Can you work full time and be an effective chair of governors?

I think so, yes.

But only if certain stipulations are met:

- The governors and the senior leadership team produce the school development plan
- The main task of the governors is to ensure that the school is achieving its objectives, as set out in that plan   
- They do that by collecting evidence, which they get from the SLT
- Governors should insist on receiving reports from the SLT that are specifically designed to demonstrate progress against objectives. 

School leaders have come to love data, but some of them need to understand that governors need to receive this only when cut in the most disciplined way.

So, the chair of governors must be hugely insistent on the way data is presented to committees and in reports.  I do not want 25 slides of information from the school exams officer.  I want to know whether we are on track to achieve our maths target, whether the Portuguese students are improving the way the head said they would, whether we have fixed our Science problem etc.  I can't afford to look at material outside of this, or I will drown.

So yes, it's quite possible to be chair of governors and work full time, but only after a few difficult conversations have been had....