Founder's Syndrome

Founder's syndrome is when someone who helped start a charter school continues to be involved in daily operations and treats the school like their "baby." The skills needed to start a charter school are comparable to an entrepeneur--someone who's willing to take a risk, thinks outside the box and is a self-motivator. Conversely, the skills needed for a board member after the school is operational are quite different because the school eventually enters maintenance mode.

I've also seen new board members join the board and immediately try to change the direction of the school, which is very detrimental. I like The Classical Academy's practice of having an annual meeting for parents of new students in which the five founding families talk about why they started the school, what the pillars are of the philosophy, and what to expect. The original philosophy has remained intact.

How each charter school deals with recognizing the school's original vision varies as much as the schools themselves. For every charter school, it's vital to recognize the school's unique philosophy and maintain integrity to that original vision.