What does being a finalist for this award mean for you and your organization? 

The Carlos Rosario School has over 50 years of history serving adult immigrant learners in Washington, D.C., and the recognition of being a finalist for this award affirms our efforts to invest in the governance practices that allow our learners, team members, and organization to thrive. At the Carlos Rosario School, our board of trustees has offered shoulder-to-shoulder strategic thought partnership and provided critical oversight during a period of organizational development that has strengthened our resolve and positioned our School to expand our impact in the field of adult education and career and technical education.

This recognition of our board is ultimately a reflection of the strength of our School and community. Our board members are critical members of that community—in dialogue with students during our many celebrations and student government meetings, listening to faculty and staff at all-staff meetings, engaging in task forces, and learning from the lived experiences of our students. The board’s commitment to our School and mission goes beyond its primary duties of governance—duties to which it holds itself to the highest standard.

It is critical to our mission to amplify our work, share our rich history, and spread best practices in the field. This provides a platform for telling our story.

What have you learned through the application process for the Board Leadership Award?  

Engaging with the application process was an opportunity to reflect on practices that we have built over many years– and we did so through a specific lens using the Center’s nonprofit board leadership domains. This process affirmed a core lesson: strong board governance requires intentional investment in the enabling conditions for leadership, not just in the quality of leaders themselves. Recruiting capable people is necessary but not sufficient on its own; our board’s strength is in the processes, rhythms, and culture that allow capable board members to govern well together in support of the Carlos Rosario School mission.

This process also helped us to clarify what we do by choice rather than by compliance. As a charter school and 501©3 nonprofit, we operate under rigorous authorizer accountability, which sets a high bar but whose standards are left to boards to translate into exemplary practice. The award application process helped us articulate where our board truly stands out:

  •  A board requirement for all committees to set and meet annual goals
  • Succession planning and partnership with staff leadership
  • A board composition strategy that centers diversity, inclusion, and equity
  • Shared fundraising and “friend-raising” across board and management
  • Intentional collaboration with School leadership and constituents in setting and holding ourselves accountable for our strategic direction

Another learning that we reflected on through this application process was our transition from a long-tenured board to one with rotating terms. Several members who served multiple consecutive terms intentionally rolled off, making room for newcomers who brought fresh skills, perspectives, and identities to our board. The shift tested our onboarding practices, and it strengthened us and revealed how rare it is for boards in our sector to choose that kind of challenge.

This award application process allowed us to hold up a mirror to reflect on our practices, which undoubtedly has already strengthened our governance and board-management relationships.

What advice would you offer for other organizations/board members striving for excellence in board leadership? 

Our strongest advice is that effective board governance needs to be nurtured over time– through intentional development of relationships and holding a high standard for governance. Excellence requires putting systems in place, holding yourselves accountable to them, and being honest about what’s working and what isn’t.

There are a few practices that have served us particularly well at the Carlos Rosario School:

  • Cultivate trust: We invest in relationship-building and regular touch points outside of formal meetings. Creating spaces for board members to connect with one another and with management builds a critical foundation for a culture of high standards and expectations.
  • Seek out expertise and use it: Ask who runs an effective board and earn from them. We have benefitted from outside partners, including governance consultant Shereen Williams, who has led our board development work, and Ed Board Partners (now part of Bellwether Education Partners). There is no shortage of expertise available to boards willing to ask for help.
  • Routinize self-assessment: Annual reflection on the board’s strengths and weaknesses is one of the most powerful tools we have. These assessments inform real decisions about recruitment, structure, committee work, and where we need to grow.
  • Be disciplined about governance versus management: This is truly a gray line, and the only way to hold to it is to continually come back to it–through self-assessment, regular revisiting of roles, professional development, aligning on expectations, and having the communication structures that keep us accountable.