School Committee's Governing Principles and Standards
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Vision
The academic success and overall well-being of all students are the strongest variables we consider when making decisions. Policy Our policies provide for fair, reasonable, consistent, and objective treatment of issues. We require the Administration to develop procedures and protocols with citations to appropriate Barrington Public Schools (BPS) policies and best practices. BPS policies identify measurable outcomes or objectives, where appropriate, which assist us in appraising the work of the District. As such, we review our policies and protocols on an annual basis, while holding firm to decisions, policies, and protocols collaboratively developed and aligned to the strategic goals of the District. Community Leadership We encourage full exploration of diverse viewpoints from the community to inform School Committee deliberations. As School Committee members, we communicate frequently and regularly with residents in the community, maintaining public trust through full and open dialogue. We advocate district positions on educational issues with legislators and other state and local political leaders and keep abreast of relevant state and national issues. School Committee and Administration Relationship The School Committee and the Administration work in partnership while respecting the clear distinction between the School Committee and Superintendent/Administration responsibilities. We focus on strategic leadership and give direction through majority decisions of the full School Committee. We refrain from performing management functions that are the responsibility of the Superintendent and staff. We do not give personal direction to any part of the district operational organization and we do not take unilateral action. Instead, we refer all concerns back to the Superintendent. We embrace processes which create opportunities to support direct dialogue between the School Committee, staff, and Administration. We work collaboratively with the Administration to formulate both annual and 5-year strategic goals, creating clear priorities for district time, energy, financial resources, and deliverable expectations. Responsiveness to issues arising outside of the Strategic Plan needs to be appropriately balanced with a commitment to a focused strategy. The Administration and the School Committee will work collaboratively to clarify and restate discussions in order to strive for full understanding and reach consensus. School Committee Governing Commitments We recognize and respect differences of perspective on the School Committee and among staff, students, parents, and the community. We act professionally and with respect for all. We keep confidential matters confidential. We govern legally, assuring that all of our actions are consistent with state and federal laws and with our own policies. We avoid actions that would be considered a conflict of interest. We communicate only explicitly stated School Committee decisions when speaking on behalf of the School Committee; and, when attending meetings, boards, or acting as a liaison from the School Committee, we speak only in our capacity as individuals. While we recognize the Chairperson as the official voice of the School Committee, we may express our individual views and opinions to the community and the media while clearly indicating that we speak only for ourselves. As in Community Leadership, we have the obligation to bring constituent issues or new initiatives to the School Committee or the Superintendent. In consideration of those issues or initiatives, we are obligated to act in the best interest of the school district as a whole while maintaining the focus on our vision. This supersedes any obligations based on:
To build trust among members and to ensure an environment conducive to effective governance, we will:
Accountability As a School Committee, we take collective responsibility for our performance. We evaluate our performance on a semi-annual basis. We engage in School Committee development to assure continuous improvement in our capacity to govern effectively. We participate in professional development and commit the time and energy necessary to be informed and effective leaders. We conduct a high‐quality Superintendent evaluation on a semi-annual basis. We use our student achievement and wellness data, comparing it internally, with similar districts, and with aspirational districts, to evaluate district performance. We communicate to the public the connection between our decisions, district performance, and our student data. Adopted 8/29/2018 |
Important Links
School Committee Governing Principles
Upcoming Agendas Policy Index Guidelines for Public Comment at School Committee Meetings Meeting Agendas and Minutes (Archived) School Committee Presentations School Committee Briefs Meeting Video Stream 2018-2019 SC Meeting Dates and Topics 2018-2019 Meeting Minutes and Agendas |
