Parent Associations, Effective Practices, AWSNA

February 5, 2014/in RESOURCES /by Michael Soulé

This part of the module on Working with Parents surveys the many aspects of a parent association in a school.

The contents include: (click on a topic to go to the module on the AWSNA Website.)

1. Does your school have a Parent Association? If yes, describe its primary areas of focus or responsibility.
2. Who is a member of the Parent Association, and how do they join?
3. Does your Parent Association have a written charter/mandate/constitution that describes its role, including descriptions of its authority and responsibility? If yes, describe how this statement was developed and attach a copy of this document.
4. What are the areas where the Parent Association has decision making authority in the school? Where is authority shared with other decision making bodies/individuals?
5. Describe the leadership and operational structure of the Parent Association.
6. Describe the key elements of your school’s philosophy in relation to its Parent Association.
7. What about your school’s Parent Association is particularly effective?
8. If there were something that you could change in relation to your school’s Parent Association what would it be and why?

Read the whole module here: Parent Associations

Effective Practices is a project and Publication of AWSNA.

Communications Flow for Increasing Enrollment, from NAIS Independent Educator

February 3, 2014/in RESOURCES /by Michael Soulé

This article by Jeff Hansen is a clear and refreshing discussion of the power of personal and ongoing communications in increasing enrollment. This article echos the wisdom of Siegfried Finser in his book specifically for Waldorf schools "Full Enrollment". Hansen outlines his process for increasing consciousness about perhaps the most important aspect of the enrollment process - the ongoing flow of communications between the school and the prospective parents. - MS

INTRO

Enrollment drives the financial health of independent schools. When I began as an admissions director several years ago, this point was emphasized to me numerous times by our head of school. “Get more students,” he declared, “and we can solve our financial problems.” After I kindly brought up the realities of our competitive market, the global economic downturn, our stressed budget, and our declining enrollment trends for the past five years, he once again echoed: “Get more students.”

Not deterred, I started hunting for a cost-effective, systematic, research-based, yet highly personal, method for turning the tide of our admissions woes. After talking with several mentors and doing a bit of research, I stumbled upon a solution that is both simple and highly effective: a good conversation. In enrollment management, we just call it a “communication flow.”

Building Your Communication Flow

A communication flow is a series of communications about your school delivered to prospects over time. They can be designed and implemented on a shoestring budget with the help of some coaching and a bit of technology. Here’s how to do it.

1. Make a list of the distinct advantages of your school.

Call it strategic positioning, your niche in the market, or simply what you’re good at, but you need to write down the top characteristics that make your school unique in your geographical area. It may be a uniquely diverse student body, a renowned science department, or a commitment to year-round community service. These will form the heart of your messages, and will be highlighted in your communication flow to prospective families.

2. Plan out your conversation.

Now, with your strategic advantages as the center point of your communication plan, what else do you want to say? Is financial aid important? How about an invitation to an open house? Think through each major item you’d like to communicate to a prospective family, and make a list. Now pick a time frame to execute your communication flow (three to five months works for most schools). This plan is your intelligent, long-term conversation with a prospective family. It is the curriculum through which you teach to your student (the prospective family) all about your subject (the school).

3. Mix your mediums of delivery.

Now you need to select how you want to say these things in your communication flow. I suggest a combination of emails, letters, videos, postcards, and phone calls. These will vary from school to school, but the key is to say something unique with each “touch” and to present messages to the family in various mediums over time.

4. Produce the content.

Now you need to request help from your school community. Ideally, you’ll have a combination of teachers, parents, students, alumni, administrators, and admissions officials producing the content for your communication flow. If you have a cooperative team, imagine the end result: A new family leaves from a tour, and over the next four months, the family receives a personal letter from a teacher, an email from an administrator about spiritual life, a phone call from admissions about financial aid, a postcard invitation to an open house, an email from an alumnus about the influence his school had on his career decision, and a parent’s testimony via video. If spaced at proper intervals, this will not be “spam.” For those who’ve opted into this conversation, it will look like the entire community wants this prospective family to attend your school.

5. Automate your communication flow.

Finally, you’ll need the help of technology. Nobody will remember to do this entire sequence on his or her personal planner. With hundreds of inquiries, it would quickly become overwhelming. Instead, it must be a part of an automated system. At my school, Front Range Christian School, Colorado, with the click of a button we automate a “drip marketing campaign” (a communication flow) through an email marketing program and a handy piece of customer relations management software. Over the next four months, emails are sent automatically, reminders are sent to the admissions department to send letters or postcards, and phone call prompts are sent to administrators or teachers to chat about topics ranging from financial aid to foreign language (depending on the prospective student’s interests).

This automation means we can know the quality of follow-up each inquiry receives, and we can bet on improved results for student enrollment next year.

Why It’s Worth the Effort

Designing your own communication flow will likely take about a month. But it’s well worth the effort. Consider the benefits. Now a family will learn about your school from a variety of important perspectives. Because this learning will take place over time, when families are making hard decisions about what school to attend from among the array of educational options, the communications will be a steady reminder of the quality of your programming. Plus, the frequency will have built trust between the school and the family, and multiply the opportunities for families to apply. Meanwhile, the admissions team will have greater peace, and the executive team can know exactly the type of communication each and every inquiry receives. For those who use this system, the ultimate benefit is obvious: more students.

