West TV Elementary School Site Council By-Laws MISSION OF THE SITE COUNCIL The purpose of the West TV Site Council is to promote and support the success of all students by: Setting a positive direction for the school that is consistent with adopted vision statement: The West TV Site Council believes West T.V. is a nurturing positive community where children and adults: forge enduring relationships recognize that learning is a life-long process work and learn together in a collaborative environment value individuals for who they are and the unique contributions they bring to the community strive to make the world a better place We will achieve this by: 1. Collecting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data to guide decision-making. 2. Making school improvement decisions that build upon best practices and existing successful programs when they are applicable. 3. Supporting decisions about the allocation of staff development resources. 4. Working with staff members to refine ambitious and achievable goals that target the highest priority improvement needs. 5. Continuously monitoring the improvement plan, evaluating progress, and redefining goals as appropriate. 6. Promoting communication between school and families regarding school improvement. The site council will not concern itself with administrative issues related to personnel or day-to-day operations. The Oregon Education Act for the 21 st Century states that: "There shall be established at each school a 21 st Century Schools Council. The 21 st Century Schools Council, however, shall not interfere with the duties, responsibilities, and rights of duly elected school boards." October 2015 1
MEMBERSHIP AND TERMS OF MEMBERSHIP Membership The Site Council shall be composed of teachers, parents or guardians of students in the school, the principal or his/her designee, and classified district personnel. The council may also include persons identified by the school community as having particular benefit for the school, such as business representatives, community members, students, or other district staff. The membership will be comprised of an equal number of teachers and parents, one administrator, and one classified staff member, if possible. Positions will remain open until filled. The membership shall be composed as follows: Not more than half of the members shall be teachers elected by the teaching staff of the school. Not more than half of the members shall be parent/guardians of students attending the school and selected by the parents/guardians of students enrolled in the school by a parent committee. At least one member shall be a classified employee elected by the classified employees of the school, if a classified staff member volunteers for election. One member shall be the principal of the building or the designee of the principal. The Site Council may select community representatives or students, as needed. Term of Office The term of office for all members, excluding the principal, shall typically be a two-year term to ensure that not more than two persons in each category rotate off the council each year. Site Council may adjust terms from 1 to 3 years to ensure membership continuity. There would be a selection/election of at least one parent and teacher annually. The membership shall be July through June of the following year, with elections/selections held no later than September of each year. There are no limits to the number of terms. Vacancies During a Term of Office Teacher/Classified Staff Vacancies A position left vacant for any reason shall be filled by election of the October 2015 2
teacher/classified staff. An election will take place not later than 60 days after the vacancy occurs or in September of the following school year. Those elected to fill a vacancy will serve until the end of the school year. They may then stand for election for a full term. If a person does not volunteer for the election, the position can remain unfilled until a volunteer is found. Parent Vacancies Parent vacancies mid-term will be filled using the following guidelines: 1. The school will give notice to the community regarding the vacancy on Site Council. 2. Interested individuals will notify the school. 3. Parent group presently seated on Site Council will make the selection of the person to fill the vacancy. 4. The new member will finish the year in the vacated position. If they are interested in continuing as a Site Council member, they will re-apply and go through the parent selection process. Open Meetings Law The council is subject to the open meetings law of the State of Oregon and will abide by that law. OFFICERS Officers shall consist of a facilitator, a recorder, and a process observer/gatekeeper. Additional officers may be created and elected upon consensus of the council. Positions will rotate each meeting except for the facilitator, which will remain assigned to one person for one year. The council has the option of including an additional facilitator from outside the council as a non-voting member. The Facilitator The facilitator is a voluntary position and serves for a one year term (July-June). The duties of the facilitator include: --overseeing the operation of the council --establishing the meeting agenda in consultation with the council members and the principal --facilitating the council meetings --assisting the council in following its operational agreements October 2015 3
