Board of Education: Board Policy Meeting

AGENDA

Josh Daniels, Chair
Ty Alper, Director

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1. Call to Order/Approve Agenda
2. Public Comment
3. Approve Meeting Minutes for September 29, 2017
4. SGC/SCC Bylaw
5. Update Policy Calendar

Board Policy Committee Meeting Minutes

1. Call to Order/Approve Agenda
2. Quorum established at 10:03am

   Agenda approved without objection 

3. Public Comment

   A member of the public made a comment regarding SGC policy.

4. Approve Meeting Minutes for September 14, 2017

   Minutes approved without objection. 

5. AR 7310: Facilities Naming – Discussion

   Natasha Beery informed the board that no changes were made to the AR document since last meeting.

   A brief update was offered regarding the meeting between Jefferson parents who wish to change the name of the school and the school principal.

   Participants discussed deadlines for how long the process to de-name and rename a facility would take. A participant expressed concern that long delays to rename a new facility might make people lose interest in the process.  

   The AR will go for information at the October 11^th board meeting. 

6. Interviewing Students by District Representatives

   Will put on the board agenda for discussion on the 25^th of October.

7. Update Policy Calendar

Policy calendar was updated.

Adjourn: 10:54am

Goals for SSC/SGC Bylaw Revision, District Objectives, and Questions for Discussion

Goal I: Strengthen Participation in School Site Councils

District Staff Objectives:

• Ensure bylaws are compliant with California Ed Code and the BSEP measure in terms of the constitution of elected representatives.
• Promote a healthy combination of new and veteran members, and a diverse membership that reflects the school community.
• Clarify conflict of interest provisions, especially for staff participation., and provide better options for filling empty seats and for removal for cause.
• Clarify the options for the inclusion of  interested individuals who are not voting members.
• Define how school organizations such as ELAC and PTA are included in SGC/SSC.
• Find a productive manner to expand community awareness and participation in SGC deliberations.

Questions for Subcommittee:

The composition of site councils is determined by state law (parity among staff and parents/students, for example, and no “reserved seats”).  However, we have consistently run into problems, including:

• On the staff side, it is has been difficult to recruit staff reps who are not subject to conflict of interest provisions. Must they be completely recused from participating or can they just be recused from budget discussions?
• On the parent side, principals want to evaluate different ways of decision-making that may bring more community participation, including slate elections, seating reps+alternates and only distinguishing when there is a vote, or shared seats, or proportional voting. Are there creating solutions to bringing more voices to the table that still comply with parity rules?
• One suggestion has been to encourage the creation of Plenary Sessions at which many community reps and individuals participate (ELAC, PTA, SGC) in discussions of school culture, climate, and academics, and then convene the SGC as a break-out session in which participation/voting is in accordance with quorum and parity requirements for voting purposes. Is this solution workable in the view of the Board?

Goal II: Evaluate and Clarify Purpose of Site Councils

District Staff Objectives:   

• Clarify the purpose of Site Councils as related to State requirements and the BSEP Measure.
• Evaluate whether there is a need for a different set of bylaws for BHS or one set for K-12;
• Evaluate whether the BHS Site Council and BSEP Committee might have flexible membership between the committees in order to improve purpose, quorum and participation.
• Clarify expectations of the role of SSC/SGC with respect to the Single Plan and the WASC.

Questions for Subcommittee:

Could the site councils expand their purpose beyond the state and E1 requirements? For example, if a “Plenary Session” model were adopted, could the District suggest/require that the SSC/SGC purpose includes not only the Single Plan for Student Achievement, but also some specific goals around School Climate, Parent Agreements, etc.

Goal III: Improve Site Council Processes

District Staff Objectives:

• Review  election processes, including timing, voting methods, online vs. paper ballots, verification/record of vote.
• Evaluate options for strengthening committee composition and continuity, including staggered terms, slate elections, appointment of liaisons
• Improve compliance with Brown Act and Public Records Act.
• Provide training of Chairs and co-Chairs in meeting facilitation to strengthen collaborative discussions
• Improve and strengthen member capacity to knowledgeably and effectively participate in SGC meetings, including resources and tools to assist members in understanding and exercising their responsibilities.

Questions for Subcommittee:

Do any of the areas above raise specific concerns?