After the first month on the job as an admissions director, I was overwhelmed with the task of reversing a double-digit enrollment decline that had persisted for four years. So I sought out a mentor. Because this mentor was the vice-president of student enrollment at a theological seminary that had increased enrollment by an average of 15 percent per year (at a time when peer seminaries’ enrollments were dropping at an average rate of 4 percent per year), his words held some weight for me. He proceeded to explain the idea of a communication flow. Toward the end of our lunch he slyly grinned, as if he knew something I didn’t, and said, “The comm flow will take you a long way.”

Last year, Front Range Christian grew by 4 percent, and by the grace of God, we hope to double that figure this year.

Jeff Haanen is the director of admissions at Front Range Christian School, Colorado(www.frcs.org). He can be reached at jeff.haanen@gmail.com.

The Communication Flow: Increasing Enrollment Through Strategic Conversation

This article appeared in Fall 2012 issue of Independent Education, a publication of NAIS.

Preparing for Crisis Communications, from NAIS

February 3, 2014/in RESOURCES /by Michael Soulé

Author Jane Hulbert, provides a comprehensive look at how to prepare for communications in a crisis.

This document is designed to give schools a blueprint for crisis communications planning. Given the variety of schools, there is no “one size fits all” plan, but there are steps that every school can take in advance. The key to successfully managing a crisis is advance preparation.

Use these guidelines as you edit or update your own crisis plan. If you don’t have a plan yet, this will help you get started. Remember, when faced with a crisis, time is against you. You must move quickly, make key decisions, and communicate to your constituents. If you don’t prepare, your school will suffer more damage and it is very difficult and expensive to get your good name back once it has been tarnished.

This outline has been prepared to answer the most basic and important question in times of crisis, "what do I do if?" Whether it be a natural disaster response, difficult situations or business continuity, planning is key. Prepare, prepare, and prepare. From NAIS,

Crisis Communications Guidelines for Independent Schools

9 Steps to Stronger Board Performance, from Associations NOW

February 3, 2014/in RESOURCES /by Michael Soulé

9 Steps to Stronger Board Performance is a collections of resources from Associations NOW that clearly outline practices essential to successful board work. The key areas are relevant to large or small boards. For boards of young schools or schools that have regular turnover of board members, the basic processes of healthy board development are often left behind. These resources can help a board focus on activities that strengthen their work as a group and individuals. - MS

ASSOCIATIONS NOW, January 2011 , Intelligence

Summary: Managing the performance of your board is a constant cycle of foundation, action, and evaluation. Read to find out how each fits into the cycle.

Editor's note: This article originally appeared in the January 2010 Associations Now Interactive

Take care of the fundamentals of board service. "Board members are entrusted with individual responsibilities and obligations. This job description is frequently missing in action from board manuals and orientation programs. The results are high levels of ambiguity at best and dysfunctional behavior at worst." —"The Art of Responsible Boardmanship," by Nancy Axelrod, Associations Now Volunteer Leadership Issue, January 2009

Define both goals and metrics by which to measure progress toward those goals. It's hard to measure success if you haven't defined it in advance. Success metrics will be unique to every organization, but when the board outlines its goals for the association, it should quantify success and specify the board's role in achieving those goals.

Get the board on board with evaluation. A board must be committed to the value of measuring and evaluating performance. It may take some convincing, though. "Prepare ways to present governance evaluation as a positive and constructive experience—emphasize that governance is intended to be developmental, not judgmental." Anne L. DeCicco, CAE, Achieving Excellence in Association Governance, ASAE, 1996

Build accountability into all aspects of board activity. When board members' roles and tasks are clearly and openly defined, they know success will only result from their actions. For example, the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants' Strategic Plan Metrics Dashboard (see sample) features a column titled "Responsibility," which lists the individual board members and committees tasked with individual goals.

Put board activity and progress on record. Board meeting minutes "should reflect that the board members were prepared, participated actively, and decided issues without undue haste or pressure. ... Board minutes provide evidence of the level of care, obedience, and loyalty that the members exercised in carrying out their duties." "Directors & Officers — The Importance of Board Minutes," Croydon Consulting, 2005

Communicate early and often with your board chair. Keeping the board on task is as much art as science, and your board chair is your number-one ally. An idea from one CEO: Hold an informal weekly call, "a time for the chair and CEO to discuss any topic in private without being restricted by an agenda or an audience in the room."—"Critical Conversations," by Whitney Redding, Associations Now Volunteer Leadership Issue, January 2009

Ask the board to evaluate itself. This step can range from the simple (see sample 15-category evaluation) to the complex (see Self-Assessment tool from BoardSource.org), but the process of the board reviewing its own performance will give both CEO and board tangible feedback about where strengths and weaknesses lie. http://www.boardsource.org/Bookstore.asp?Item=184

Include an opportunity for personal reflection. Board members should evaluate their own individual performance as well (see sample self evaluation), to call attention to the importance of their personal contributions (or lack thereof) to the board's work.

