The Smithsonian Governance Debacle: Ten Lessons Charter School Boards Can Learn at Someone Else’s Expense (Digital)
SKU
MON_SMITHSONIANA
When board members default on their oversight responsibilities, bad things happen to good organizations. Consider the Smithsonian Institution, whose board neglect had been highlighted in the news—neglect that has tarnished that organization’s name and may result in a partial loss of funding. Due to the actions of the Smithsonian’s immediate past secretary—its senior executive—the organization is in trouble. Among other issues, the secretary finagled a stratospheric salary, submitted lavish expenses for reimbursement, engaged in conflicts of interest, and spent a substantial amount of time fulfilling obligations serving other corporate boards. Though his actions were all egregious, responsibility for them ultimately rests where it always does in a non-profit organization: with the governing board. Herein lies an important lesson for charter schools and authorizers: even the most talented individuals need to develop their capacity for board governance. In his discussion, Brian will briefly discuss ten aspects of governance using examples of board failures from the Smithsonian case. These ten aspects do not constitute the entire work of the board, but when taken together, they help form a more complete picture of how boards should operate.