School
Leadership Team Bylaws for P. S. 101Q,
School in the Gardens
Adopted January 2006
Article I - Mission Statement/Educational
Vision for P. S. 101Q
The mission of P.S.101Q, School in the
Gardens is to provide a well-rounded
educational program that will foster the
development of literate, creative,
culturally aware and technologically
competent learners. P.S. 101Q will continue
to strive to create an environment that
incorporates excellence in achievement and
encourages each child to respect individual
differences. P.S. 101Q will also strive to
create a lifelong love of learning through
innovative and challenging programs. To
achieve our mission, P.S. 101Q will draw
upon the diverse contributions of parents,
community, professional staff and teachers
to provide the best educational
opportunities for our children. P.S. 101Q
encourages a strong collaborative
environment consisting of parents, faculty
and staff to ensure that all children reach
their academic goals.
Article II –
Purpose and Scope of the School Leadership
Team
The purpose of
the team is to determine the school’s
educational direction. The SLT plays a
significant role in creating a structure for
school-based decision making and shaping a
path to a collaborative school culture. The
SLT assists in the evaluation and assessment
of a school’s educational programs and their
effects on student achievement. Successful
completion of the school’s CEP and the
development of the budget will be the team’s
first priority. As the school’s central
coordinating body, the team may choose to
address additional issues that are related
to the CEP and budget. The SLT’s role with
regard to other school committees is to act
as facilitator and coordinator so that
communication is open between all school
committees.
Section 1 – Core Responsibilities
1.0 The Team will focus on two core
responsibilities:
1.0a To develop and review
the school’s Comprehensive
Educational Plan (CEP) which
includes annual goals and
objectives.
1.0b To consult with the
principal in developing a
school-based budget and staffing
plan aligned with the CEP. The
principal is responsible for the
hiring and the firing of any
school staff.
Article II – Purpose and Scope
of the School Leadership Team
cont’d
Section 2 –
Revisions/Modifications
2.0 Revisions to the CEP and Budget:
2.0a As the goals,
objectives, and strategies are
defined in the CEP, the Team
will develop a budget that
supports the implementation of
those strategies.
2.0b The team is also
responsible for modifying the
CEP and the budget on an
as-needed basis throughout the
year as a result of changing
educational needs. Effectiveness
of educational strategies will
be reviewed throughout the year
using evaluation tools currently
available in the school.
Revisions can be made
continuously throughout the
year.
Section 3 – Relationship to Other Committees
3.0 Facilitating School Committees:
3.0a In its role as the
school’s planning and review
body, the SLT is the central
coordinating team in the school,
and it should facilitate
communication among the various
school committees. Except in the
areas of the CEP and budget, the
SLT does not oversee the work of
other school committees.
Article III – Team Composition
The number of parent and staff members on
the team shall be 1/2 from each
constituency. The team will have a minimum
of 10 members and may not exceed a limit of
17 members. Budget allocations must be
considered in determining the size of the
team. Any changes to the current membership
will be decided annually by a majority vote
of the team. For the 2005/2006 academic
year, there will be no more than 12
participating members and no more than 1
structural member or 2 co-structural members
who will serve as recorder/secretary.
Section 1 – Membership
1.1 Core members of the team shall be:
-
Principal
-
United
Federation of Teachers (UFT) Chapter
Leader
-
Parent
Association (PA) President or
Co-President, or their designee.
Core members of
the School Leadership Team have the option to
designate another member of their constituent
group to serve in their seat on the team for
the period of their term.
1.2
The remaining members of the team shall
consist of:
-
5 elected parent members
-
3 elected teachers/therapists
-
1 elected general staff member
-
1 recorder or
2 co-recorders (a recorder may either be
an SLT member, or a non-SLT staff member
and/or a non-SLT parent who is
non-participating and non-voting; to be
decided by the team annually)
1.3
The
team may, by consensus, choose to create a
seat or seats on the team for community
based organizations (CBO). The team will
create a process for the organizations to
apply for membership. A member of the
team may also recommend an organization for
membership. This will be done in June or
September
on an
annual basis, or as needed, to meet the
needs of the school. Team members
representing these organizations will not be
counted in the parent to school staff
balance, but will be counted in the total
team member count. For the year
2005/2006 there will be no CBO member added
to the team.
