Board Member Application and Renewal

Charter public school boards are composed of people who volunteer their time and expertise to develop better outcomes for the children in their community. It can be a powerfully rewarding experience, and countless board members currently serving GVSU's charter public schools have been on their boards for multiple terms. When boards find themselves with an open seat, GVSU works with the other members to fill the spot with a person of high integrity, good judgment, and, ultimately, a passion for improving kids' lives.  

Thinking about becoming a charter public school board member, or want to renew your board service? Fantastic! The application and appointment process is quite simple, and GVSU provides relevant resources and effective training for all incoming and returning board members.

 


Becoming a Charter School Board Member

To become a charter public school board member, a candidate must:

  1. be nominated by a charter school board
  2. complete an application for board service 
  3. successfully pass a background check
  4. interview with a representative of the GVSU Charter School Office 
  5. be approved by the Grand Valley State University Board of Trustees
  6. take the public oath of office.

Detailed descriptions for each step are listed on the Board Member Application and Renewal Process Overview

Todd Slisher, Flint Cultural Center Academy board member

In Their Words...

Over the course of his career, Todd Slisher has seen the significant positive impact that museums can have on children. Todd is currently the executive director and CEO of Flint’s Sloan Museum of Discovery and Longway Planetarium, and has more than 30 years of experience in the museum industry. As kids routinely visited his museums, he observed how excited they were to learn as they interacted with exhibits and museum programs.

Fostering that educational excitement for kids was a major reason why Todd wanted to help launch Flint Cultural Center Academy (FCCA), which opened in 2019. “I really liked the idea of creating a high achieving charter school in Flint for students where they could take advantage of the cultural center resources,” said Todd, who is the FCCA board president.  “Students would get a well-rounded traditional educational experience on top of incredible supplemental programs in art, science, history, social studies, music and dance provided by FCCA partners.”

Establishing a culture of learning and high performance is a key goal for Todd, his fellow board members, and school leadership. Todd praised the collaborative work that has been accomplished so far, saying the board and the school leader bring a fantastic blend of experiences to the table to shepherd the school through its early years. For Todd and the others, it all comes down to elevating their city’s future generations. “If you’re going to be a charter school board member, you must be prepared for the time commitment,” he said. “There is a lot to learn about school and policies, but also make sure that you take time to enjoy the kids. Attend school functions besides board meetings to see how the students interact with each other and their teachers.”



Questions

If you have any questions, please contact Gretchen LaHaie, the Deputy Director for School Accountability, at [email protected] or (616) 331-2240.



Page last modified January 11, 2024