This program is designed for school boards that want governance clarity, confidence, and consistency — across a full board term.

Most governance challenges do not come from lack of goodwill or effort. They come from informal systems, unclear roles, and learning that arrives too late — after problems surface in meetings, decisions, or public trust.

The School Board Governance Program provides a structured, multi-year governance system that supports trustees from orientation through experienced, confident governance practice.

Who this is for

This program is designed for:

  • Any school board may request enrollment.

  • Newly elected and returning trustees

  • Board chairs and vice-chairs

  • Superintendents and senior leadership teams (access included)

It is especially valuable for boards that want:

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  • Clear role boundaries between governance and administration

  • Predictable, orderly decision-making

  • Consistency across trustee experience levels

  • Reduced conflict and procedural confusion

What makes this program different

Most governance training is delivered as:

  • One-off workshops

  • Orientation sessions with no follow-up

  • Technical rules without context

This program is different. It is built on a systems-based governance design, grounded in:

  • Governance knowledge (what boards are responsible for)

  • Insight (how to interpret situations and risks)

  • Principles (how to reason and decide well)

  • Practice (how governance shows up in real meetings and decisions)

Trustees are not expected to “remember more.” They are supported to fall back on well-designed governance systems when pressure arises.

Program structure

The School Board Governance Program is structured as a four-year learning pathway aligned to a full trustee term. Enrollment decisions are made by each board.

  • Courses are released at deliberate intervals to support learning without overwhelming trustees.

  • Each course builds on the previous one

  • Learning is cumulative, not repetitive

  • Trustees can enter at different experience levels without fragmentation

The program supports:

  • Orientation

  • Role clarity

  • Decision authority

  • Meeting literacy

  • Governance maturity over time

How boards use the program

Boards typically use the program to:

  • Establish a shared governance language that reduces confusion and misalignment

  • Support new trustees while continuing to challenge and engage experienced ones, ensuring learning remains relevant across the board

  • Strengthen role clarity between the board, the chair, and administration

  • Improve decision-making confidence in formal meetings and committee work

  • Reduce procedural errors and public confusion

  • Support the chair in maintaining orderly, focused, and productive meetings

  • Create continuity of governance practice across election cycles

The program complements:

  • Board policies

  • Administrative procedures

  • Legislative requirements under Alberta’s Education Act

Access & delivery

The program is designed to support governance without adding burden.

  • Online, self-paced courses

  • Board-based access by request

  • Trustees have full access once enrolled

  • The superintendent and up to two designated members of the senior executive leadership team may be granted access at no additional cost.

  • Optional quarterly group coaching may be offered to participating boards from time to time.

Governance context and scope

This program complements board policy, administrative procedures, and statutory requirements; it does not replace local policy or legal advice — it strengthens how policy is applied in governance practice.

Content is provided for governance education and capacity-building purposes. Boards remain responsible for decisions made under their applicable legislation, policies, and procedures.

"You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."

The program is adapted to reflect the statutory, policy, and governance context of each jurisdiction.

This program is offered by request.

To learn more about the full 4-Year School Board Governance Optimizer Program, including course-by-course details and enrollment options:

View the Full 4-Year Program -Alberta