 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2003 (XXXXI 1) |
The Friends Schools Working Group of PYM is pleased to announce the publication of the new Governance Handbook for Friends Schools. This document, co-produced with the Friends Council on Education, arises out of the recognition that the world in which Friends schools operate has changed significantly since 1986, when the Handbook for Committee Members of Friends Schools was last revised by the former PYM Committee on Education. The insight and wisdom from the 1986 handbook provided inspiration for this volume. In dynamic relationship with external changes, the internal operations of Friends education have similarly evolved during the past two decades. Friends schools have an important role to play in the educational landscape, so it was timely for us to take stock of these changes and develop a proactive set of guidelines for good stewardship.
The purpose of this Governance Handbook is to serve as a useful resource for boards and trustees of Friends schools, the heads of these institutions, and the Meetings that take responsibility for their nurture and care. We hope that this volume will provide support to those entrusted with the guidance of our Friends schools, in their work towards effective institutional governance and fidelity to the traditions of Quaker education.
While Friends schools continue to be guided by the over-arching vision and spiritual values of the Religious Society of Friends, it is important for us to recognize that Friends schools are also operating as “independent schools,” i.e., private educational organizations with particular missions which compete alongside other schools. As such, good governance requires that we continue to honor the historical priorities of Quaker education, while simultaneously living up to our responsibility as stewards of independent schools. The rationale for this Governance Handbook for Friends Schools, then, is to bridge the gap between the Quaker school and independent school perspectives and to provide a helpful resource in this process. Accordingly, this document has been written as a companion to the Trustee Handbook (7th edition, 1998) of the National Association of Independent Schools. While the NAIS handbook serves as an extremely valuable resource for Friends school trustees and heads, as well as for Quaker Meetings with schools under their care, it naturally does not take into account the particular mission priorities of Friends education. Hence, the Governance Handbook for Friends Schools offers guidance and direction for those areas in which governance of Friends schools is unique.
We encourage Friends schools to look to this handbook for a focused perspective regarding the peculiarly Quaker character of their school communities and related governance philosophy and practice. As each school is unique in its structure, challenges, and opportunities, this handbook should be understood as a guide rather than a definitive treatise on Friends school governance. It will serve its purpose if it stimulates thought, discussion, and review of current practices among those who have chosen the important service of overseeing the life and vision of our Friends schools.
The Governance Handbook for Friends Schools is available from Friends Council on Education for $10 plus shipping. Order on-line at www.friendscouncil.org or call 215-241-7245.
Sandy Heath
Moorestown Meeting (NJ)
Clerk pro tem of PYM Friends Schools Working Group
Last modified: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 at 08:18 AM