Board / Head Relationship
Top 10
- PEJE's Top 10 To Dos to improve your Board Chair and Head of School relationship
Self-Assessment
Tools
- NAIS Board Self-Assessment Tool and Head Evaluation Tool Customized for Jewish Day Schools
- Epstein School Head of School Leadership Statement. When the Epstein School sought to find a replacement for its veteran retiring Head of School of 19 years, Cheryl Finkel, it created this exemplary statement defining the context in which the new Head of School would need to operate.
- Sample Head Contract from ISACS
- Design of the Board/Head of School Partnership Framework Adapted from material by Richard Bradley & Gaelen Canning by Mary Rivet & Gaelen Canning, 1997. This tool shows in a graphic manner the relative appropriate allocation of time and attention by the Board and the Head of School for strategic decisions, partnership decisions and operational decisions and illustrates the kinds of decisions that fall into each "bucket".
Relevant Reading
- The NAIS Head Search Handbook: A Start-to-Finish Guide for the Search Committee
- Leadership Transition in Jewish Day Schools by Barry Dym
- The Nonprofit Chief Executive's Ten Basic Responsibilities by Richard L. Moyers, BoardSource
- Board/Head Partnerships by Patrick F. Bassett, NAIS. This monograph suggests that a relationship of mutual respect is built on a foundation of strong verbal communication and written communication--clear documentation of agreements, plans and performance evaluation--and, where necessary, the use of outside consultation.
- Board/Head Cultivation by Patrick F. Bassett, NAIS President (Scroll down to find monograph.) This monograph provides some examples of cultivation strategies for Heads to use with Board members and for Board members to use with Heads, in the ongoing commitment to building a strong partnership.



