ERIC Number: ED412618
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1992
Pages: 21
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Emerging Issues in K-12 Independent School Governance. AGB Occasional Paper No. 14.
Kane, Pearl R.
Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges
There are approximately 1,500 independent schools in the United States, varying widely in philosophy, organization, and style. This paper addresses changes that have developed in and around independent schools and within their boards, discusses the implications of these changes for trustees, and examines the challenges confronting independent school boards. The largest single problem confronting independent schools is the need to fill seats. Demographic change, the economic recession, and competition from public schools are all factors that affect enrollment. Another challenge is the increasingly difficult administration of independent schools, which have become complex organizations. Economic pressures have immensely complicated administration of independent schools, and a consumerist attitude on the part of parents has replaced the familial feeling that once characterized their relationship with the school. Interviews with 47 people directly and indirectly involved with the boards of independent schools indicate that there are four major issues facing independent school boards: commitment, composition, structure, and board/head relations. These findings underscore the need for trustee education. To meet these challenges, boards will need to tap the skills and knowledge of their members to the fullest. Boards will need educational plans for their own development just as they need strategic plans for their institutions. (SLD)
Descriptors: Boards of Education, Demography, Economic Factors, Educational Administration, Educational Change, Educational Planning, Elementary Secondary Education, Private Schools, Trustees
Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. 1133 20th Street NW Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-356-6317; Tel: 202-296-8400; Fax: 202-223-7053; Web site: http://www.agb.org
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, Washington, DC.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A