| 1.
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In
order to be an effective school committee member, what are some
of the more important resource documents each member of the
committee should have? |
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Every
member of the committee should have a copy of the school committee
policy manual, the budget, collective bargaining agreements,
administrator’s contracts, district goals and objectives,
the strategic plan, student and staff handbooks. |
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| 2.
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As
a member of the school committee, may I attend school council
meetings? |
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School
councils convene following the requirements of the Open Meeting
Law. They must post their meetings and attendance is open to
all members of the public, including members of the school committee.
However, it is important to note that unless a school committee
member has been asked to officially represent the committee
at a school council meeting, an individual member attending
is an observer just as members of the public are who attend
school committee meetings. |
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| 3.
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What
is the best way to clearly articulate the school committee’s
official position regarding matters they have voted on? |
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The
committee should have a written communication policy that outlines
the procedures for communicating with the public, media, parents,
staff, and students. Many committees delegate this responsibility
to the chair of the committee. It is important that official
positions be clear and consistent to avoid confusion or misunderstandings.
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| 4.
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Why
is it necessary to contact the superintendent and/or principal
when a committee member wants to visit a particular school? |
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No
matter how well intended, unannounced visits may be perceived
by the staff as an attempt to meddle in school business. Once
elected or appointed, school committee members are viewed as
elected officials who may be visiting for official reasons.
Alerting administrators in advance sends a clear message that
the purpose for the visit is to demonstrate support and interest.
Advance notification also prevents visits from taking place
when activities that cannot be interrupted, such as student
testing, are taking place. |
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| 5.
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Why
do most school committees and teacher’s unions prefer to
conduct collective bargaining sessions in executive session?
It seems as though conducting bargaining in open session would
produce faster and more realistic results. |
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Unless
you have been part of a bargaining team it may be hard to understand
both the school committee and union need an opportunity to negotiate
openly without fear that comments made during bargaining sessions
will be misconstrued before a final agreement is reached. Executive
sessions protects the confidentiality of the negotiations until
both sides have agreed they have been completed. |
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| 6.
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Can
the school committee require the superintendent to appoint a
committee member to search committees he/she appoints? |
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No.
The superintendent has the sole responsibility for appointing
members to committees that he/she appoints. However, the school
committee can develop policies that broadly outline the composition
of some committees. For example, a policy identifying the categories
of members, teacher, parent, administrator, and so forth, which
will be included in a principal’s search, is appropriate
as long as it does not conflict with the law. |
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| 7.
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With
standardized testing becoming more and more the focus for measuring
student achievement, how can school committee members who are
not professional educators keep track of the progress being
made? |
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Smart
superintendents will educate the school committee that employs
them! They know only too well that the better committees understand
critical information such as standardized test results, the
better they will be able to help develop strategies for improvement.
School committee members should take advantage of the many resources
available to them through national and state organizations that
specialize in this area. |
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| 8.
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Involving
parents and the public has become more and more critical in
order to reinforce credibility in our schools. While schools
have benefited from more involvement, there are some matters
that must be left in the hands of the staff or committee. How
can a school committee explain that to the public? |
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Openly,
honestly, and respectfully. Most people do not object to playing
by the rules if they know what the rules are. School committees
should always be prepared to explain why a particular matter
is outside of the public domain. References to the law, regulations,
policies, or collective bargaining agreements usually clarify
issues. There are always those who will not accept the information
provided, but in those instances the committee will be assured
they have handled the matter appropriately. |
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| 9.
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Who
hires the attorney who represents the committee? |
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The
school committee does. This is usually done in consultation
with the superintendent since he/she will very often be interacting
with the attorney on behalf of the committee. |
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| 10. |
Who
enforces the open meeting law? |
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The
district attorney in the county where meetings take place. If
there is any doubt about the validity of meeting publicly or
in executive session, the district attorney for the county where
the meeting is scheduled to take place should be contacted.
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