Use evaluation results to start discussion on how to improve (and start the cycle again). "The instrument used is less important than the quality of interpretation of responses, discussion of findings and implications, and development of a performance improvement strategy." Glenn H. Tecker, President and CEO, Tecker Consultants LLC, July 30, 2008, ASAE Executive Management Listserver

A Guide to Full Enrollment, Siegfried Finser

January 26, 2014/1 Comment/in RESOURCES /by Michael Soulé

A Guide to Full Enrollment is a guidebook for Waldorf Schools, at all stages of maturity, interested in achieving full enrollment. As it takes a whole, healthy school, united with purpose and courage to have full enrollment, this guide was written especially for Trustees, Teachers, Administrators, Enrollment Directors and Parents. The future demands that the Waldorf school transform itself into an organ for social renewal with all parties working together. (None of us can do it alone.)The Guide describes the 10 basic steps of a healthy enrollment process, listing ways to improve them. The two steps most needing improvement, “getting more inquiries” and “follow up” are described in great detail. Focus is provided on one particular approach for reaching full enrollment that is known to be successful from direct experience. It has worked wonders in at least three Waldorf schools.

Weaving through the entire Guide are suggestions, exercises and alternative attitudes for all of us together to take up and explore. Few of us completely understand what the founder Rudolf Steiner intended. Let’s stop pretending to be “authorities.” Instead, why don’t we become “leaders in human development” and model the education of the future. All striving beings should be able to find a home in the Waldorf school.

What the world mostly knows as “Education” is near the end of its evolution. Waldorf education is just at its beginning.

The above description comes from Finser publications. Please visit the Finser Publication website for this and other books by Siegfried.

Empowerment in Organizations: The Theory and Practice of a Mandate System, C Pieterse

January 24, 2014/in RESOURCES /by Michael Soulé

As reflected in the reviews below and in the table of contents, this book explores the essential aspects of community and organization building. Cornelis focuses on two main topics: the understanding of the growth and development of organizations through phases; and the structure and practice of mandates. Both of these are central topics at the heart of every waldorf school and small nonprofit. Cornelis furthers an understanding of them with clarity and experience.

Contents

Conceptual Framework

Systems Thinking

The context in which we find ourselves

Phases of Organizational Development

Leadership in the Third Phase

Living and Working in the Third Phase

Tools for Change

The Mandate System

Conversation Guidelines

Facilitation and Meeting Effectiveness

Decision making and Group Dynamics

Community Vision Building and Planning by Consensus

Conflict Management

Group Exercises and techniques

Epilogue

Cornelis Pieterse

About this Book

Empowerment in Organizations is a seminal work about organizational transformation and redefined leadership roles. Veteran facilitator Cornelis Pieterse provided an insightful description of developmental phases in organizations, as well as a clear road map to alternative management practices. It is an articulate academic proposal, supported by the author’s many years of experience in practice as well as theory. His lively writing style simplifies the subject of governance in nonprofit organization by breaking it down into digestible components, facilitating an easy read.
—Kerry Drohan
Metropolitan Editor, The Boston Globe

This book provides a thoughtful and understandable introduction to the world of systems theory and its application in organizational consultation. While this subject is often treated as an arcane art, accessible to only the intellectual elite, Pieterse allows the reader a glimpse into the actual workings of systems through the presentation of real life experiences. The author has a profound understanding of the interconnectedness of the world and insights into the universality of the general principles of systems work.
—Michael Conforti, Ph.D.
Jungian Analyst, Founder and Director of the Assisi Conferences
author of Field, Form and Fate: Patterns in Mind Psyche and Nature

Cornelis Pieterse’s clear descriptions of the mandate process can serve organizations suffering from becoming stuck in a particular phase. If I had read this book twenty-five years ago, how much more productive and satisfied I would have been in my organizational experiences. This is a highly readable and helpful guide that can be especially useful in schools and other organizations. Strongly recommended.
—Betty Staley
Waldorf High School Teacher Training Director, Rudolf Steiner College

If the social art is the highest art form, as suggested by Rudolf Steiner, then Empowerment in Organizations is a clarion call to organizational learning and the practical applications of the social art in community. It offers us the tools to meet in new ways, to work in horizontal organizational structures. Here lies the future!
—Elaine Mackee
High School Faculty Chair, Vancouver Waldorf School

I think Cornelis Pieterse has done a service to the field of organization development. I trust experienced practitioners will find themselves reexamining aspects of their practice they long ago thought they had mastered. By placing practical matters under a microscope, Cornelis moves in such a way as to make them clearer than before. Those new to the field will recognize someone has done them the favor of articulating theory and years of experience in a cogent way.
—Dino Biris, Senior Consultant
Semasea Organization Development

About the Author

Cornelis Pieterse, senior partner and owner of Lemnis Associates in Wilton, New Hampshire, is a consultant who works with Waldorf schools, small businesses, civic organizations and corporations.

The Mandate System, C Pieterse from Administrative Explorations, AWSNA

January 24, 2014/in RESOURCES /by Michael Soulé

More and more in organizations we find it important to assign various tasks and responsibilities to small groups. The key to success in doing this has to do with how we select individuals for the group and how we define the task and the role and responsibility of the group. The description for the group is called a mandate and how we understand and practice creating and managing mandates makes a great difference in the groups success. This is especially true in nonprofit organizations and schools where staffing is usually minimal and the desire for collaboration and consensus is high. In this informative article, Cornelis outlines a clear and useful description of what a mandate system is and how to make it effective in an organization. -MS

THE MANDATE SYSTEM

Cornelis Pieterse, MA.

Lemnis Associates

(Reprinted from "Administrative Explorations." AWSNA. (1999) Ed. David Mitchell)

(I would like to thank Kathy Kelly and Herb Walsh, both members of the Lemnis Conference Series coordinating group, for their helpful input.)

