MTSBA Trustee Orientation
Transcription
MTSBA Trustee Orientation
Trustee Orientation Manuai Montana School Boards Association With your successful election to your local school board, you now hold one of the most important elected positions in the State of Montana. As an individual member ofa school board, you are now an integral part of a single elected body (the Board) that is responsible for finding the best, most efficient means of fostering excellence in education in each community through a recognition of the unique characteristics of those communities and the children served. As you begin your service, you will face a number of technical questions regarding your status as an elected official, the Board's status as a public agency, and a host of other issues that can bog you down in the details and draw your attention away from the fundamental issue of educational leadership. The purpose ofthis orientation manual is to help you manage some ofthe immediate challenges and obstacles that all newly-elected trustees face in the first months of service, and to provide you with access to further resources available from your Association. The concept of local control of schools dates back more than 200 years in the history of the United States. A tremendous amount of change has occurred over the last 200 years, but the basic function of school boards today remains the same: To provide local citizen control over public education in the communities served. This means that the school board should represent the citizens of the school district--not just some of the citizens, but all of them. Because different citizens have different ideas about schools, this responsibility always presents a challenge and requires significant diplomacy skills. How you manage this responsibility with the other trustees on your Board largely determines the quality of public education in your community. Unlike many states, where the state takes the lead role in education, the ultimate responsibility for quality public education in Montana rests with the local school board. The Montana Constitution is unique in placing both supervision and control of public education in the school boards' hands. Article X, Section 8 of the Montana Constitution articulates this vision eloquently and directly: School district trustees. The supervision and control of schools in each school district shall be vested in a board of trustees to be elected as provided by law. Trustee Orientation Manual Montana School Boards Association As clearly enunciated in Montana's Constitution, the role of school boards in public education is pivotal. It is important to note, however, that the role belongs to the school board as a whole, and belongs to individual trustees only to the extent that they each function as part of that whole. The other constitutionally-empowered agency in education is the Board of Public Education. Article X, Section 9 of the Montana Constitution specifies the Board of Public Education's authority as follows: (3) (a) There is a board o/public education to exercise general supervision over the public school system and such other public educational institutions as may be assigned by law. Other duties of the Board shall be provided by law. (b) The Board consists of seven members appointed by the governor, and confirmed by the senate, to overlapping terms as provided by law. The governor, commissioner of higher education and state superintendent of public instruction shall be ex officio non-voting members of the Board. In addition to the Board of Public Education and local school boards, the other elected officials directly involved in public education include the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the county superintendents. One of the most important and potentially difficult matters that each trustee must confront upon his or her successful election is determining his/her role as an individual member of the Board. Unlike the legislature, where there is one individual representing each clear and distinct geographic area in the state, every member of a school board has been elected by the same body of constituents, and, by virtue of that fact, is accountable to the same people. *Note: There are, of course, circumstances where individual trustees do represent distinct areas, such as in the case of outlying elementary area trustees on a high school board, or in cases where the District has gone to single member trustee districts in order to comply with the Federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. Even in such cases, however, although there may be distinct constituents in terms of taxpayers, at the very least, all trustees on the board have an equal obligation to represent the interest of the children attending the public schools of the district. There is nothing wrong with having a particular focus or interest in your role as a trustee. In fact, the diverse interests and perspectives of trustees on a school board is part of what helps the Board represent the diverse aspects of their communities. It bears repeating, however, that in the end, every trustee on the Board has a similar if not identical responsibility to the children of the district. New Trustee Orientation Manual Montana School Boards Association Believe it or not, Never! It is the Board as a whole that has authority over the school district. It can come as a shock to a newly-elected trustee, but an individual trustee has authority on his or her own only to the extent that the Board specifically authorizes such authority. Because a school board (not each trustee thereof) isa governmental body, it can take action only by majority vote at a public meeting. The individual board member has no formal authority beyond expressing an opinion, debating an issue and casting a vote at meetings. The power to debate, discuss and vote, however, can be compelling if properly exercised! Because he or she casts only one vote, a newly-elected trustee can become frustrated with the pace or lack of change and turn to other options in seeking a change. Although other options may seem attractive at first blush, they will lead to division, and run a strong risk of reducing