Section
2 – Organizational Structure
Section 3 – Length of Term
The length
of term for team members (with the exception
of core members) shall be
2 years, provided
the team member(s) is eligible to serve in
accordance with the Chancellor’s
Regulation A-655. Team members may not serve
for more than 2 consecutive terms. If no
other willing, eligible candidate is
identified for a particular team
constituency group, the member(s) may be
elected for a third term, if the member is
still eligible.
Section 4 – Selection and the Roles of
Organizational Structure Members
4.0 The
following Organizational Structure member(s)
shall be elected by consensus of the team
and shall serve for a period of 1 year and
until his/her successor (s) is/are elected.
If the team opts to elect Co-positions, they
will share the role and responsibilities as
outlined in Sections 4.2-4.5 of these
bylaws. The election shall take place
annually at the June or September meeting.
All
Organizational Structure Members will be SLT
members with the following exception: The team
may choose to have a non-SLT member to serve
as the recorder for all meetings. The
recorder can be a staff member and/ or a
parent who is non-participating and
non-voting; the position can be shared, and
will be decided annually by the team at the
June or September SLT meeting.
4.1 The role of the
Chairperson/Co-Chairperson shall be to:
-
schedule
meetings
-
set meeting
agendas in collaboration with other team
members
-
preside at
all meetings
-
ensure that
team meetings are effectively organized
-
focus the
team on educational issues of importance
to the school that meets the needs of all
students
-
ensure that
the voices of all team members are heard
-
interface
with the principal and other core members
-
facilitate
discussion(s) during meetings
-
coordinate
team and sub-committee efforts
-
ensure that
information is disseminated to all team
members to guide their planning
-
ensure that
members maintain their focus on
educational issues
-
secure all
records of the team
4.2 The role of the Facilitator shall be
to:
-
advise the
Chairperson and/or other team members on
matters of Parliamentary Procedures
-
assist in the
interpretation of rules and procedural
requirements and in the preparation for
the proper handling of various agenda
items within the day’s order of business
-
set
designated time limits on agenda items
-
be timekeeper
for the meeting (every team member will be
given equal time to speak on issues to
ensure that the meeting runs efficiently)
-
determine the
order in which people speak
-
assure
uninterrupted time for each speaker
4.3 The role of the Financial Liaison
shall be to:
-
assume the
responsibility for the financial affairs
of the team. He/She shall be responsible
for maintaining records for SLT meeting
attendance records in a file for
verification of member participation
-
provide P.S.
101Q’s line-item budget to team members
for review and discussion of alignment
with CEP and current needs of the school
4.4 The role of Recorder/Secretary shall
be to:
-
keep an
accurate, written record (minutes) of all
team meetings, including member attendance
-
distribute
minutes to all members and post for the
entire school community
-
prepare
responses to correspondence addressed to
the team
-
post meeting minutes within 1 week of the
meeting
Section 5 – Roles and Responsibilities of
Team Members
5.0 Team Members, including those
additional roles outlined in these bylaws,
are responsible for:
-
participate
in the development and review of the
Comprehensive Educational Plan (CEP)
including goals and objectives, and to
consult with the principal in developing a
school-based budget and staffing plan
aligned with the CEP (Chancellor’s
Regulation A-655).
-
assist in the
evaluation and assessment of the school’s
educational programs and their effect on
student achievement
-
work
collaboratively with other team members by
sharing their ideas and concerns of others
-
engage in
collaborative problem-solving and
solution-seeking methods that will lead to
consensus-based decisions that meet the
needs of all students
-
share
the views of their constituencies with the
team
-
engage in
conflict resolution processes when
necessary
-
seek
assistance from the Regional SLT
Coordinator in the event of an impasse
-
use The
Chancellor’s Plan for School Leadership
Teams as a guide for implementing
consensus-based decision making
-
facilitating
communication among the various school
committees
5.1 In
addition, team members have the responsibility
to:
-
attend all
team meetings
-
identify
concerns and issues to be discussed during SLT
meetings
-
review
minutes and give feedback
-
chair
and/or serve on team sub-committees
-
communicate effectively with their constituent
groups
Section 5 – Roles and Responsibilities of Team
Members cont’d
5.2 The
constituent groups on the School Leadership
Team shall select their representatives for
the C-30 Level 1 Committee subject to the
manner prescribed in Chancellor’s Regulation
C-30.
