By Dr. Brett Jacobsen, SAIS President In today’s dynamic educational landscape, independent schools cannot afford to let strategy gather dust on a shelf. A board’s ability to set, monitor, and adapt strategic direction determines whether the school’s mission evolves with […]
By Dr. Brett Jacobsen, SAIS President In every independent school I visit, one truth consistently stands out: schools thrive not just because of great programs or facilities, but because of the strength of their community. Trustees, as stewards and ambassadors, […]
By Dr. Brett Jacobsen, SAIS President One of the most important factors in a school’s long-term success is the strength of the partnership between the board of trustees and the head of school. When this relationship is grounded in trust, […]
By Dr. Brett Jacobsen, SAIS President Across the independent school landscape, governance challenges are growing more complex. From rising stakeholder expectations to increased financial and strategic pressures, boards and heads are being called to lead with sharper alignment, deeper trust, […]
One challenge in building an effective, collaborative board is the relatively long time between meetings (even if they seem to pop up every time you turn around). This often limits the opportunity to deeply discuss the key issues facing the […]
The board members at your school are hopefully aware of their three major responsibilities: While these three responsibilities may seem relatively straightforward, in reality, many boards struggle, especially with what’s involved in setting the strategic direction of the school. A […]
George Harrison penned the sage line in his song, Any Road, “If you don’t know where you are goin’, any road will take you there.” What is true for individuals is equally true for boards. An effective board of trustees […]
One of a board of trustees’ major responsibilities is to support the head of school, and for good reason. Without the head’s ability to manage the day-to-day functioning of the school, the board would not be able to fulfill its […]
It is a truism that the most talented teams do not always come out on top. Often, the team that “claims the prize” is one whose members support each other, utilize one other’s strengths, and minimize weaknesses. As Michael Jordan […]
For your school’s board of trustees to have a productive year, both new and returning board members need to be well-prepared for the work ahead. While the primary focus of this issue of the Board Bulletin focuses on orienting new […]