the newly-elected trustee's effectiveness and credibility with other members of the Board. The end result of such action is often division and dysfunction on the Board. With the visionary elected leaders mired in controversy, the prospects for positive change in the district under such circumstances become dim at best. A trustee who hopes to bring about change must do so within the existing legal and organizational framework of the Board. Many a good idea has died because it was not properly presented to the full school board or because some minor part of it presented avoidable legal difficulties. Focus your energies on establishing healthy lines of communication with the other members of your Board, bring your good ideas to the Board for discussion and deliberation, and your efforts will pay dividends in the final analysis. Not unless specifically authorized by the Board! A board member who attempts to speak for the total board, direct members of the staff or make other individual decisions without Board authority is acting outside the law. In fact, the only time a trustee is immune from personal and individual liability is when he or she is acting in an official capacity, at a meeting of the Board or a board Committee, or pursuant to motion of the Board or a duly-appointed committee. The following sections of law clearly specify the authority of the Board vs. the authority of an individual trustee, as well as the obligation of all trustees on the Board to act collectively. 20-3-301. Election and term of office. (2) .... When exercising the power and performing the duties of trustees, the members shall act collectively and only at a regular or a properly called special meeting. (4) lRlJIJsillfJessmay lTW£ be trta!nsacied by ghe trtlJ/Jstees of a district amless it is transacted at a regular meeting or a properly called special meeting. A quorum for any Trustee Orientation Manual Montana School Boards Association meeting is a majority of the trustees' membership. All trustee meetings must be public meetings, as prescribed by 2-3-201, except that the trustees may recess to an executive session under the provisions of 2-3-203. When a trustee is acting in a manner contrary to the provisions above, he or she loses the personal and individual immunity ordinarily enjoyed when working in concert with the Board. A trustee acting on his or her own, without and/or contrary to the authority of the Board as a whole, runs a significant risk of incurring individual and personal liability for such actions. Section 20-3-332, MeA, provides in relevant part as follows: 20-3-332. Personal immunity and liability of trustees. (1) When acting in their official capacity at a regular or special meeting ofthe Board or a committee thereof, the trustees of each district are individually immune from exemplary and punitive damages. Under this section, a trustee's individual immunity from suit attaches only while acting in an official capacity. Official capacity comes upon approval by a majority of the trustees of the Board. Actions taken individually could lead to individual liability, which is another good reason why individual trustees should work within the structure of the Board as a whole. How to Talk to Your Constituents and Assist Them in Working Through the Chain of Command In light of the restrictions on your individual actions identified above, how can you maintain contact with and be responsive to the concerns of your constituents? By becoming informed regarding your district's chain of command and assisting your constituents in understanding the protocol for raising concerns. As a newly-elected trustee, you will inevitably receive an abundance of input from community members, including employees, with concerns, suggestions, and questions. Sometimes this works, particularly if a district-wide policy is involved or if the contact is informal and the topic is agreeable. More often than not, however, such contacts will involve matters of controversy which are specifically subject to formal procedures addressed in district policy or collective bargaining agreement. Most districts address the issue of a grievance formally, either through the terms of a collective bargaining agreement or through district policy. When a school district has a grievance policy or provision in its collective bargaining agreement, it must comply with the terms or run the significant risk ofliability. When approached on a matter of controversy, therefore, a trustee must be ever-mindful of the fact that such controversy must be addressed within the structure of policy or bargaining agreement, and must avoid the temptation to tackle the problem alone. Employees are unique constituents, generally holding the same free speech and other constitutional rights of other community members. As employees, however, they also have New Trustee Orientation Manual Montana School Boards Association particular rights and obligations under the chain of command as established by collective bargaining agreement and/or district policy. Neitherthe Board nor an individual member thereof should address a matter of controversy without consultation and advice from the administration. Volunteer elected trustees should u~e their county superintendent and paid staff as a resource for research and advice as to how a particular matter will affect students, staff and the community. Trustees should also remain vigilant in protecting the integrity of the district's organizational structure and procedures in order to maintain their school district's leadership and effectiveness. Whenever approached regarding a matter of controversy within the district, the matter must be referred to the superintendent or other staff member for handling in accordance with the chain of command established in your district's grievance policy. Remember that as an individual trustee, you have no authority to solve the problem on your own. Attempting to do so will create communication problems with your staff and fellow trustees, as each has and deserves a shared responsibility and authority to solve problems together. The best suggestion you can give to a concerned constituent is to begin with the