What is the Charter School Board Basics Series?

In order for the board to perform its essential duties of supporting student excellence, ensuring operational soundness and building and maintaining public confidence, board members are required by the State of Minnesota to complete board training.

The targeted areas are: board governance, the board’s role and responsibilities, employment policies and practices and financial management. Required training must begin within six months of being seated and completed within 12 months of being seated on the board. (The Financial training component must be completed within 6 months of being seated.)

Because we understand the complexity of charter school oversight, we have created a series to accommodate the content mandated for Minnesota board members.

What's Included?

  • 7 Videos

    And Spanish Translation for New Board Member Basics, Employment Law and Budget Basics

  • 11 PDFs

  • 4.25 hrs

  • 7 Quizes

Training Curriculum

Know What's Included

    1. New Board Member Basics

    2. QUIZ: New Board Member Basics

    3. Practices of High Performing Boards

    4. QUIZ: Best Practices of High Performing Boards

    5. Top Pitfalls of Open Meeting Laws

    6. QUIZ: Top Pitfalls of Open Meeting Law

    7. Charter School Employment Law

    8. QUIZ: Charter School Employment Law

    9. Charter School Budget Basics

    10. QUIZ: Charter School Budget Basics

    11. Understanding Charter School Financial Statements

    12. QUIZ: Understanding Charter School Financial Statements

    13. Open Meeting Law Deep Dive

    14. QUIZ: Open Meeting Law Deep Dive

    15. Enhanced Data Privacy Practices

    16. QUIZ: Enhanced Data Privacy Practices

    1. Board Calendar

    2. Finance Committee Charter

    3. Governance Committee Charter

    4. Board Goals Template

    5. Academic Dashboard

    6. Toolbox: Open Meeting Law Part 1

    7. Toolbox: Open Meeting Law Part 2

    8. Toolbox: Open Meeting Law Part 3

    1. Derecho Laboral de Las Escuelas Chárter

    2. Examen: Derecho Laboral de Las Escuelas Charter

    3. Fundamentos de Presupuesto Para Escuelas Autonmas

    4. Examen: Fundamentos de Presupuesto Para Escuelas Autonómas

    5. Conceptos Basicos Para Nuevos Miembros de La Junta

    6. Examen: Conceptos Básicos Para Nuevos Miembros de la Junto

About this course

  • $500.00
  • 30 lessons
  • 11.5 hours of video content

What You'll Learn

Learn from our local area experts on the following topics:

Charter School Employment Law

Gain an understanding of the board member's role in oversight regarding key areas of employment law. Learn about at-will employment practices as well as understanding the laws regarding employment and student data practices. Jim Martin, a leading charter school attorney at Martin Law Firm PLLC, will also guide you through areas of concern such as  discrimination, retaliation and whistle blower protection.


Charter School Budget Basics

Presented by Scott Brown and Kyle Knudson, Founding Directors of EdFinMN, learn the fundamentals of charter school finance. Gain an understanding of revenue streams and your responsibilities as board members to collaboratively develop, review, and properly oversee your charter school budget. 


New Board Member Basics

For individuals new to board service or charter schools, this will outline the key roles and responsibilities encapsulating fiduciary, strategic, and generative aspects. Learn about key elements of practice from setting meeting norms, meeting quorum, and the basics of being an effective board member. 


Practices of High-Performing Boards

High-performing boards are adept at partnering with school leadership as well as setting the necessary milestones to drive the organization forward. Equally as important is ensuring the board is holding themselves accountable to their work. From building an effective board calendar to assessing progress and feedback, learn more about best practices of governance principles.  


Top Pitfalls of Open Meeting Law: What Your Charter School Board Needs to Know

Learn from charter school attorney, John Cairns, who helped originate the charter school movement in our country. Gain an understanding of what your board needs to know about Open Meeting Law. From the basic understanding and purpose of the law to typical misconceptions of Open Meeting Law, John will share a few case studies to provide further clarity.


Understanding Charter School Financial Statements 

Charter school finance is complicated coupled with being one of the most important fiduciary duties of the board.  Learn from our content experts, Scott Brown and Kyle Knudson Founding Directors of EdFinMN. Understand the importance of what to spotlight on the income statement balance sheet, payment registry, cash flow statement, and deposit report.


Open Meeting Law Deep Dive 

Learn from our guest expert, Jim Martin of Martin Law Firm. Understand the fundamentals of Open Meeting Law as it pertains to board work and conduct. From email and voicemail communications to abiding by notice requirements, ensure your organization is in compliance. 


Enhanced Data Privacy Practices  

As part of state-mandated training, leadership needs to understand data privacy from both state and federal guidelines. In addition to our Employment Law webinar, expand your knowledge of these important concepts.  Minnesota attorney, Jim Martin and Education Policy and Leadership expert, Karen Klinzing, will do a deep dive into enhanced data privacy practices. As a risk mitigation strategy, the board should understand the nuances of these important statutes and the school’s organizational policies and procedures. 

State Mandated Charter School Training Available in Spanish 

Employment Law, Charter School Budget Basics and New Board Member Basics available in Spanish. Please let us know if there are any questions regarding the content.  

Partner, John Cairns Law, P.A. John Cairns

John has 40+ years of legal experience, specializing in educational tax exempt organizations. He was instrumental in the founding of the charter school sector. His board service experience includes: Twin Cities Citizen League, Minnesota Business Partnership and also served as the Executive Director of the Minneapolis City Council.

CharterSource Founder Beth Finch

Beth Finch, Founder, CharterSource As a founder of Lake Country Academy in Wisconsin, her areas of focus were the following: development, marketing, facilities and student recruitment. She also served 5 years as Board Chair KIPP Minnesota, part of the KIPP network of over 225 schools nationally. With over 15 years of board management experience, Beth provides boards with the foundational frameworks and systems to govern efficiently.

Senior Attorney, James Martin Law Firm Jim Martin

Jim has practiced 25+ years in the areas of employment and labor law with an emphasis in the public sector. He has served as HR Director at two large Minnesota metro suburban school districts. He has experience with the Veteran’s Preference Act, student expulsion and as a Hearing Officer. He holds a JD, a Masters in Industrial Relations and is an Adjunct professor in School HR Administration at the University of Minnesota.

Meet Our Instructors

CFO & Founding Director, EdFinMN Scott Brown

Scott has worked as the Controller of several large public school districts and charter schools. He has 10+ years experience in school finance. He is an Active Certified Public Accountant and licensed Member of: MNCPA, AICPA, MASBO. He also served as Board Chair of the Minnesota Lupus Foundation.

Martin Law Firm Jim Martin

Jim has over 25 years of practice in areas of employment & labor law with an emphasis in the public sector. In addition to a law degree, he has a Master’s in Industrial Relations. he served as Human Resource Director for St. Louis Park and Bloomington Districts. He also is an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota. His key focus areas are employment & labor law, investigations, policies/handbooks, hearing officer as well as providing professional development and training in the education sector.

CEO & Founding Director, EdFinMN Kyle Knudson

Kyle has over 15 years of urban, suburban, and rural charter school experience including operations and business manager expertise. In addition to teaching, Kyle has worked with one of our nation's largest education management organizations. With his vast experience in the education sector, Kyle is an asset to our Minnesota charter community.