Charter Board Governance Series: Upskill and Reskill Your Charter Boards!

About the Series

Upskill and Reskill Your Charter Boards! is a series specially designed for new and seasoned charter school board members, launched by the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s Paulette and Frank Stewart Board Governance Institute in partnership with NOLA Public Schools. This dynamic series ensures that all charter school board members can access the content and resources they need to ensure our charter schools are effective, impactful, and sustainable.

Through introductory workshops as well as intensives and masterclasses, charter board members will delve into best practices in charter board governance; charter school accountability; financial sustainability; CEO and school leader evaluations; CEO succession planning; and advocacy.

This series is offered with generous support from the Pro Bono Publico Foundation and in partnership with NOLA Public Schools, New Schools for New Orleans, and local and national consultants with established records of success in elevating the impact and effectiveness of charter schools.

While charter board members are encouraged to participate in all of the sessions, participation in the full series is not required. Registration links for each event are included in the event details below. Lunch or dinner will be provided at each event. All events will be in person at the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s Center for Philanthropy, 919 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130. Free parking will be available.

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Series Events

(REGISTRATION CLOSED) The Success Agenda: Leveraging Governance to Drive Academic Results

Wednesday, January 28, 2026

5:00pm – 8:00pm

Event format: Summit

The Success Agenda brings national experts – the National Charter Schools Institute (NCSI) – and District leadership together for an evening of inspiration, guided learning to advance student academic growth and outcomes, and connection with other charter board members. During the event, charter board members will hear directly from NOLA-PS about changes to the state and district accountability frameworks; explore the board’s role in driving and sustaining academic success as well as questions all board members should be consistently asking to monitor academic progress; analyze publicly available academic data, beyond overall school and SPS grades, from their own schools; and learn how to set data-driven, strategic academic goals for their schools. The Success Agenda is open to all New Orleans charter school board members. This event has passed.

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Charter School Accountability: Progress Monitoring toward Renewal

Monday, February 23, 2026

5:00pm – 8:00pm

Event Format: Intensive

With planning, the charter school renewal process can shift from intense to intentional. This intensive will provide charter board members with a comprehensive understanding of the new state accountability framework, potential changes in the district’s accountability framework, and their impact on the charter renewal process. Charter board members will explore pre-renewal planning and progress monitoring towards renewal as well as gain a comprehensive understanding of the key governance actions and decisions involved in the charter school renewal process. ​ Board members are encouraged to read and/or bring copies of their charter contracts to the session for review during the clinic and to aid in planning clear next steps.

This session is open to all charter board members. Accountability Committee and Academic Committee members are especially encouraged to attend. Click here to register.

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Advocating for Change through Collective Power

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

5:00pm – 8:00pm

Event Format: Panel

Advocacy is a critical skill all charter board members should hone to ensure their schools are best positioned to support the academic learning of their students. It is also an area of board service where strong partnerships with school leaders can generate significant impact. At this event, board members will hear diverse perspectives on current issues and trends impacting and shaping the New Orleans charter school landscape. State and District leadership will explore issues, such as school funding, charter school accountability, pending state legislation, and the impact of other State-level and District-level policies on New Orleans charter schools. Charter school board members will leave this event more informed, better able to serve as advocates and ambassadors for their schools, and having a better understanding of how they can work collectively to advocate for and strengthen the charter school system.

This session is open to all charter board members, and we encourage board members to attend with their school leaders. Click here to register.

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Planning for Financial Sustainability

Saturday, April 11, 2026

10:00am – 1:00pm

Event Format: Masterclass

This masterclass invites charter board members to dive more deeply into their charter organization’s fiscal health – beyond balanced budgeting. Board members will gain insights into the board’s financial leadership and oversight roles, factors that impact the fiscal position of a charter, and planning strategies to ensure financial sustainability throughout the charter term. In this masterclass, board members will explore a framework for understanding financial leadership, specifically within the context of board governance; review key financial statements to better understand your charter’s financial position; identify best practices to plan and monitor your charter’s finances proactively; and discuss finance roles and structures your charter needs to support a strong staff and board partnership.

This session is open to all charter board members. Finance Committee Chairs and members are especially encouraged to attend. Click here to register.

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CEO/School Leader Succession Planning: The Importance, Purpose, and Plan

Monday, June 8, 2026

5:00pm – 8:00pm

Event Format: Clinic

While many organizations are reluctant to discuss succession planning for key organizational leadership roles, this type of planning is characteristic of healthy, sustainable, and intentional organizations. This clinic explores best practices in CEO/School Leader succession planning and emphasizes its connections to strategic planning, charter goals, and the CEO/School Leader evaluation. In this session, charter board members will learn how to create a comprehensive succession plan that aligns with the organization’s strategic goals; build an emergency and/or short term succession plan; explore strategies for identifying and developing high-potential leaders within the organization; and learn how to effectively manage the transition process, including communication, change management, and onboarding.​

This session is open to all charter board members. Board Chairs, Vice-Chairs, and Governance Committee members are especially encouraged to attend. Click here to register.

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The CEO Evaluation: Understanding the Process, Policy, and Contract Implications 

Saturday, June 20, 2026 

10:00am – 2:00pm 

Event Format: Clinic

A primary responsibility of charter boards is to ensure their organization has the necessary leadership to advance its mission, vision, and work. This clinic presents the CEO/School Leader evaluation as a cyclical process and provides opportunities for charters to design or revise their own evaluation plans. During this clinic, board members will explore the core principles related to the board’s role in evaluating and supporting the CEO; identify the steps of the evaluation process and cycle; better understand the importance of equity in executive oversight and transition processes, such as hiring practices, compensation, and onboarding; and support the alignment of the CEO evaluation and succession planning.

This session is open to all charter board members. Because it is critical to your charter’s success that board members and school leaders are aligned on their approach to these evaluations, we encourage board members and CEOs/School Leaders to attend together. Click here to register.

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If you have questions or would like more information about the Charter Board Governance Series, please contact Devon Turner, Director of Nonprofit Leadership and Effectiveness, at devon@gnof.org or 504.620.5279.