NOTE : This registration is for participating in an individual session as well as access to the session recording and materials.

To register anyone affiliated with your school for access to the whole series (access to all sessions and recordings), please refer to the School Wide Registration page. 

Governing for High Performance and Greater Impact – Toward Better Boards

with James P. Honan, Ed.D., A Leading Voice on Governance, Financial Stewardship, and Organizational Performance in Education and Nonprofit Organizations. 

Wednesday, March 17, 2027

12:00-1:00 PM PT
1:00-2:00 PM MT

Session Description 

Governing for High Performance and Greater Impact – Toward Better Boards

This session will focus on the current and emerging challenges facing independent school boards and how they might address them through improved and more effective governance.
 
Topics will include: 

• The need for change and transformation in schools in a changing context.
• Key dimensions of effective board governance.
• Levers and mechanisms for improving board governance.

To view session details for the rest of the series, please visit our Building Better Boards page. 

Meet Our Facilitator

James P. Honan, Ed.D., Harvard Graduate School of Education & Harvard Kennedy School

James P. Honan, Ed.D., has served on the faculty of the Harvard Graduate School of Education since 1991 and is also a faculty member at the Harvard Kennedy School. A leading voice on governance, financial stewardship, and organizational performance in education and nonprofit organizations, he is Educational Co-Chair of Harvard's Institute for Educational Management and Faculty Chair of executive programs in nonprofit leadership and financial stewardship at the Kennedy School. Over three decades, he has taught school, college, and nonprofit leaders through Harvard's executive education programs — including Governing for Non-Profit Excellence at Harvard Business School — and in more than twenty countries worldwide.

Dr. Honan's perspective on school governance is grounded in practice as well as scholarship. He has served as a consultant on strategic planning, resource allocation, governance, and performance measurement to numerous schools, colleges, universities, foundations, and nonprofit organizations, and his publications include "Monitoring Institutional Performance," written for the Association of Governing Boards of Colleges and Universities.

He also knows the trustee's seat firsthand. He is a former trustee of the National Association of Independent Schools, Buckingham Browne & Nichols School, and Dana Hall School, and past Board Chair of the Educational Records Bureau (ERB). He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Marist University, his alma mater, and holds an Ed.M. and Ed.D. from Harvard University.

Series Overview

In this series of workshops, attendees will explore the role of trustee, and provide a space for board members to learn from national thought leaders, experienced board chairs, heads of school and association leadership.

Offered throughout the year, each workshop has a theme for board improvement and actionable steps to move your school forward. Previously this workshop was recommended for those new to the role, but feedback was that it was universally valuable. All independent school board members are encouraged to attend.

Making the Most of Building Better Boards

Attendees can register for individual workshops or your board can register for full access for the series. All registrations include access to session recordings. If you have registered individually, the recording is for your own reference and should not be shared. If you register as a board, you are welcome to share the recording with anyone affiliated with your school.

Registration 

Registration is not yet open for this event

This registration is for participating in an individual session. All registrations to individual sessions include access to the session recording and resource materials. Each registrant will receive emails before and after the session with access and resource links for their personal use. Access is non-transferable and links should not be shared. 

If you would like full access to sessions and recordings for your school and board, please consider registering for School Wide Registration.

Pricing 

  Non-Members | $85 per session

* Links to recordings and materials will remain active until August 31, 2027, so they may be used and reviewed throughout the school year and summer.

Cancellation

Substitutions for registrations may be made any time prior to the session at no extra charge. Written cancellations received by 24-hours before the start time of the session are eligible for a refund after a $20 cancellation fee. Any cancellations received after the 24-hour window will be ineligible for refunds. 
 

STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?

Please feel free to reach out to any of us for the following:

• PROGRAMMING | Emily McGrath, Associate Director
• EVENT LOGISTICS | Jami Sheets, Director of Community Engagement
• REGISTRATION | Vivian Hoang, Program Coordinator & Registrar