Recorder The recorder is a rotating position between the council members. The duties of the recorder include: --keeping minutes during the meeting --preparing the minutes and distributing to council members prior to the next meeting for their input and approval. Council members will respond to recorder with any changes or questions prior to the next meeting --sending minutes to school secretary who will distribute per agreed communication plan Process Observer The process observer is a rotating position among the council members. The duties of the process observer include: --observing the interactions between the council members. Is everyone getting and/or taking an opportunity to participate in discussions? Is everyone's "voice" being heard? --sharing observations with the council at the conclusion of the meeting --timekeeper for agenda items Treats One member shall bring refreshments for the site council meeting. This role will rotate among all members. PROCEDURES Group Norms The members of the Site Council agree in order to create a positive working climate, to: 1. Be honest, supportive, trustworthy, respectful, and to value each other's opinions and positions. 2. Deal directly with team dynamics within the team. 3. Focus on the situation or issue, not the person. Meetings Meetings shall be held at least every 4 to 8 weeks during the regular school year as scheduled by the council. An annual schedule of meetings shall be printed and posted in the fall. To make decisions, a quorum consisting a majority (4 members) of the membership must be present. October 2015 4
Member Responsibilities Council members agree to: 1. Commit to consistent and timely attendance 2. Not to make decisions by default 3. Set an agenda, clearly state the desired meeting outcomes, and time frames to manage time effectively 4. Monitor their air time 5. Begin and end the meetings on time with all who can be in attendance 6. Evaluate regularly. Check meeting process and operating agreements periodically 7. Keep updated and accurate council minutes and records 8. Have each member responsible for informing the facilitator if he or she cannot attend a meeting and sending along any assigned homework tasks/information that the team needs to function as planned 9. Come to meetings prepared 10. Evaluate meetings and use the "parking-lot" if needed to stay on track Decision Making The council shall use consensus decision-making on items requiring action. Consensus means that all council members can support the decision of the council (rating of 3 or above on a scale of "Fists -5" decision making process). Members agree that they will not work against any decision made by consensus. Steps to be used to reach a decision: 1. Collect information 2. Understand implications and impacts 3. Provide opportunities to share opinions and perspective 4. Clarify decisions, time lines, parameters, and who is involved 5. Process for making decisions: --attempt consensus --if unable to reach consensus, table the decision to the next meeting --attempt consensus again --if still unable to reach consensus, 2/3 vote of the attending council will be required to make a decision Work Plan The council will develop an annual work plan in the fall, which outlines the major tasks to be accomplished during the year. This plan will be reviewed and updated periodically by the council. Record Keeping October 2015 5
The council shall keep records of all meetings. Meeting minutes will be distributed electronically to council members before publication outside of the council. Members will make additions or corrections for consideration and approval prior to the next site council meeting when feasible. Meeting records/minutes shall be provided to each member prior to the next scheduled meeting by the recorder. Minutes will then be distributed to stakeholders following the communication plan below. The principal shall maintain copies of all Site Council minutes. Communication Plan The agendas and minutes of council meetings will be shared with all using the following plan: Site Council 1. Recorder to email draft of minutes to prior to the next meeting for review and input. Members will inform all members of their suggested changes. 2. Once the council has approved the minutes for the meeting, the facilitator will send a copy electronically to the school secretary for distribution following the communication plan. 3. The council will develop a proposed agenda for the following meeting at the conclusion of the current meeting and make recommendations for additional topics on the shared (google docs) agenda. 4. The agenda will be made available to non-members upon request. Staff and Community The school secretary will: 1. Post minutes on the community bulletin board and on the West TV website. 2. Include notification of Site Council meetings in the West TV All Star News. 3. Send minutes to central office. 4. Notify central office of Site Council meetings date and time as well as post on the community bulletin board. Others A member of the Site Council will give a brief report at a PTC meeting if a member is present. Principal will report to the Community Partnership Team as needed Orientation The council will orient new members in August or September. The orientation October 2015 6
will consist of a review of the council's by-laws, work plan, and the School Improvement Plan, as well as other relevant information. Self-Evaluation The council will evaluate its performance annually. The results of this self-evaluation shall determine areas for improvement and goals for the council in the coming year. AMENDMENTS A proposed amendment to these by-laws may be presented to the council in writing. Amendments will be adopted consistent with the decision-making process outlined in the by-laws provided that the principal and at least one teacher and one parent are in attendance. Members who anticipate being absent will notify the members of their position on the amendment prior to the meeting. The council will review the by-laws annually. COMPLIANCE The council shall recognize and observe all laws, regulations, district policies, collective bargaining, and other agreements in its operations. Originally created 10/12/09 October 2015 7