What follows is my perspective on the mandate system as it may work in Waldorf schools and other not for profit organizations. However, the system may in large measure be applied in business settings as well. I make a distinction between a "constitutional mandate" and a "regular mandate." A constitutional mandate is one derived from the ‘articles of incorporation’ or ‘bylaws’ of the institution. These mandates (job descriptions) usually pertain to the governing bodies and standing committees of the organization and are permanent and multifaceted in nature. (If there is a question about the mandates of these permanent groups, then the constitution should provide an answer. If there is no answer, then the constitution may need to be amended.) A regular mandate is singular in task and limited in duration.

A mandate is primarily used for groups and individuals that have specific tasks to perform and/or decisions to make on behalf of a governing body. The need for mandate systems is greater for larger and therefore more complex institutions, and less pertinent to smaller organizations that are still in their early phase of development.

It is not easy for most of us today to truly empower other people to exercise power and responsibility on our behalf. Somehow we feel that if proposals and decisions are not identical to what we would have done, then the institution will suffer irreparable harm and never survive the mistakes. Such is the illusion under which most of us labor. To gradually wean us from this illusion, schools would do well by setting smaller mandates and to practice this process over and over again until the benefits to the organization and to ourselves become evident. We should learn to consciously and freely delegate responsibility to others without taking it back later when it doesn’t suit our purposes.

Mandate definition:

I define a mandate as an act of empowerment by the leadership groups of an organization to a smaller group or individual to act, research or make proposals. There must be a leadership body (board, council, College, etc.) that is authorized to formulate and delegate a mandate to a sub-ordinate body (a committee, task force or individual). There is therefore always a reporting responsibility from the group or individual that received the mandate to the authorizing body.

Mandate components:

An effective mandate must have each of these components clearly described and documented in all cases:

1. Succinct description of the task.

I cannot over-emphasize the need for a very succinct and well-documented description of the task. The delegating body would do well to use all the time necessary to formulate and agree on the task. Any short-circuited process or open-ended description will inevitably result in spending much more energy and time afterwards. Write the task down (one paragraph should suffice), read it and re-read it until everybody is crystal clear and in full agreement.

The task usually consists of fact-finding and making proposals or sometimes making a decision. A mandate could also be centered around a function; for instance, mediating a conflict.

2. Reporting responsibility.

Make clear and document to whom and when and how (verbal or written) the mandated group should report.

3. Time line of when the task and the interim steps are to be completed.

A proper mandate has a very specific time for completion. If the ending date is exceeded, then the authorizing body must consent to another targeted completion date. A mandate must always have a time limit, usually no longer than a year in duration. A limited time frame and scope of the task helps in finding qualified individuals to serve with energy and commitment.

4. Criteria for membership and term of service.

It should be clarified and documented who are eligible to serve, how many members, and the length of time of service. Volunteering for key positions is usually not helpful. The group that decides on the mandate should be clear on the general criteria and identify specific people who may qualify. Make this as open a process as possible. Let the light of day shine on this process. When nominating members, specify the reasons why he or she is a good candidate. The candidate has the freedom, of course, to decline. In either case, the nominee should be specific of why he or she wants to accept the nomination, and also specify the strengths and weaknesses that he or she may bring to the task. Expectations and reservations should be expressed by all sides and, when needed, addressed.

Once the group has been selected, it should have a frank discussion and decide if additional input or clarification is needed. The chair may either be chosen by the mandated group or by the delegating body. How the chair is chosen should be determined when the mandate is formulated.

Guidelines and Selection Process

(For larger groups)

Guidelines:

In all that you do, publicize in advance a clear description of the mandate, the selection process, membership criteria and number of members.
Make sure that people know where, when, how and with whom a final decision is made.
To obtain a balance of capacities is of much greater importance than that a person belongs to a certain constituency. You would want the right people with the right skills, and you would want the group constellation of people.
People cannot nominate themselves.
Each participant can only nominate one person per committee.
Never allow absentee voting. (This undermines the integrity of the group process.)
The nominating person should give at least two (2) reasons for the nomination.
After all nominees are nominated, each nominee indicates his/her willingness to serve or not, and one or two reasons for their acceptance or withdrawal.

Selection Process:

Note: If you want to select membership for more than one committee at a time, read all mandates and membership criteria at the beginning of the meeting. This enables people to take the totality into account once the nominating process starts. You may even choose the membership of more than one committee simultaneously, so that people have to prioritize their thinking.

Note: I have chosen a voting procedure rather than working by consensus. I do not think that seeking consensus in a large group is realistic or necessary. At the end of this process, each person is asked to give his or her approval of the outcome (slate). Since the process was open and fair, you will find most often that you will get unanimous consent, i.e. consensus!

Note: Keep in mind the following principle: A work or mandated group needs to include only those people who have jurisdiction over the task at hand. If a work group has members who are peripheral to the task or, worse, relies on the authority (insight/participation) of non-members to fulfill its mandate, it ceases to be useful or necessary. In such a case, the group should be dismantled or reconstituted.

Three scenarios for selection and approval:

Nomination and selection takes place within the community meeting. (I prefer this scenario because it open and clear, and requires full participation and therefore commitment by all.)
A nominating committee is established and selects a slate that then is approved in the community meeting or by the authorizing body.
Solicit nominations in writing for subsequent approval by the authorizing group.

