Winston Churchill observed that “Democracy is the worst form of government except for all the others.” Indepedenent school governance is similar. Most board members are not educators yet are entrusted to make important strategic decisions about the school and its leader. It may seem unlikely but it works successfully if board members understand their roles and how they can be most helpful.

Since board members are not educators, they should refrain from involvement in the day-to-day running of the school. Those decisions, including student admissions, personnel/HR, and curriculum selection fall outside the board’s purview. They are the responsibility of the head of school, with the board providing support.

However, there are three specific areas in which the board should engage to ensure the school functions more effectively:

• Fiduciary: This is the thinking of oversight. The board should be concerned that the school operates smoothly. They should monitor financials, fundraising efforts, and enrollment trends. If any of these key areas seem awry, the board should ask why and expect those issues to be addressed. It should not do the fixing as that is the staff's job, but it should keep its eyes on the progress made. While fiduciary responsibilities may occupy minimal time in well-run schools, they can undercut the board's focus in less efficient institutions.

• Strategic: This is the thinking of foresight. The board should be thinking about and planning for the school’s future. Part of the work includes crafting a strategic plan. Another part of the work is putting a strategic lens on all items that come before the board, asking questions like:
• How does this decision integrate with our mission and declared strategies?
• Would another approach align more closely to the mission and strategic plan? What is that approach?
• How will this decision likely affect the school in five years? 

• Generative: This is the thinking of insight. The board should be looking at issues through a non-conventional lens. Would the school be better served with a completely different approach? What are some unique approaches the school could take to better serve students? This is where board members who come from differing backgrounds can be most helpful. School leaders, like all humans, are influenced by upbringing as well as personal and professional history. Understanding how others approach similar issues may allow the school to break new ground and function more effectively.

Let’s imagine a scenario where the school is facing a space shortage for its high school and the board is considering an expansion.

• Fiduciary: Is the high school currently using its space effectively? Are there classes that should be eliminated, freeing up space? Do admission trends indicate that enrollment will stay at current levels or increase/decrease?

• Strategic: What is the ideal size of the high school? What are the classrooms needed to prepare students for college and the world they are inheriting? How much money can we raise? Where would a building be located?

• Generative: Do high schoolers need to be in a school building all day? Could internships take the place of conventional classes? Should classes be taught remotely? Can we find space in an external entity such as a nursing home and have the students interact with non-students, such as the nursing home's elderly residents?

In the absence of significant operational issues, boards should prioritize strategic and generative thinking. Focusing on these aspects ensures the board adds value, proactively shaping the school's future rather than merely reacting to immediate concerns.