Board Update

Board Update April 2008

Each spring, the Board turns its attention to assessing its own performance, as well as that of the Head of School. These evaluations are conducted through Board surveys which are discussed by the group. We then try to put the lessons learned to use by making appropriate adjustments for the coming year.

This year, we changed course a bit and conducted a “360 degree” evaluation of Marjo and other senior administrators at the school. This evaluation differed in two key ways from those of prior years. First, as its name implies, Marjo Talbott’s evaluation was completed not only by the trustees, but also by Marjo, senior administrators and directors, her assistant, and the MPA Executive Committee. This approach was also applied to a number of other participants from the administration. Second, rather than assessing the completion of specific tasks, the evaluation focused on the more subjective aspects of management and leadership, such as communication and interpersonal skills. This review was a nice complement to the regular task-oriented evaluations and will provide useful developmental insights to the participants. Following on a good discussion in its March meeting, at its next meeting the Board will hear a presentation from the consultant who helps interpret these evaluations and craft development plans in response to their findings. The Board Self-Evaluation will also be discussed at the April meeting.

The Benefits Committee of the Board is comprised of both trustees and faculty representatives. They are tasked with annually assessing faculty benefits and ensuring that benefits are reflective of market and appropriate to meet the faculty’s needs. One of the Committee’s areas of focus is finding affordable housing – a major challenge of being a Washington, D.C. school. Last year, we had several current and former Maret parents offer apartment rentals for faculty at below market value. Expanding on this initiative, we are pleased to see the launching of Maret’s “Frogslist” this spring as a place for the Maret community to share housing opportunities, both for rental and sale.

Travis Allen ’93, President of Maret’s Alumni Association, reported to the Board in March. In response to the school-wide Strategic Plan Framework for the Future, the Alumni Association has embarked on a strategic planning process this year. This is a critical step as the Association continues to seek effective and authentic ways to reconnect our alumni with each other and the School and as we plan for our Centennial in 2011. We are very excited by the work being done by the Association.

The Board has also authorized some capital improvement work for this summer. Most notably, the School will replace the roof on the New Gym and install new mechanical equipment for the New Gym and wrestling room. This spring, the School also secured a new replacement bus for our fleet thanks in part to the generosity of a Maret family.
I encourage you to contact me and any member of the Board at any time with your questions and/or comments. We depend on your input and partnership. Tom Carr, President
Board of Trustees