Steps:

Outline the mandate. (Remember that the mandate can be amended once the committee is functioning.)
Outline criteria for membership and the number of positions to be filled.
Solicit questions for clarification on the above. (In all, be brief. If major issues arise and it cannot be resolved in the meeting, the authorizing body should be empowered to make the final call.)
Outline process for selection and final decision.
Solicit questions of clarification.
Open the floor for nominations, using the guidelines as stated above. Post the results.
Close the nominating at 10 or 12. (If you want to place a limit on nominations.)
Have each nominee state the reasons for accepting or withdrawal.
Assess the end result. If you have all positions filled, you have your committee! (In some cases it may be wise to select an additional member who would function as alternate.)

10. Before final affirmation, the selected group will have a brief conversation among them to consider their mandate and constellation. This may include a brief discussion on what additional support or information they may need from the community. In some cases, an adjustment may need to be made on account of an imbalance of representation or talents.

If you have more nominees than the mandate requires, continue:

11. a. Give each person present (no absentee votes) one choice from the slate. (Nominees cannot vote for themselves but can for someone else.) Tabulate results. The top nominees become the committee.

11. b. As in (11a) but by open ballot. (An advantage in using ballots is that participants are less swayed by comments and decisions made by those who voted before them.) The ballots and comments are read aloud once they have been collected.

11. c. As in (11b) but by secret ballot. (Whenever possible, avoid this measure. Use it only when there is low trust among community members.) The facilitator, and maybe two other people, who can be entrusted with this task, tabulate results and announce the nominees with the highest votes. (Ballots will be destroyed and the 3 people will commit to holding their findings in strict confidence.)

12. Re-affirm the membership by going around the circle and seek EACH person's final approval of the slate!

13. Debrief entire experience (briefly) and share what people have learned from the process.

14. Celebrate and acknowledge accomplishments.

If qualified members cannot be found, or the same people find themselves serving on many committees at the same time, it may be that the organization is over "committeesizing" itself. This usually happens when, (1) groups and individuals are not empowered and entrusted to do work on behalf of the rest and when, (2) the leaderships group(s) are confused about their role or lack a common vision. As mentioned above, in this case it is best to start with small pilot projects to practice mandating tasks.

5. Fine-tuning.

Once the membership and the task has been agreed upon, the mandated group or individual should work with the mandate in the best way they can and be given a chance early on in the process to suggest amendments, if needed. This is done because there is no substitute for experience gained "in the field." The people closest to the action often gain insights and could make suggestions that may have been overlooked in the original design of the mandate. Walk a fine line between too much rigidity and too much flexibility in amending the mandate afterwards.

6. Process for soliciting input from constituents.

It is very important to realize that part of the mandate includes how and how often the group should seek input and information from its constituencies. I call these "in-put loops." This is a key element in the process. I would suggest that in most cases the group should be expected to seek at least 2 input loops (depending on the complexity of the task), and submits preliminary proposals for feedback and further input. When your input is requested, give it freely without undue expectation that your comments will be incorporated in the final recommendation or decision.

7. Areas of decision making authority (if any) and proposal making.

If the mandate includes decision-making authority, we should be extremely clear and have it documented where and how decisions can be made. If this clarity exists prior to granting the mandate, then no one should second-guess or question the decision and outcome. There is nothing more demoralizing and destructive to the people and health of the organization than to undo, second guess, or plainly undermine decisions that were made under a previously agreed upon process. I truly believe that the health and success of an organization depends on how well decisions are adhered to and implemented. Any decision that is later contradicted weakens the life of the organization to the point of paralysis.

In addition, even if a mandated group was only asked to make recommendations, these recommendation should weight much heavier in the debate then the ones that come from those who were not part of the mandate group. When in doubt, or when no clear consensus can be reached, always defer back to those who did the research and legwork on the issue.

8. Evaluation.

It is only after the task has been completed and the completion date has been reached that a detailed evaluation of the task and the people who performed it should be undertaken. The mandated group should be asked to do a self-evaluation and look at all aspects of their work: process and outcome. It is in the evaluation that all parties will learn the most. It is here where we can learn how to refine the process and the methodology of the mandate system for the next task. It is at this time that constructive questions can be asked why a certain course of action was taken or decision made. An honest and constructive evaluation becomes the elixir for continuous improvement and health. Do not side step this. Document the findings of the evaluation.

But above all, celebrate the accomplishments and the mistakes, the people who had the power and wisdom to delegated responsibility, and the people who were willing to assume it!

In summary, a mandate consists of the following elements:

Succinct description of the task.
Reporting responsibility.
Time line of when the task and the interim steps are to be completed.
Membership criteria and term of service.
Fine-tuning the mandate.
Process for soliciting input from constituents.
Areas of decision making authority (if any) and proposal making.
Evaluation.

More on Mandates can be found in C Pieterse's book, Empowerment in Organizations

Starting a School, A Summary of Suggestions from AWSNA

January 24, 2014/in RESOURCES /by Michael Soulé

Here is a list of frequently asked questions about starting a school. The information is borrowed from AWSNA's Young Schools Guide, a more comprehensive compendium of information about all aspects of starting and nurturing a school in its early years.

This informative article focuses on the questions around:

Starting a School

Forming a Study Group

Starting a playgroup or kindergarten

Founding a school

Questions to consider

Read the article here or at the AWSNA website.