5.3 School
Leadership Team must consult with the school’s
Parent Association regarding the school
uniform policy (Chancellor’s Regulation A-665)
before taking a vote (i.e. decision to opt out
of the uniform requirement).
Article IV – Schedule of Meetings
Section 1 – Schedule of Meeting and place to
be held
1.0 The
minimum number of monthly meetings shall be
ten. Regularly
scheduled meetings will be approximately 90
minutes in length. Additional meetings
will be scheduled as needed either by the
Chairperson or upon request of the members of
the team. Meetings will be scheduled at a time
that is most convenient for most parent
members on the team.
Parent
members will be polled each year in September
to determine the time most convenient for team
meetings.
1.1
Members
who miss more than 5
consecutive meetings without rendering in
writing a good and valid excuse will be
subject to removal from the team.
1.2 Meetings
are to be held in a place that can easily hold
all team members along with enough space for
observers to gather comfortably. Currently
meetings are held in the library. The place
can be reviewed on an annual basis. For any
meeting when a high number of observers would
be expected, a place would be decided upon by
the principal in advance of the meeting.
Article IV –
Schedule of Meetings cont’d
Section 2 –
Notice of Team Meetings
2.0 The
team will establish a yearly
calendar in
September that shall be posted in the
General Office, Parents’ Association Office,
main school entrance, in the Parent
Coordinator’s Office, and on the SLT Bulletin
Board at the beginning of each year. The
calendar shall be distributed at
the October
meeting of the Parents’ Association
each year. The Chairperson will distribute the
agenda 1 week
in advance of a scheduled meeting (exception
for emergency meetings). Any changes to the
published schedule must be discussed at the
prior scheduled meeting or by written notice
to all SLT members.
2.1
Special meetings will be posted in the
general office, Parents’ Association Office,
main school entrance, in the Parent
Coordinator’s Office, and on the SLT
Bulletin Board upon notice of an upcoming
meeting.
Section 3 –
Emergency Procedures
3.0 An
emergency is an unanticipated notification
that requires immediate action by the team.
In the event of an emergency, the principal
shall notify all team members of any changes
to scheduled meetings in an expeditious
manner. All team members will be given the
opportunity to participate in emergency
meetings.
Section 4 –
Meeting Attendance and Minute-taking
4.1
SLT
meetings will be open to members of the school
community. The school community
shall consist of parents of children currently
attending the school, teachers, staff, and
liaisons to the school (i.e. CEC
representatives). Members of the school
community who are not team members may request
speaking time at the meetings to discuss
specific topics. All such requests must be
submitted in writing to the Chairperson or
liaison at least a week in advance of a
scheduled meeting. Members of the school
community may attend any meeting of a public
body, listen to debates, and watch the
decision-making process.
4.2
Non-members are encouraged to bring issues of
concerns to their constituent
representative(s) on the team prior to SLT
meetings. Request for topics of discussion
should be submitted in writing at least one
week in advance of the meeting. Emergency
issues are to be considered exceptions.
4.3 Meetings are open and can therefore
be recorded verbatim. Recording devices may
be used as long as they are unobtrusive. SLT
members shall be informed if taping is to be
done (Sunshine Law). Due to the
confidentiality of certain items (e.g. budget
– salaries) the SLT may call for an executive
session where no taping would be allowed.
Team members are
expected to attend all meetings. If team
members are unable to attend the meeting, they
should contact the Chairperson in advance of
the meeting.
4.4 In
cases where childcare is needed, the request
must be made in advance to the school at least
72 hours in advance of the meeting.
Section 5 –
Quorum
A
majority of SLT members (50% +1) must include
representation from each constituent group to
constitute a quorum. Fifty percent of each
constituent group must be present to ensure
that their group is adequately represented at
each meeting.
