Atlanta, GA, March 20, 2014 – Georgia’s growing charter public school sector has a critical need for individuals with the skills required to effectively serve on charter school founding and operational governing boards.
To fill the pipeline with qualified citizens who are ready to serve, and to build capacity and effectiveness on charter school governing boards, the Georgia Charter Schools Association (GCSA) has launched the state’s first “Board Bank” initiative.
Charter schools are public schools that are governed by an autonomous board and given more freedom in academics and operations. A governing board’s job is critical, as they must ensure high academic outcomes, strong fiscal stewardship, effective and efficient operations, and legal and regulatory compliance. If a charter school does not meet performance goals, it may be shuttered or non-renewed.
Since announcing the GCSA Board Bank initiative, more than 40 citizens from across Georgia, with an interest in education and a heart for community service, have applied for training. The first training cohort, held on March 18 in Atlanta, was filled with a diverse group of men and women, including parents, educators, a member of a local school board, several attorneys, a former municipal CFO, a commercial construction manager, and many nonprofit professionals.
The future board members completed a rigorous three-hour class covering every aspect of how to serve, including fiduciary duties and best practices in governance. The class was led by Kelly Cadman, GCSA’s Vice President of School Services — Cadman herself was once a founding board member of Brighten Academy, a Douglas County K-8 school that was recently named the 2014 Georgia Charter School of the Year.
Cadman emphasized that charter board members need to keep the school’s mission front and center in order to implement policies aligned with those goals. “Board members must be highly committed to effective oversight and have the mindset of steward, not a stakeholder,” she said.
The next round of GCSA Board Bench training is scheduled for June 14, 2014 from 9:00-1:00 (location to be determined). Applicants interested in charter school board service should complete the information at this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Board_Bank_Interest_Survey_June_Training.
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The Georgia Charter Schools Association is the charter school membership organization for all of Georgia and is the only entity in the state whose sole purpose supporting and advancing Georgia’s charter school sector. The mission of the Georgia Charter Schools Association is to improve student achievement and promote educational choice by serving and advocating for public charter schools in Georgia.
