INCS Board Training

Welcome to the INCS Board Training

INCS is here to support Illinois board members to complete their required board governance training. Board members in their first term year of service must complete four hours of governance training and two hours of training in each subsequent term year. The requirement is in state statute. You can find the language of the law at Public Act 101-0291.

Here at INCS, we are committed to supporting board members to meet this requirement with the highest quality training. INCS is a certified trainer and stands ready to help Illinois’ 600 charter board members fulfill this requirement.

INCS Board Training 2025 Schedule

Free- live trainings available for all Illinois Charter School Board Members

February 10th at 4:00 PM CST: Cultivating Your Leadership Pipeline: Building Robust Systems for Effective Leadership Development- Sign up here.

For over thirty years, Accelerate Institute has been disrupting the status quo by training school leadership teams, teachers, and network/district-level support. Training charter school boards around building a comprehensive pipeline for school principals can significantly enhance their ability to govern more effectively.  By focusing on principal development and succession planning, boards can ensure stability, continuity, and strong leadership, which are essential for long-term success. In this session, board members will unlock the secrets of leadership cultivation for their network and schools.  They will discover proven research through our Accelerate Institute case study, where we partnered with a large district to create a succession planning program.  Trusted advisors Keelin Philippe and Erin Gilmore will facilitate a guided application of the learning, which allows board members to apply the process to their context by modifying the model and tools provided in the session.  Sign up here.


April 14th at 4:00 PM CST: Unlocking the Open Meetings Act- Sign up here.

Robert Best, a 30-year board member and former General Counsel and Board Chairman of Northwestern University Settlement House, which founded the Noble Schools and Rowe Elementary Charter School, will deliver an in-depth presentation on the specifics of the Open Meetings Act (OMA). The Illinois OMA sets essential guidelines for public meetings, promoting transparency and accountability in decision-making. Board members will learn about the requirements for public access to meetings, proper notice, and when closed sessions may be appropriate. The session will also highlight the importance of complying with these laws to avoid potential legal and operational issues. Additionally, board members will gain a foundational understanding of how these requirements apply to board activities, including electronic communications and meeting documentation. Sign up here.


June 16th at 4:00 PM CST: From Reactive to Proactive: A Game Plan to Drive Enrollment Success- Sign up here.

Enrollment challenges are common, but with the right approach, they can be turned into opportunities for growth. In this session, Schola will guide charter school board members through a strategic and actionable game plan to move from reactive to proactive enrollment practices. Together, we’ll break down the enrollment cycle into key phases, identify opportunities to connect with families year-round, and explore tools and strategies that drive sustainable growth. This isn’t just theory—it’s a practical roadmap for empowering your team, engaging your community, and ensuring your school thrives in today’s competitive education landscape. Sign up here.


September 29th at 4:00 PM CST: Budgeting and Forecasting- Sign up here.

Himali Patel from P-Squared Consultants will lead the discussion on three key topics. This training will cover core budgeting principles, with a particular emphasis on revenue forecasting and cost management. She will explore strategies to promote financial stability beyond the current fiscal year. Lastly, she will focus on aligning budgets with charter agreements and performance metrics. Sign up here.


November 3rd at 4:00 PM CST: Board Committees: Going from Good to Great- Sign up here.

In our experience working with hundreds of boards, the difference between good boards and great boards, comes down to committees. Committees should be the engine of your powerful governance machine. But so few boards have the right committees, doing the right things. Board members will learn the distinctions between the work of the committees and the work of the full board; who should serve on the committees; what if boards are too small for committees, and more! Sign up here. 

 

INCS Board Training Online

INCS offers recorded trainings for purchase to watch at your convenience. The trainings are $100.00 each; each video is one hour. As with our previous online trainings, there will be a quiz linked to the video that must be completed to receive a certificate of completion. Currently, there are 5 online trainings available:

  • Fiscal Oversight
  • Growing Your Board Thoughtfully
  • Performance Management – Managing an ED, CEO, or Principal
  • Increasing School Investment to Close Opportunity Gaps and Create Life-Long Learners
  • Maximizing Board Accountability

Please reach out directly to Stephanie Sandoval to purchase the trainings.

Certificates of Completion

INCS has created Google folders for each school where they can track the completion of the trainings. Please reach out to Stephanie Sandoval with questions about certificates.

INCS-approved board trainers

INCS has identified five INCS Board Training-approved partners that schools & networks can contract with to provide customized trainings.

Please feel free to reach out to the trainers directly. INCS staff will work with the trainers to obtain proof of training.

ISBE Board Training Approved Providers

ISBE also has a list of approved quality providers of board governance training. The providers on this list offer the required trainings for Illinois district board of education members but are also approved to train charter board members. The list can be found at this link.

 

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Stephanie Sandoval at INCS with any questions.