Section 6 – Order
of Business
-
Call to
Order
-
Reading
and approval of the minutes
-
Call for
new item (s) to be placed on the agenda
-
Principal’s update (5 minutes)
-
Carry-forward items (Old Business) from
previous meeting
-
Sub-committee (s) reports
-
New
business items
-
Adjournment
Article V – Team Member Elections
To ensure that
all members of the school community shall have
the opportunity to participate and encourage
the broadest possible participation, parents
and staff will be elected by their own
constituent group in an election that is
widely advertised, with reasonable advance
notice, open to all members of the constituent
group and in a way that is public and
perceived fair and unbiased. PA election for
parent member representatives must allow for a
minimum of 10 calendar days notice (Refer to
the SLT Election Guidelines).
Elections for both parents and staff are to be
held after the PA elections in the Spring
(Chancellor’s Regulation A-660).
In an event of a
resignation, termination of eligibility or
loss of team membership due to removal, an
election to fill these vacancies will be held
by the appropriate constituent group prior to
the next scheduled team meeting. Team members
elected to fill vacancies shall be eligible to
serve until the completion of that term.
Article VI –
Removal of a Team Member
Team
members that fail to attend 5
consecutive meetings; and/or fail to
perform their roles and
responsibilities as outlined in
these bylaws; and/or behave in a
manner during meetings that is
disruptive and undermines the work
of the team will be removed by
consensus of the remaining members.
The
process for removing a team member(s)
shall require that a team have a
quorum of members present; that they
reach consensus (consensus will be
defined as a unanimous agreement to
support the decision made by the
team) in their decision to remove
the member(s); and when the member(s)
resign or is removed the vacancy
will be advertised to the
appropriate constituent group and an
election will be held in accordance
with these bylaws. The member shall
be officially notified in writing by
the team of its decision. The letter
shall include the reason for the
removal and the member’s right to
appeal the decision. The letter
shall be signed by the Chairperson
or Co-Chairpersons and shall be sent
by registered return receipt mail
delivery to ensure proper
notification and receipt.
In the
case of an appeal, the team will
allow 1 meeting for the member to
write a written appeal. The team
will then review the appeal, make a
decision by consensus, and forward a
written response to the dismissed
member prior to the next scheduled
SLT meeting.
Article VII – Decision Making
The team will
develop methods for engaging in a
collaborative problem-solving and solution
seeking that will lead to consensus-based
decisions and, when necessary, effective
conflict resolution strategies.
Consensus,
defined as reaching an agreement acceptable to
all of the members will be the team’s primary
decision-making tool.
In the spirit of
meaningful collaborative decision-making,
should an issue arise resulting in an impasse
due to the non-agreement on the part of one
team member the team will table the issue for
one meeting. The dissenting team member(s)
will prepare a brief statement of interest and
present their views at the beginning of the
next meeting. The entire team will work
towards consensus on the issue during the
meeting. If consensus cannot be reached, the
team should contact the appropriate Regional
Support personnel for further assistance.
In cases where an
urgent or time-sensitive decision must be made
and an entire team cannot be consulted or
reach consensus, the team must contact the
appropriate Regional Support personnel for
further assistance.
Article VIII – Conflict Resolution
In the
case of an impasse, the team has the
obligation to seek assistance from
the Regional Support personnel, the
Superintendent or other external
sources after efforts have been made
to resolve the issue internally.
A team
member may seek external assistance
when he/she deems necessary. In such
situations, the team will have
access to a variety of supports,
including the Regional School
Leadership Team Coordinator and the
District Leadership Team.
Article IX – By-laws Review and Amendment
The bylaws may be
amended at any regular meeting of the team,
provided notice of any proposed changes has
been given at a previous meeting. In addition,
the bylaws will be reviewed annually, at the
start of the school year to ensure that the
document’s provisions meet the needs of the
team.
These bylaws were
amended on ______________________ and are on
file in the Principal’s Office and in the
logbook in the Parents’ Association Office.
These bylaws were
adopted by all members of the team on
_______________________
