A School Board Training Retreat
A Strategic Planning Work-Session
An ​Opening of School Inspirational Keynote Address
Does The Training of School Board Members Make a Difference?
Can Your School District Benefit from and Inspirational Keynote Address?
When Did Your School District Last Develop a Strategic Plan?
Board members are often challenged today during public meetings when they least expect it with regard to an array of issues that many are not prepared to discuss or throughly understand.  

School Board meetings are essentially business meetings of the Board conducted in public, each member must be prepared and educated on a variety of educationally related topics.  

Proper orientation and on-going training are essential today because of the many challenges school board members encounter.  

Dr. Halik is a national expert, keynote presenter, facilitator, and coach for school boards and administrative teams.  

Dr. Halik has facilitated many retreats and work-sessions on topics such as:
(review the "Client" and "Presentations" tabs on this website for specific examples of topics and titles of presentations)
  1. The Orientation of newly elected Board Members on researched topics such as open door laws, collective bargaining, budget and finance, parent concerns, legal matters, board ethics, legislative issues, and student achievement to name a few.
  2. Governance vs Leadership: The Role of the Board & Superintendent
  3. District-wide Strategic Planning and Goal Setting (a 3-5 year master plan with measurable outcomes are a necessity for accountability)
  4. Inspirational Keynote Address for School Boards, Administrators, Teachers, and Support Staff can improve morale throughout the school district. 

School Board Development


​In 2012 Dr. Halik conducted a national study regarding the importance of orientation for newly elected/appointed school board members and the necessity of on-going training for all members on the Board.

At the national, state, and local levels, public education is under a great deal of scrutiny.  Public education throughout America is undergoing a significant overhaul unlike any time in our history.

School board and administrators are under the microscope with regard to performance and accountability.  A crucial problem facing school boards is that many members desire to micromanage the superintendent and involve themselves in day-to-day operations rather than stick to their primary role of governance.

School boards fall into one of two categories; functional and dysfunctional.  Boards that work together as a team, understand their role, and desire to serve for the right reasons fall into the functional category.  

​Yet, many board in America have at least one dysfunctional member or more because they have not had adequate training, refuse the training, or have a personal agenda.

It is important to remember, the reason school boards exist is because of children.  Without children and teachers we would not have a place that we call school.  Therefore, the primary focus of the school board must always be on what is best for children rather than their own personal interest and ego.

​Proper orientation as to the role of board members, on-going training, and annual evaluations of boards are the essential keys to individual members of the board and the board at large.

Strategic Planning

All successful school corporations have a long-range master plan with clear and measurable goals.  Dr. Halik has decades of experience to lead your district through a Goal Action Planning (GAP's) process that will serve your district for 3-5 years.  These measurable GAP's will serve as a roadmap and compass for years to come.  Going through the process is a valuable experience for all participants.  In the end, everyone has ownership in the plan.

Inspirational and Motivational Keynote Addresses

Dr. Halik is a master at delivering inspirational messages in many different forums.  He is a life-long teacher with many experiences from which he draws from to captivate his audience.  He can make you laugh and cry within minutes of each other leave you feeling inspired and motivated for another day, week, or year on the job.  Visit the Testimonial page on this website to see for yourself what students, board members, and colleagues have to say about Dr. Halik's impact on their life.
James M. Halik, Ph.D. -- 1529 S. 575 W. -- Morgantown, IN 46160 -- 317-522-7474
halikj@compasskeynote.com -- www.compasskeynote.com -- #compass_keynote