FAQS: STARTING A WALDORF SCHOOL from AWSNA

How Do I Start a Waldorf School?
Initiative groups follow many different patterns in their development, but in recent years a certain trend has evolved which seems to be helpful to many groups. The initiative groups usually begin study groups for adults, and after a few years start a playgroup for children. After a year or two more they may feel ready to found a kindergarten, and several years later may have grown to the point where a school can be founded. As you can see, it takes time to initiate a school, and it can easily take seven years or longer from the beginning of the first study group to the opening of the first grade. The timing varies from one community to another, but all have found that it is essential to have a strong foundation in Waldorf Education and Anthroposophy if their school is to grow and thrive, and such a foundation is not laid overnight. A Waldorf school is not just an alternative to public schools or another independent school; its curriculum and philosophy proceed from the worldview and the insights into the nature of the child that Rudolf Steiner has given us in Anthroposophy. If there is not a core community surrounding the school initiative that is thoroughly familiar with and committed to that philosophy and pedagogy, then it is unlikely that the initiative will prosper.

Communities also find that while enthusiastic parents are essential for helping to found a school, this same enthusiasm can lead one to decide to found a school too quickly. Just as Waldorf schools are nonprofit organizations that are not created for the financial benefit of any individual, so their founding must also have an element of selflessness rather than being created to benefit certain children and their families. We know this can be a difficult thing to hear, but the pace of development is probably the single greatest factor in determining the future strength or weakness of a school. A weak, hastily built foundation remains with a school for its lifetime, and one sees the effects of it again and again. We all want schools that will flourish and thrive, and it's quite possible to found such schools if one works hard and does not rush.

Many communities have been inventive in meeting their own children's needs in the years before a school is started. They have had regular festival celebrations for families, organized puppet shows, painting classes, or other activities. Some have developed programs for elementary-aged children who are unable to go to Waldorf schools. These programs usually focus on the Waldorf story curriculum, the arts, and festival celebrations. They meet after school or on Saturday mornings. Leaders of such programs do not need to be fully trained Waldorf teachers. Often they are parents who are educating themselves about Waldorf Education through summer courses and other studies.

Returning to the basic pattern, which has evolved in recent years, we'd like to go over the steps one by one, sharing with you some of what the schools themselves have told us.

Establishing Study Groups
A Waldorf study group is usually founded that meets each week or every other week. Books are studied about Waldorf Education and speakers are invited into the community to lecture on the education. Popular books for new study groups include the A.C. Harwood books, or one of the other overviews of Waldorf Education by Francis Edmunds, Rene Querido, or M.C. Richards. Introductory study groups have also enjoyed working with Lifeways; Children at Play; The Incarnating Child; You Are Your Child's First Teacher; and The Young Child: Creative Living With Two to Four Year Olds. Basic books by Rudolf Steiner include Education of the Child in the Light of Anthroposophy (a booklet) and Kingdom of Childhood. Caroline von Heydebrand's Childhood is also a classic among Waldorf books. These books are available from ourOnline Store and other booksellers. Please see our Waldorf Resources section for additional links.

Communities serious about starting a Waldorf kindergarten or school also establish Anthroposophic study groups. The Anthroposophical work in a community is very important because Waldorf Education arises out of the soil of Anthroposophy. It is into this soil that the roots of the school will grow and derive nourishment. Communities that do not have active study groups in Anthroposophy remark that in the long run their schools seem unfed at a deeper level. Some complain that their schools feel "unsheathed," as if they stand too bare in the community. There can be nothing compulsory about the study of Anthroposophy, for it must live in the realm of inner freedom. Nevertheless, schools do best if Anthroposophy is being cultivated in the community around them in a healthy and free manner. The school itself needs to have a healthy fertile relationship with Anthroposophy if it is to grow and thrive as a Waldorf school. For more information about the study of Anthroposophy or to learn of Anthroposophical study groups in your area, visit the Anthroposophical Society in America (www.anthroposophy.org).

In establishing study groups, it is good to find a mentor. Even if this person can come only once a year, he or she can add much depth to the study, making suggestions about study materials, answering perplexing questions on content and so forth. The Waldorf Early Childhood Association can suggest mentors to you, as can the Association of Waldorf Schools in North America, as well as the Pedagogical Section Council (PSC). The PSC was founded to help cultivate the educational and spiritual life of Waldorf schools in North America. Elan Leibner is the Chairperson for the PSC and may be reached at eleibner@aol.com.

Starting a Playgroup
This is a less official step than founding a kindergarten, and many communities find it is a good starting point in their work with children. Generally, there are not such strict licensing requirements, and the curriculum is less demanding than in a Waldorf kindergarten. These playgroups are led by individuals who are serious in their study of Waldorf Education, but may not yet have a full Waldorf training. Playgroups usually meet in a home and often have four to eight children. The person in charge of the playgroup is usually involved in a part-time Waldorf training program.

Creating a Kindergarten
This is an official step that requires legal incorporation, full licensing through the appropriate government offices, rental of space, and so on. Equally important to all the legal requirements is that it should be led by a fully trained Waldorf kindergarten teacher, who has ideally already had at least three years' experience as a Waldorf kindergarten teacher. As you probably know, there is a critical shortage of such teachers in North America (and worldwide.) It is a good idea to help identify individuals from your community who are interested in getting trained and help make it possible for them to take a training, perhaps lending them money for their training and letting the loan turn to a grant if they return and teach in your school for a certain number of years.

