School News

Board Introduction & Strategic Planning Update

10/10/2024

Courtney Quinn, Board Chair

As many times as I've talked about the work of Fayerweather's Board of Directors with folks in our community, I think my favorite was outlining it for the student body during an all-school meeting a couple of years ago.

There's something distinctly humbling about getting up in front of an audience ranging in age from four to fourteen, including your own kids, and possessing no small degree of natural skepticism, as you try to explain why and how you, allegedly, have some kind of authority in the school.

I saw it as an opportunity, however, to boil down the sometimes ambiguous language of governance into something really digestible. As is often the case at Fayerweather, by prioritizing the engagement of our students, I ended up learning, myself, how to better and more clearly talk about our work - with anyone, of any age.

So when I talk about the Board with parents, I talk about the same key things that I shared with their kids. That independent schools and all similar nonprofits are required by law to have board oversight. That parents, teachers and other friends of the school volunteer their time to contribute to that work. That the law requires us, as Directors, to make thoughtful, reasonable decisions, to put the school first, and to hold true to our mission.

Most importantly, I talk about our three big responsibilities.

Stewardship of the school’s mission: Are we doing what we say we’re doing in our mission? This means both that the mission should accurately reflect what we do, and that what’s happening in the school should be aligned with our mission.
Management and support of our Head of School: Do our Head and her team have everything they need to meet the mission?
Responsibility for the school’s financial health: Do we have the resources to keep meeting our mission today and in the future?

One key way that the Board contributes in particular to the long-term financial health of the organization is through strategic planning. Fayerweather’s board launched a strategic planning process early in 2024, led by our Head of School Kimberly Ridley, and our Strategic Planning Chair Lauren Stewart. Many community members contributed to this work in the spring, either through survey responses or the meetings we held to brainstorm and prioritize. Though we'd originally intended to roll out the plan this fall, we are taking additional time to refine the goals and work out action plans with FSS faculty and staff that we know will make for a stronger and more actionable set of strategic priorities. We are looking forward to sharing the plan with you in January, and we are so grateful to all of the parents, staff, and community members who have been part of this process. My own thanks in particular to Kim and Lauren, for their dedicated leadership of our planning work!

Strategic planning, like all of the work of the Board, requires that we have a strong group of directors with thoughtful perspectives and a deep commitment to Fayerweather's mission and values, and I am always eager to hear from with folks in our Fayerweather community who might want to contribute to the school through governance. Our Committee on Directors is tasked with identifying and interviewing candidates for the Board, and works diligently every year to build a strong pipeline of community members who can make a lasting contribution to the school. If this sounds like something that interests you, I'll encourage you to reach out to our Committee on Directors via Max Cohen and/or Daniella Pizzurro.

Thank you for being part of this Fayerweather community. I look forward to learning alongside you and continuing to bring our mission to life in the school every day!

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