee  reports.  
  • 32.
    Culture  of  Conversa8on   •  The  region   •  The  School  &  the  Board  of  Trustees   •  Recent  Growth    
  • 33.
    The  Challenge   • Engage  the  strategic  posture  of  each  trustee   •  Address  the  unthinkable:    finances    
  • 34.
    Retreat  Format   • Opening  &  context  (Board  President)   •  Financial  picture  (Board  treasurer)   –  Current  architecture   –  20-­‐year  forecast   •  Small  group  work   –  Is  it  or  should  it  be  the  Board’s  goal  to  run  VSL  without  financial  support   from  the  founding  family?   –  Will  the  current  financial  model  sustain  us  indefinitely?    What  will  Valley   need  financially  to  sustain  itself  in  20  years?   –  What  is  keeping  us  from  making  the  decisions  we  would  want  to  make?   •  Dinner  and  Gallery  Walk   •  Genera8ve  Discussion   •  Iden8fica8on  of  Next  Steps    
  • 35.
    Next  Steps/Advice   • Rotate  the  Board  mee8ngs  throughout  the  building   •  Use  of  case  studies   •  Use  of  par8cipant  polls     •  Board  of  Visitors   •  Consider  using  consultants  and/or  organiza8onal  psychologist  to  help  shig   culture  carefully/construc8vely