The Head as Interpreter

It has been said elsewhere that independent schools governing boards--like governing boards in general--are inherently conservative and risk-adverse. The origin of this conservatism is usually attributed to the board's fiduciary responsibility, but it may well have more to do with a curatorial mindset that subtly infects even the most politically liberal trustees.  The old mantra about a board's duty to "preserve the school for their children's children," seems to ignore the reality that institutional preservation requires at least periodic renewal and transformation, not to say generative thinking and innovation. 

At the same time, another constituent group--parents of current students--have an inherently progressive mindset toward the school, seeking near-immediate changes that might benefit their children.  Curatorship means less than improvement in this context, at least when viewed through the mindset of parenthood.

Like a master politician, the head's role is to balance both conservative and progressive interests, helping each to see the virtue in the other's viewpoint.  While dangerous to be sure, only the head can play this role.  Without the head-as-interpreter, parents and boards tend to polarize each other, with board members thinking that parents are excessively demanding and parents believing the board to be out of touch.