National Association of Independent Schools

PRINCIPLES OF GOOD PRACTICE

INDIVIDUAL TRUSTEES

"Famous Sayings"

Match these board member comments overheard recently with the relevant NAIS Principle of Good Practice for Individual Trustees

1. "Hey Tom - can you let me look on your Board Meeting Packet again this month - mine's still sitting on my desk. It's been such a busy week, I didn't even have time to open it. Ha!"

2. "I agree, Marge. I'm not a fan either. Even at the board meetings "old man Joe" blithers on and on. He is simply too old to be our Head of School.

3. "You're kidding me, Julian. The Gendarmes ticketed you and other parents parked in front of the school? Not to worry, I'll speak directly to the police commissioner. He's my neighbor and knows that I am a Board member. I'll take care of it myself."

4. "Ida, don't tell anyone this, but at the last board meeting, we found out that we might have to move campus. Very hush-hush, but I know that your husband is developing the vacant property on the hill in the new section of town and thought you'd be interested in that bit of information."

5. "I certainly didn't vote for that increase in tuition and you can bet I'm going to make sure my friends know that I think it is totally irresponsible."

6. "Sally, as Head of School, would you please get rid of that receptionist? She still doesn't know my name!"

7. "Well my people think this policy is a bad idea. It may be good for all of you, but the families I represent don't like it."

8. "I really am not interested in finances - whatever the Head of School recommends probably makes sense, so I support it. I don't need to know the whole story."

9. "We absolutely need to support the swim team's trip to the regionals. My son has worked so hard all season and this is our big chance."

10. "I know our mission is to serve the international community and that focusing on that is one of our goals for this year, but personally, I think we would be far better off if we opened admissions to children of wealthy local families."

11. "I know we agreed that board members would host the alumni who come back to town for our 50th Anniversary Celebration, but that whole development thing is just not my interest. You guys take care of it."

12. "The school's 'mission'? Well, I guess it's to teach our kids. Frankly, I'm not much interested in that mission-vision-policy business - a bunch of gobbledygook as far as I'm concerned."