Helping charter school boards lead with clarity and confidence.
Charter school boards make decisions that shape every student's experience, from budgets and hiring to academic oversight. Our training, assessment, and coaching help your board meet Minnesota's requirements and lead with clarity and confidence.
Good governance creates stability students need.
Students rarely see a board meeting, but they feel its decisions every day. A board that understands its role, meets its legal requirements, and plans for leadership transitions gives school leaders room to lead and gives students a stable, consistent place to learn. Our board services are built to help volunteer board members do that work well.
Board Webinar Series and Board Self-Assessment
Everything your board needs to meet Minnesota's training and self-assessment requirements, in one annual subscription. Board members learn on their own schedule, and the self-assessment turns a compliance task into a clear plan for growth.
Board Webinar Series
Annual access to 25+ required and elective board training webinars for your whole board. Each course focuses on the knowledge volunteer board members need to govern well.
- Convenient: watch from anywhere, with no travel time or expense
- Accessible: year-round access to revisit content anytime
- Compliant: includes all state-mandated board training
- Extra support: includes one hour of governance coaching on request, and courses are BOSA-approved for CEU credit
Select courses are also available in Spanish.
Board Self-Assessment
Minnesota law (Minn. Stat. 124E.07) requires every charter school board to complete an annual self-assessment, report the results, and train members based on identified needs. Our web-based assessment makes that simple and gives every member a personalized training plan.
- Compliance knowledge check: scenario-based questions drawn from real board situations
- Board practice ratings: a rubric across 6 success domains and 20 indicators
- Personalized training plans: program and webinar recommendations for each member and your board
- Ready for your annual report: documented results you can report with confidence
Two 2-week assessment windows each year, completed online on each member's own schedule.
Courses organized around your board's year
The Board Webinar Series follows Minnesota's training requirements. New board members complete Open Meeting Law, board roles, and data practices training before their term begins, then employment, financial management, and academic oversight training within their first 12 months. Ongoing and extra credit courses help your whole board keep growing. Here is a sample of what's included.
Pre-term training (before a new member's term begins)
- New Board Member Basics
- Best Practices of High Performing Boards
- Open Meeting Law Deep Dive
- Enhanced Data Privacy Practices
First-year training (within 12 months of being seated)
- Charter School Employment Law
- Charter School Budget Basics
- Understanding Charter School Financial Statements
- Role of the Board in Academic Oversight
Ongoing annual training
- Facilities Financing
- Creating an Affiliated Building Company
- Authorizer Panel: Proactive Steps to Avoid Common Pitfalls
- Conducting Executive Search
- Leadership Performance Review
- What Boards Need to Know About Student Discipline
- Supporting Special Education Programs: The Role of the School Board
- State Standards
- Director Succession Planning: Why It Matters
- Conflict of Interest and Nepotism
- Crisis Management and Communications
- Parliamentary Procedures
- Building and Recruiting a Strong Board
Extra credit
- Understanding Student Data: MCA
- Understanding Student Data: NWEA MAP
- You're the New Board Chair-Elect, Now What?
- Board Engagement: A Stanford Study
- Minnesota Paid Family and Medical Leave
- Legal Issues Impacting Charter Schools
- Managing Grievances Effectively and Efficiently
- Immigration, Education, and Equity-Focused Governance
- Charter School Facilities
- Charter School Funding Obstacles
Board Webinar Series + Board Self-Assessment
$750 per year for whole-board access to the Board Webinar Series, plus $250 per year to add the Board Self-Assessment. Both include 12 months of access.
"CharterSource streamlines everything, like communication, meetings, and expectations. The difference in our board before and after working with them is huge."
CharterSource board client
"They manage things in a way that makes life easier without putting more on our plate."
CharterSource board client
More ways we support your board
Every board is at a different point. Some want hands-on coaching for a new chair, others need help with meeting logistics or a single place to manage board work. Start with what fits your board today and add support as your needs grow.
Board Chair Coaching
$4,860 per year
Ten 60-minute coaching sessions with your board chair, a custom scope and sequence, templates and work plans, attendance at one board meeting, and an end-of-year Board Accountability Dashboard.
Custom Board Training and Retreats
Pricing varies
Training built around your board's goals, delivered as a half- or full-day retreat or as a shorter session during a regular board meeting, virtually or in person.
Board Liaison Support
$70 per hour
On-demand support coordinating board logistics, meeting materials, and Open Meeting Law postings, as an alternative to an in-house staff liaison or alongside one.
Board Management System (BMS)
$3,500 per year
One sign-in for board books, calendaring, self-assessments, and ED performance reviews. Includes the Board Webinar Series, a resource library, 250+ sample policies, and 24/7 phone support.
Start with a conversation
Not sure where your board should start? We're glad to talk through your goals and help you find the right support for your school.