As the charter-school option has expanded across the country, contracting for educational management services is an increasingly available and attractive choice for charter-school governing boards and founding groups. To make contractual relationships work well, charter-school boards need to strike an effective balance between fulfilling their public obligations to govern the school responsibly and giving contractors the freedom to handle school affairs without micromanagement from the board. Drawing on the experiences of charter schools nationwide, this resource guide aims to help charter-school boards structure stable, productive relationships with school-management organizations. It identifies key issues, highlights options, and presents questions to consider in the following areas: understanding the landscape of educational contracting; clearly defining roles and responsibilities in curriculum and instruction, personnel, budgeting, compliance, student recruitment, fundraising, and public relationships; establishing clear guidelines for the duration, termination, and renewal of the contract; carefully structuring the evaluation of performance; creating a clear understanding regarding the management organization's compensation and the school's financial affairs; making clear the ownership of physical and intellectual property; and planning how to manage an orderly transition to new management. (RT)