Redeemer Lutheran School: Governance Growth Evening

Redeemer Lutheran School Council, in Nuriootpa, participated in an evening of professional learning. We decided to schedule it separate to our usual council meeting, so this could be our primary focus.

The evening began with dinner – pizza and a glass of wine – which gave everyone the opportunity to casually catch up and meet our facilitator. As introductions were made, everyone shared an interesting fact about themselves. Who knew that one of our members had held a triple jump record?

We received background on a fictious Lutheran school, including information about the school’s board. We were then presented with mock scenarios pertaining to the school’s board, including their board structure, meeting protocols, decision-making processes and governance frameworks. The question, “What governance issues do you see here?” was asked. This prompted rich and rigorous discussion amongst our council members, deepening our understanding of the roles and responsibilities unique to school boards, and affirming the protocols and processes evident in our own school council meetings. The workshop provided further clarity for our council, by keeping the focus on governance rather than the operational space.

The evening received feedback from council members:

I valued being able to discuss scenarios and observe some of the differences that sit behind our individual perspectives and what we contribute to a meeting. This diversity of views is important and is a positive for how a council operates. We may not get to experience or recognise this in normal council discussions.

When discussing the scenarios, we were able to identify where there were flaws in their processes and governance understanding; and how we as a school council ensure we manage this appropriately within our context.