Acquiring this kind of financial support may seem like a large task, but it is important to realize at the outset that establishing any independent school in North America, including a Waldorf school, is a very expensive undertaking. Perhaps in the future there will be a government sponsored voucher system for the support of independent education, or some other means of help, but at the moment communities need to raise relatively large amounts of money to transform the wish for a Waldorf school into a reality.

In the actual establishment of a kindergarten there are individuals who can be called upon for help. It's a good idea to work closely with your nearest Waldorf school and see if there are experienced teachers there who can help you with your steps of development. In addition, the Waldorf Early Childhood Association (www.waldorfearlychildhood.org) can help you and can put you in touch with an experienced kindergarten teacher to advise you. At this point, it will be necessary for the initiative to join the Association of Waldorf Schools as a New Initiative Member, a step that will put the initiative in wider contact with the Waldorf movement.

Founding a School
This is a very large step, for once a first grade is founded the school should be able to go on adding a new grade for the next eight years. This requires finding a new class teacher each year, more subject teachers, more classroom space and so on. You can see why a strong foundation is necessary. Without one, you can build for a few years without noticing that the structure is rather wobbly. The larger the structure becomes, however, the more the wobble shows, and cracks begin to develop. In recent years some schools have fallen apart and have had to close, a very painful situation for the school and for the whole of the Waldorf community.

Again, of course, one must also have trained Waldorf teachers. They are in short supply, as evidenced by the fact that each year our training centers do not have enough graduates to fill vacancies in the existing schools, much less new ones. In our meetings to discuss the problem of teacher shortage, one suggestion arises time and time again. That is for each community interested in Waldorf Education to raise money to send one or two of its own members for training, to return to take on the task of working with an experienced teacher in founding the grade school.

As you know, there is an ever increasing interest in the public sector in what Waldorf Education has to offer. If we have weak schools with untrained teachers to represent our education, then we imperil our good name as well as the opportunity of bringing new life into all of education. If all our schools, new and established, strive for the excellence inherent in our philosophy and methods, then we can meet any assessment of our work with confidence. Generally, one should have two or three kindergarten classes with a total of about 50 children before considering opening a first grade. Even then you may not be getting the 20 - 30 children necessary to make a first grade financially, socially, and academically viable. To start with fewer than 20-30 children means you need financially to underwrite the school and the teacher's salary to a large extent. Otherwise, you will pay too low a salary, the teacher may not be able to sustain his or her work without great strain, and you will find yourself with much turnover. Waiting until your classes are big enough, or nearly big enough, is very wise. Some schools start with very small classes (8 or 10 children), but they commonly struggle for years to find enough money to keep going. After a while this is very debilitating for all concerned, and it is questionable whether the children are getting what they need from the situation. There is a general assumption on the part of new initiatives that any Waldorf school is better than none, but our own experience is that this is not necessarily true. A weak school, with too few children, too big a budget deficit, too much strain on the teachers and active parents, is not a healthy environment for children. The school suffers as do the children.

As your group moves forward towards developing a Waldorf kindergarten or school, the Association of Waldorf Schools (AWSNA) or the Waldorf Early Childhood Association (www.waldorfearlychildhood.org) will help you make contact with other, more experienced Waldorf educators or schools. We also provide a list of schools and initiatives to facilitate communication. Ask nearby schools to put you on their mailing lists so that you know of lectures, workshops, fairs, and the like.

We hope you will let us know more about your groups and the progress you are making. Do stay in touch. If your group decides to begin the process of starting a school initiative, please contact AWSNA and WECAN to let us know of your progress. We are here to support and serve your needs.

It is important that you be aware of the fact that the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America is the holder of trademark rights for the use of the names "Waldorf" and "Steiner." If you are starting a school or currently a school with a question regarding the use of the terms "Waldorf" and/or "Steiner" please contact Melanie Reiser
Leader of Programs and Activities 515 Kimbark, Suite 103 Longmont, CO 80501 (612) 870-8310 x105 mreiser@awsna.org. This would include the terms "Waldorf inspired" or "Waldorf methods".

Questions for Consideration
The following is meant to help you focus on issues and concerns that should be considered prior to the founding of a new school initiative. Many of these have been raised in the preceding letter.
1. How many people are in your community who are familiar with the philosophy and pedagogy of Waldorf Education?
a. How many years have they studied together?
b. How many are familiar with curriculum requirements?

2. Has your core group defined its goals and objectives?
Are they formally written down, in the form of a Mission Statement and a long-range (5-year+) plan?

3. Plans for the present
a. Will you consider combined classes?
b. What will determine minimum class size?
c. What admissions policy will you adopt?

4. Plans for the future
a. Preschool/kindergarten for 1-5 years initially?
b. When to begin Grade 1, and continue to add a grade yearly
c. Have full 8 grades eventually, including staffing: trained class teachers, special teachers (foreign languages, art, music, physical education, etc)
d. Physical facilities for expansion

5. Have you investigated state/local requirements for:
a. Liability insurance
b. Codes: fire, health, building, etc.
c. Educational mandates, if they exist
d. General requirements for early childhood education
e. Certification of teachers

6. Have you incorporated as a 501(c)(3) under IRS ruling?
a. Have you a board of trustees?
b. Are responsibilities clearly defined in by-laws?
c. Are there provisions in by-laws for eventual transfer of pedagogical authority to the faculty?

