Roles and Responsibilities

Boards have a critical role and special responsibilities in making sure their school succeeds for students. These responsibilities fall into six broad categories.

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Below we explore each of these six categories – Mission and Founding Documents; Effective Planning; Accountability; Fiscal Resources and Oversight; Board Building; and Communication and Ambassadorship. Click on each heading to view a video outlining that individual category.

Board Officer Roles

Each officer of a charter public school board has an important, yet distinct role. Knowing the role of each officer and how they work in harmony helps ensure that the board governs effectively and the school gets results for students.

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Serving as a Public Official

Serving on a charter public school board means that you hold a public office. The board is the entity of record for the state, so board members play a critical role as public officials. It is important to remember that being appointed as a charter public school board member means you have the same authority and responsibility as board members elected to serve traditional public school districts.

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Committee Structure

Committees, when structured properly, can have a tremendous impact on an organization. Having a proper committee structure allows the board to focus its work more appropriately, on decision making.

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Board Meetings

Charter public school board members have the responsibility to make sure that the school they govern is fulfilling its mission, using public resources wisely, and providing positive results for students. To fulfill these responsibilities, the board schedules regular, monthly meetings.

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