The Board Chair is a facilitator of dialogue who keeps discussions focused, participatory, and respectful. With the guiding principle of being in service to the school, this session will illustrate how this shows up during board meetings with the Board Chair as a facilitator.

This workshop will cover opening and closing meetings with clarity and intention; drawing out diverse perspectives and managing dominant voices; techniques to keep conversations on track without shutting people down; holding multiple truths at once particularly when we may disagree with an idea but not the person; handling tangents, tension, and emotion with confidence; and using open-ended and forward-looking questions to deepen board thinking.

The format will include live facilitation and discussion with the whole group, time to complete some written reflection activities, and breakout rooms for small group discussions.

Facilitated by Nicole McDermott, Quality Matters