7. Have you surveyed your possible commuting area to determine available student pool to draw on?

8. What independent school(s) would compete with this pool?

9. What segments of the population do you hope to draw on?

10. What consideration have you given to your publicity and image to attract those segments? (It's hard to overcome a negative or limiting public image once it's created.)

11. Is there someone in your group with knowledge of or access to good advice on publicity matters?

12. Have you surveyed your potential school community for the extent of financial support, over and above tuition?

13. It is estimated by experienced Waldorf consultants that from $40,000 - $50,000 should be in hand before starting a school with a reasonable hope of success. How will you raise this?
a. If not this sum, how will you guarantee at least the first two years of operation (rent/mortgage/loans, salaries, benefits, supplies, any necessary alteration of facility used, insurance, safety net for emergencies)?

14. Do the fund-raising activities you envision represent the quality and excellence of Waldorf Education?

15. What opportunities exist for attracting a Waldorf-trained teacher to your community?
a. What is the salary offered?
b. What is the housing availability for salary offered?
c. What are the social opportunities?
d. What is the type of school facility : church, community center, own building?

16. Do you have at least one experienced Waldorf teacher committed to starting the school?

17. Will you make plans to send likely candidates from your interested community to a teacher education center for training?

18. What thought has been given to a support staff? Someone in the school office is essential, as is at least a part-time bookkeeper.

Use of the names "Waldorf" and "Steiner"
The Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) is an association of independent schools working out of the pedagogical indications of Rudolf Steiner. Waldorf Education is devoted to contributing to spiritual, social, and economic renewal. It should be understood by any school or institution seeking affiliation with AWSNA that Waldorf Education is based on Anthroposophy, the philosophy initiated by Rudolf Steiner.

Waldorf is a trademark name in the United States and is reserved for independent schools which meet the membership standards established by AWSNA. Questions regarding schools in Canada need to be addressed to the Waldorf School Association of Ontario (WSAO). Only schools which have been accepted as Sponsored or Full Members of AWSNA may represent themselves as Waldorf schools or use the words "Waldorf" or "Rudolf Steiner" in their names or subtitles.

Guidelines for affiliation with AWSNA are available from the Association.

New Initiative Membership Program A category of membership for new initiatives has been implemented by the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA), effective August 1996. This entry-level affiliation with AWSNA is intended to provide new initiatives, which have an intention to begin a Waldorf school, with greater opportunity to establish a living connection with the Waldorf school movement. This is a significant step in the development of AWSNA toward its mission of serving and enhancing the Waldorf impulse in North America. Further, as the organization responsible for the trademark names "Waldorf" and "Rudolf Steiner," AWSNA now requires that any school wishing to use these names to describe itself in its literature, brochures, or public relations materials must be affiliated with AWSNA in the appropriate level of membership, and that schools wishing to use these names as a part of their school name or subtitle must be Sponsored Members or Full Members (see "Steps to Membership" for full descriptions of each level of membership). When an initiative is ready to affiliate with AWSNA, it will register and pay $200 annual dues. An application form will be distributed each fall.

Guidelines for New Initiative Membership are modeled upon the Associate Member status in the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America (WECAN), with the exception that AWSNA is an association of independent, nonpublic schools. Please note that new school initiatives in Ontario will be expected to work directly with the Waldorf School Association of Ontario (WSAO), and may affiliate with AWSNA when they are eligible to join as a Developing School. Waldorf initiative groups, play groups, kindergartens and related activities which meet the following criteria are eligible:

Demonstrable commitment to the ideals and practices of Waldorf Education and Anthroposophy, the philosophy developed by Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925). Wish to support and contribute to Waldorf Education in North America and the worldwide movement.

An intention to begin an independent, nonpublic Waldorf school (at an appropriate time with sufficient enrollment, sufficient funds, and a Waldorf trained teacher or a teacher willing to pursue Waldorf training) in consultation with the AWSNA Regional Chairs and a Waldorf Early Childhood Association (WECAN) representative.

The responsibility for determining who is eligible to be a New Initiative Member will be primarily in the hands of two people for each of the three Regions: AWSNA's Regional Chair and a person designated by WECAN. In the case of the regional chair, the task of working with New Initiatives will take place in addition to his or her work with Developing, Sponsored and Full Member schools. In the case of the Waldorf Early Childhood Association representatives, it is anticipated that the work will be done on a voluntary basis, alongside their regular jobs. Because of this, most of the administrative work will be handled by the regional chair or the AWSNA office, with the support and involvement of the WECAN office and WECAN representatives. Help will also be available through regional committees and WECAN board members who work with kindergartens on a mini-regional level.

A major part of the team's work will be to help New Initiatives lay strong foundations before founding a grade school. They will also assist in locating mentors who can work with New Initiatives. These may be individuals or nearby schools.

New Initiative Members will receive the following services:

1. Connection to AWSNA regional chairs and WECAN representative.
2. Listing as an AWSNA New Initiative Member in AWSNA Directory and AWSNA web site.
3. Invitation to appropriate AWSNA conferences and workshops in each region.
4. Associate Membership in WECAN with twice yearly newsletter and twice yearly (September and January) mailings to kindergartens.
5. One subscription to Renewal, and eligibility for bulk rates.
6. The AWSNA Newsletter, INFORM, twice yearly
7. AWSNA/WECAN Directory and WECAN information sheets (on request)
8. Catalogue of AWSNA Publications
9. In the first year only, a packet containing AWSNA publications Art of Administration and Administrative Explorations and selected WECAN publications.