Looks Like Something Serious Will Get Discussed Tonight
Checking the Board's webpage, as I often do, I find that the Work Session on HR has been stripped down because....
Closed Session, per RCW 42.30.140, and Executive Session: Potential Litigation, Evaluate the Performance of a Public Employee
• The closed and executive sessions will begin at the conclusion of the oversight work session and last approximately 90 minutes.
• The closed and executive sessions will begin at the conclusion of the oversight work session and last approximately 90 minutes.
When this Work Session was first scheduled, the executive session was to be about a half hour. Now I see some of the Work Session Power Point has been changed/cut down and about an hour added to the executive session.
It's worth noting that the Power Point hasn't really been cut down so much as changed in places. Hmm.
Comments
-StepJ
reader
-SPS Parent
With that post about HCC some if the district's comments point to an odd adherence to the concept of school-based (aka site based) management going back to the mid 1990s. It looks like rather than audit and enforce that Building Leadership Teams are structured according to board policy and the teacher contract including bylaws, public meetings, and community involvement, the district staff has abdicated their management to school principals who are given free reign to do as they like. The district staff do not know which schools have recess, have no idea how little seated lunch time students are given, probably don't know which schools have isolation rooms, have no sense of what curriculum is being used for instruction, have nothing more than a few sentences to confirm adherence with ALO requirements at any schools.
I'm sure they are all working very hard at JSCEE but their work makes not a damn but if different if there is no enforcement at the vuilding level. I'm not asking for much more teaching conformity, teaching is an art and is relationship-based. We need to know that there is son insistence and that the kids are being taught from district materials and that teachers have proper training so they aren't left high and dry with a new method such as Singapore-based math instruction.
Where are their reports?
Might be something to ask about.
http://www.seattleschools.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=627&pageId=16511
In fact, this job description focuses only on the principal as the leader of the school, to the exclusion of BLT or other sire-based building leadership.
"Works with principals to develop and prepare annual budget for schools" - Budgets are prepared (or should be) by BLT, with Principal obviously having a heavy influence on them.
From the CBA (union contract)Note that that the Escecutive Directors don't appear to be a part of this structure, above it as a liason to District. No mention of them at all in this, the governing committee of schools:
ARTICLE II: PARTNERSHIP FOR CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP
Cert CBA 2015-2018 page 12
a. For purposes of collaborative site-based decision making, each building/program will establish its own committee structure. However, at a minimum, each school/program must form a Building Leadership Team/Program Leadership Teams and determine a decision-making
process that meets the needs of the school/program. The collaborative decision-making process will be communicated to the entire staff through a written document, which will include
a decision-making matrix.
b. The Building Leadership Team/Program Leadership Team for each building/program shall consist of at least:
1) The principal/supervisor, and
2) Five (5) elected SEA-represented staff. One of the five (5) elected seats will be
designated for and voted upon by classified SEA-represented staff. If the BLT exceeds 7 SEA members, representation of classified staff should at a minimum be two, ideally one paraprofessional and one SAEOP.
3) To the extent possible, the Building Leadership Team/Program Leadership Team will
reflect the racial and ethnic composition of the school/program staff and school
community. The Building Leadership Team/Program Leadership Team must be
selected by a process that is supported by the SEA-represented staff at the school. The structure of the BLT/PLT will be reviewed with the staff each year. The documents created will be provided to the SEA and Executive Director of Schools with a copy forwarded to the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources.
c. The primary function of a Building Leadership Team/Program Leadership Team is to promote and facilitate the collaborative decision-making process which affects academic achievement and to identify how to support the needs of students and staff in buildings. The more specific responsibilities of the Building Leadership Team/Program Leadership Team are to oversee the facilitation and development of:
For BLTs, a Continuous School Improvement Plan (CSIP) including the configuration
and structure of the school’s classes and/or program offerings, and the school’s efforts to ensure equity in discipline, learning, and opportunity for all students..
For PLTs, a plan of moving and improving program delivery including the configuration and structure of the program’s offerings.
2) A school-wide/program-wide professional development plan to support the CSIP/plan.
3) The school’s /program’s budget.
4) Creation/review of the Decision-making Matrix (DMM).
d. Because one of the shared beliefs is that those impacted by decisions must be given an opportunity to be involved in the decision making, the parties recognize that extra effort may be required to provide opportunity for representatives of the paraprofessional and office professional staff to participate in the work of the Building Leadership Team/Program Leadership Team. Buildings/programs will examine the possibilities of altered work week scheduling, shared office coverage, limited use of voice mail coverage, and other strategies that encourage and enable the participation on behalf of paraprofessional and office staff representatives. Schools will also make an effort to provide an opportunity for itinerant staff to
participate in decisions impacting them, as appropriate.
e. The scheduling and assignment of teachers, the assignment of students to classes, and the daily schedule of classes and activities shall be made with staff participation and be consistent with the CSIP, while recognizing that the principal has the right to make the final decision. In May of each year, employees may submit three choices in priority order for assignment of grade level/subject area for the following year. If the choice cannot be honored, a conference will be held to discuss why an employee will be placed in an area that was not requested.
Programs will carry out assignments and transfers as outlined in their procedures and/or Policy and Procedures Manuals.
f. To ensure staff participation in collaborative decision making, buildings/programs need to establish processes for that involvement. Buildings/programs may wish to identify committees or other means to accomplish the work of the school/program (e.g., health, safety, hiring, and budget) and assist with the responsibilities assigned to the Building Leadership Team/Program
Leadership Team.
g. Processes for establishment of building/program committees and the membership of the committees must be approved by a majority of staff at the school/program. Failing such support, the building/program committees and membership shall be determined by the Building Leadership Team/Program Leadership Team.
h. The Building Leadership Team/Program Leadership Team and building/program committees shall include parent/family members, students, and community representatives as appropriate.
Building-based committees will seek input from other organizational structures (e.g., PTSA, site council) as appropriate.
i. If there is a conflict between a decision made by the BLT, or building/program staff, (within the responsibilities set out above) and an instructional council or other faculty representative body (per 5 below), the decision of the BLT or staff will take precedence.
j. When a staff, following the school’s/program’s decision-making matrix, cannot reach consensus or at least a 2/3 vote on budget, the professional development plan, or CSIP, a representative from SEA and a representative from SPS will meet with the staff involved in an attempt to resolve the issues. If after a reasonable attempt the issues remain unresolved, the issues will be forwarded to the Superintendent’s designee for a final decision. Members of the decision-making body may submit a statement to the Superintendent’s designee before a final decision is made. SEA and SPS will strive to have a final decision within five (5) work days
from the date that the issues are initially raised.
-sleeper