Charter school board members’ readiness to serve and implications for training

Abstract

Purpose Analyzing data collected from the charter school board members and the superintendent in a charter school district in a southeastern state about the quality and usefulness of training, the purpose of this paper is to provide an important foundation for understanding training and development for charter school boards in the USA. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a qualitative case study approach to examine a charter school district and the preparedness of charter school board members to serve in that district. The authors sampled one charter school district in the southeast region of the USA and interviewed five charter school board members and the superintendent. Findings The first theme is composition and responsibility of charter school board members, which outlines the roles and responsibilities that charter school board members assume when they serve on this charter district board. The second theme is preparedness to serve, which traces the readiness of charter school board members to serve on a board. The final theme is training and documents related to the kind of training charter school board members receive once they are appointed to the board. Originality/value This study provides a conceptual framework about the dimensions and standards associated with preparedness to serve as a charter school board member and broadens the authors’ understanding of the roles and responsibilities of charter school boards, their preparedness to serve and the training and development they receive.

Towards an analysis of the transfer of training: empirical evidence from schools in Spain

“…In other words, the training achieves the educational improvement objectives for which it is planned. This result would be in line with the literature’s contributions that indicate the role of training in improving teaching (Gawlik and Allen, 2019). Training leads to the introduction of innovations in the classroom and to teacher work improvement (Barnes et al , 2019).…”

“…Training is considered one of the essential tools in the professional development of teachers (Gawlik and Allen, 2019; Stylianou and Zembylas, 2021). The training of teachers is critical to carrying out innovative processes that provide improvements in education (Bellibas and Gümüs, 2019).…”

The nature of hybrid governance: A case study of a large and well-established European international school

“…Literature on school governance stretching back as far as Kerr (1964) stresses the importance of board training, with Everett and Sloan in 1984 concluding that both well-planned orientation and ongoing comprehensive board education are critical. Gawlik and Allen (2019) suggest that these earlier ideas still hold true for the US charter school context, and recommend that board training should address the substance of what it means to be a steward of the school, as well as skills related to financial oversight and recruitment.…”

“…It remains unclear if the findings of this study are relevant for Type C schools, which now comprise the majority of international schools, and the emerging group of Type D schools. Nevertheless, given that the importance of board training is visible in the literature from as far back as Kerr (1964), and continues to emerge as important in both the international and US contexts (Hill and James, 2017; Gawlik and Allen, 2019), this appears to be an avenue through which international schools regardless of classification may be able to enhance their legitimacy.…”

“…Induction and training: developing a shared understanding of the governor role and promoting positive relationships Gawlik and Allen (2019) outline a body of predominantly US-based research stretching back nearly 60 years that points towards the importance of induction and ongoing board training in helping governors to fully understand and fulfil their responsibilities. MacKenzie (2012) supports this view in the international school context, emphasising that board members must develop a shared sense of responsibility, and make decisions in the best interests of the school as a whole.…”