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Governance Handbook for Friends Schools
Friends Council on Education & Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
INTRODUCTION
Why is this handbook necessary and timely?
How can best use be made of this Handbook?
CHAPTER 1
Friends School Governance: An Overview
- What distinguishes a Friends school from other independent schools?
- What makes a Friends school “Friendly”?
- What distinguishes governance authority in a Friends school from that of other schools?
- What is the proper role of Quakerism and Quaker practice in Friends school governance?
- What does it mean for a school to be “under the care of” Friends?
CHAPTER 2
Mission and Fiduciary
- How is the mission especially significant for the board of a Friends school?
- What are the fiduciary responsibilities of the board as they relate to the mission?
- How involved should the board be in financial management?
- How and when should the board address budgeting and financial issues?
- What special considerations should the board make in setting tuition, financial aid, and salary budgets?
- What other mission imperatives might be specific to Friends schools?
CHAPTER 3
Decision Making
- What is the Quaker decision-making process?
- What distinguishes decision making in a Friends school from that in a Friends Meeting?
- What are the benefits of Quaker decision making in a Friends school?
- How can we use the Quaker decision-making process in Friends schools?
- Who makes decisions in Friends schools?
- What decisions are the responsibility of the board in a Friends school?
- How can we develop a clear understanding of roles, responsibilities, and inclusivity, especially as these relate to decision making in a Friends school?
CHAPTER 4
Shared Vision and Strategic Planning
What is the significance of a shared vision in a Friends school?
How does the shared vision inform the strategic plan for a Friends school?
How does a Friends school board engage in strategic planning?
How are goals, objectives, and action steps related in the crafting stage of the strategic planning process?
CHAPTER 5
Fundraising and Development
- What is the work of the board in building a strong foundation for fundraising and development in a Friends school?
- How are individual board members in a Friends school involved in the work of fundraising?
- How does the fundraising culture and practice of the school strengthen the school’s identity as a Friends school?
- What are some common challenges for Friends school board members’ work on development and fundraising?
CHAPTER 6
Effective Board Process
- What does effective board/committee process look like in Friends school governance?
- How do openness, confidentiality, and trust factor into the work of a Friends school board?
- What is the role of the board clerk in leading efficient board or committee process?
- How might the role of the clerk in a Quaker Meeting inform the clerk’s role on a Friends school board?
- What are the general responsibilities of the committees of the board?
- What human resources will be needed for productive committee functioning?
- What can improve the board-to-committee and committee-to-board flow of work?
- What responsibilities do specific committees have?
- What is the board’s responsibility for the school’s accreditation?
- What is an "executive session" of the board and when is it appropriate to hold an executive session?
CHAPTER 7
Relationships
- Why is it important for the board to nurture good relationships in Friends schools?
- How can board members, individually and collectively, nurture good relationships with each of the constituencies in the school community?
- Given the crucial importance of supporting and nurturing the head of school, are there specific things that the board is encouraged to do in this regard?
- Given the special importance of the partnership between the clerk of the board and the head of school, what can be done to support and nurture this relationship?
REFERENCES
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR FURTHER STUDY
GLOSSARY
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