Knowledge > Governance > Board / Head Relationship

Top 10

• PEJE's Top 10 To Dos to improve your Board Chair and Head of School relationship

Self-Assessment

• Board Chair and Head of School Relationship

Tools

• The Head's 13 Areas of Responsibility -- This ISM article contains an overview of the critical areas that a Head of School must master to be successful.
• 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.
• Position Description for Head of School, South Area Solomon Schechter Day School. This position description profiles the roles, responsibilities, knowledge and skills, team responsibilities, and target impact of a Head of School.
• Sample Head Contract from ISACS
• Head of School Evaluation Instrument -- ISACS suggests using this survey tool for evaluating the performance of a Head of School.
• 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".

Case Studies

• Epstein School Uses Coaches and Advisory Committees to Facilitate Transition of New Head of School. Stan Beiner, Epstein School Head of School, describes how these two mechanisms have helped him and other professionals improve relationships and accelerate the acceptance of change.

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
• Characteristics of Successful School Heads by Susan Booth, NAIS
• The Nonprofit Chief Executive's Ten Basic Responsibilities by Richard L. Moyers, BoardSource
• The Critical Partnership by Patrick F. Bassett, from NAIS Ink. (Scroll down to page 2) This article from NAIS examines the expectations for the school head's performance and emphasizes the importance of Board Chairs and Heads of School aligning those expectations.
• 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.
• School Head-Lay Leader Relations: A Lay Leader's Perspective by Linda Greenseid.