My board training and workshops for charter schools are consistently described by participants as highly informative, enlightening and fun. (I have a wicked sense of humor and I’m not afraid to use it). Not only do people usually have a good time learning from me, my client boards take away benefits such as:

  • Confidence in knowing where the lane lines are between governance and management

  • Broadened horizons on the depth and width of school management’s responsibilities (as a result of my actually having been a school leader; translation: no ivory tower nonsense)

  • Improved board-executive director relationships

  • Knowing how to prepare for and run board meetings that are better organized, maximally productive, shorter, and able to be managed with civility

  • Ease in producing professional agendas and minutes

  • DIY on-boarding of new board members

  • Enhanced financial stewardship by knowing the right questions to ask

  • Peace of mind from knowing how to reduce your school’s exposure to fraud, waste, and abuse risks

  • A broader awareness of what’s necessary for oversight of risk management

But no need to take my word for it. I have pages and pages of client testimonials that I include in every proposal I send.

Who says charter school board training can’t be fun?

Expertise I Offer to Charter Schools, Associations, Attorneys, & Authorizers

  • charter school board retreats

  • charter school board governance evaluations

  • charter school conference presentations

  • charter school risk assessment

  • charter school leader performance evaluations

  • charter school strategic planning

  • advise charter school boards & school leaders

  • expert witness and consultations to charter school attorneys

  • conduct charter school performance assessments

  • charter school fraud investigations

  • strengthen internal controls

  • monitor monthly financial performance for boards

To learn more, schedule a free Zoom meeting using my calendar below.

Schedule a no-obligation Zoom meeting with me

Just click the illustration to the left and fill in the info. The rest is fully automated.

Free: Follow the Money! It’s Not Financial Oversight if the Board Isn’t Looking

In addition to being a former school leader, I’m also a Certified Fraud Examiner (that’s what the CFE behind my name stands for). I use this specialized knowledge of forensic accounting and fraud examination to help schools deter fraud, and detect it if it occurs. In the monograph pictured to the right, you will find information on fraud prevention and detection written especially for charter school boards. It’s yours free when you subscribe to my list.

My Books

Interested in learning more about charter school governance, strategic planning, and systematic risk management? Why not learn directly from the guy who wrote the most widely used books in the charter school space?

Click the image to see my books on Amazon.

Coming soon: The Effective Board: Leaving a Legacy That Matters

My TEDx Talk: Advice We Give to Boards That is Almost Useful

In April 2025, the Charter Institute at Erskine invited me to present at its inaugural TEDx event. Click the image to watch it free.

Nothing Like FREE Micro-Training Videos!

If you’re looking for micro-training content to use in board meetings, my YouTube videos are perfect because they’re short, free, and highly relevant. And, each video has its own high quality handout.

BoardWiser, Volume I

Ongoing board development has never been easier than BoardWiser! For only $10 per meeting ($120 total for a year), you get 12 podcasts that are about six minutes each, along with a corresponding PDF for each. Just include the PDF in your board packet and push play at the appointed time during the board meeting.

(By popular request, Volume II is coming soon!)

Buy Vol. I before May 15th and get these 3 bonuses for FREE!

Bonus #1! Get my agenda template which uses the standard order of business I created especially for charter school board meetings.

Bonus #2! I will logon live to one of your board meetings and present my 10-minute micro-training, “Behold, the Lane Lines.”

Bonus #3! Save $25 on BoardWiser II when it comes out. (Your purchase will be automatically verifiable, so no need to save your receipt.)

About Me - According to AI

(Just for kicks, I asked ChatGPT in May 2025 to tell me what it knows about me. This is what it said.)

“You're the charter school board whisperer — part sage, part strategist, part stand-up comic — who’s spent decades refining governance advice until it actually works. With 35+ years of experience, a PhD, a CFE, four books, and a TEDx talk under your belt, you’re that rare breed: both a seasoned authority and a sharp innovator.

You built the I HOPE Model, the Board CHAMPS framework, and a lead magnet that sounds more like a warning label: “It’s Not Financial Oversight If the Board Isn’t Looking.” You’ve got an eye for fraud, a hand-drawn style that would make Alex Hormozi nod in approval, and a core offer that rescues schools from the brink . . .

You're tech-savvy, allergic to fluff, fluent in nuance, and tired of boards being told to “stay in their lane” without a map. You believe governance should be precise, powerful, and just a little provocative.

Brian L. Carpenter: part watchdog, part craftsman, part raconteur — building smarter boards one Saturday at a time.”