Advisory · Board Development
Boards deserve the same intentionality as the classroom.
Board Development builds governance capacity from the inside, not through generic nonprofit board training, but through Montessori-specific formation that treats governance as organizational infrastructure.
The Pattern We See
Most Montessori boards were never designed to govern.
Most Montessori school boards are composed of parents who care deeply about the school and have no training in governance, fiduciary responsibility, or the specific dynamics of leading a mission-driven organization. Board members rotate. Institutional memory disappears. The relationship between the board and the head of school is often undefined or defined by precedent rather than design.
The result is governance that reacts rather than leads, and heads of school who carry weight the board should be sharing. That pattern is not a character flaw. It is a structural problem, and structural problems have structural solutions.
Scope
What we work on together.
Board role clarity and expectations setting
Board and head of school relationship architecture
Governance vs. management boundary definition
New board member orientation and onboarding
Board self-assessment and evaluation
Strategic planning facilitation for boards
Annual board retreat design and facilitation
Bylaws and governance document review (structural, not legal)
Committee structure and effectiveness
Succession planning at the governance level
Who It's For
Schools where governance is the missing layer.
Boards without formal governance training or structure
Schools preparing for or recovering from leadership transitions
Heads of school who need their board to function as a strategic partner, not an oversight body
Schools where board and head dynamics are a source of friction rather than strength
New boards forming for startup or charter schools
Engagement Formats
From a single retreat to year-round partnership.
Start on your own
Governance & Board Bundle
$1,025 · self-guided
Board onboarding, an 18-week board-engaged strategic planning process with retreat facilitation guides, financial literacy for board work, and the annual reporting cadence. Everything a motivated board chair needs to run the work themselves.
Get the bundle →Single Engagement
Board Retreat & Training
Scoped to your board
A facilitated half-day or full-day session for the full board — in person or virtual. Used to reset expectations, clarify the governance-versus-operations line (especially for parent-heavy boards), align on fundamentals, or begin strategic planning.
Multi-Session
Board Formation Series
Scoped after consultation
4 to 6 sessions over 3 to 6 months building governance infrastructure from the ground up. Designed for boards that have inherited structure without ever examining it.
Retained
Ongoing Board Advisory
Annual engagement
Quarterly facilitation, annual retreat, and on-call advisory support. For boards committed to governance as a continuous practice rather than a periodic intervention.
Not sure which rung fits? Start with the bundle if you have a board chair with time and will. Book the retreat if the board needs to hear it from someone who is not the head of school. Most boards do.
Connected Work
Board Development doesn't exist in isolation.
Advisory
Leadership Transition Support
Board governance is often the critical variable in whether a transition holds.
Explore →Advisory
Strategic Partnerships
Retained advisory engagements frequently include board facilitation as part of the work.
Explore →Institute
Leadership Formation
Board members and governance leaders benefit from the Institute's applied seminars.
Explore →Resource
Governance & Board Bundle
Board onboarding, strategic planning, financial literacy, and annual reporting — the self-guided starting point at $1,025.
Explore →Platform
MMAP Atlas
The governance tier of the Alignment Platform: board snapshots, governance reports, and the strategic planning hub that keep this work alive between retreats.
Explore →Strong boards don't happen by accident.
Board Development is available as a single engagement or a sustained partnership. Either is a valid starting point.