Onboarding New Board Members – What Do They Need to Know?

About the Webinar:

The session, led by Sherard Parker, the Executive Director of the Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools, focused on strengthening charter school governance through effective onboarding practices for new board members. The presenters emphasized that successful charter schools require strong, informed boards, and the onboarding process is the foundation for this success. They framed their discussion around the “Five Ws”—who, what, when, where, and why—and introduced five key steps for effective onboarding: setting expectations, establishing initial contact, conducting orientation training, connecting with the school leader, and pairing new members with a board mentor.

A major theme was the importance of setting clear expectations before a new member joins. Board candidates should understand the scope of their commitment, including meeting frequency, governance responsibilities, fiduciary duties, and the school’s mission and vision. The presenters stressed that onboarding must be intentional and structured, with governance committees taking responsibility for candidate interviews and documentation. This process helps ensure that boards bring on members who are aligned with the school’s priorities and capable of fulfilling their responsibilities.

The session also highlighted the value of orientation training and direct engagement with school leaders. Orientation introduces board policies, financial responsibilities, and strategic priorities, while a school visit and leader meeting provide real context about the institution the board serves. Parker underscored that boards exist to govern, not to manage daily operations, and that alignment between governance and school leadership is critical. Developing a mentoring structure further strengthens new members’ integration by giving them a peer resource to answer questions, reduce reliance on the board chair, and build long-term board leadership capacity.

Finally, the presenters connected these onboarding practices to broader organizational health. A well-structured onboarding program not only builds individual board member capacity but also contributes to continuity, succession planning, and stronger relationships between boards and school leaders. FACSA’s role, they noted, is to support authorizers and boards across Florida in adopting such best practices, ensuring that governance remains focused on transparency, accountability, and student success.