person(s) directly involved. That would be the teacher where a student-related problem is involved, for example, or the principal where a school regulation or practice is the area of concern. When a situation cannot be resolved at the lowest possible level, then it should be taken to the next level in a kind of "chain of command." If the constituent has already spoken with the teacher and principal, you should suggest that the constituent bring the matter to the attention of the superintendent. When the superintendent cannot resolve the problem, that is when the Board's involvement becomes necessary. If the concern is important enough to be brought before a public meeting of the full board, the constituent will undoubtedly find that following the chain of command gets a much better response than talking to and attempting to institute change through an individual trustee. While school boards are granted wide latitude in governing their schools, they are subject to numerous state laws and regulations. Individual trustees are also similarly restricted in particular conduct by what can sometimes be frustrating and hyper-technical laws. Knowing some of the technical details up front, however, can help you avoid embarrassing situations and become more effective in your service as a trustee. The most immediate details can be characterized as falling under the following classifications: The school board and its committees are required to comply with the open meeting laws. These laws have been subject to constant litigation over the years, often with school districts on the Trustee Orientation Manual Montana School Boards Association losing end of the decisions handed down by the Montana Supreme Court. The open meeting laws are complex enough to justify a separate outline, and, in fact, the Montana School Boards Association has prepared such an outline that is available to all members. The key to understanding· the open meeting laws is to recognize the key components. Compliance with the open meeting laws requires that a board: Strive to meet in public. Under the Montana Constitution's "right to know" provision, meetings must be conducted in open session unless either (1) the Board is conferring with its legal counsel regarding pending litigation with a private party or (2) the Board Chair has found that the merits of individual privacy clearly outweigh the merits of public disclosure. Most closed meetings of school boards are closed in order to protect the privacy interest of an employee or student of the district. In such cases, the individual you are discussing has a right to be present during your deliberations. A meeting cannot be closed to discuss a collective bargaining strategy, or to discuss the conduct of a trustee, even if embarrassing! Provide Reasonable Notice of Its Meetings. The law requires that a board provide "reasonable" notice of its meetings. There is no set formula regarding how to go about doing this, as the law is flexible regarding notice .. Notice can include posting at community centers, the post office, or other locations frequented by members of the community. Notice can also include using your local press to advertise or report regarding upcoming meetings. Regardless of the method of notice provided, a board should be sure that the content of the notice includes the date, time, place and subject(s) of its meeting. Provide an Opportunity for Public Input. A board is required to give the public an opportunity to provide input before a decision is made that is of significant interest to the public. A board has fairly wide latitude in identifying and limiting the means by which such input is taken. As long as some input is allowed before (1) a final decision on (2) a matter of significant interest to the public is made by the Board at a properly noticed meeting, a board has complied with Montana law. Such input could be allowed, for example, through committee meetings, solicitation or receipt of written comments, oral comments at a meeting of the Board prior to a final decision, or any other method of the Board which is "reasonable." The right of participation is not unlimited. At some point, a board may wish to conclude the consideration of public comment, and move to its decision on a given issue. A board has the sound discretion to do so, provided it has given the public a "reasonable" opportunity to first provide input. It is important to note that the Board is not required to respond or participate in a give and take discussion or debate during public comment. The Board should maintain a clear distinction and formal separation between the New Trustee Orientation Manual Montana School Boards Association public input and board discussion/deliberation portions of its meetings. Failure to do so almost always leads to disruptive, disorganized, and ultimately long meetings. School finance and funding can be one of the most frustrating and complex aspects ofa board's responsibilities. There are a myriad of different funds in a school district, each of which must be maintained and accounted for separately. Although there are some funds that can be provided with permissive (non-voted) levies, many school district accounts are subject to voter approval. The general fund is the chief fund of the school district, and is used to pay for the general operational costs of each school district. The general fund is composed of a combination of state, federal and local funds, and is subject to specific restrictions as a result oflitigation and legislative action over the last ten years. In 1989, the Montana Supreme Court held that the system of funding k-12 public education was unconstitutional. The Court held that significant disparities in per-pupil funding across the state resulted in a violation of the Constitution's guarantee of equal educational opportunity. The Montana Legislature responded to the Court's decision by passing House Bill 667 in the 1993 Legislative Session. House Bill 667 continues to govern and, in many cases, restrict school district spending. Under House Bill 667, each school district must adopt a minimum general fund budget (the BASE) and may not adopt more than a higher budget (the MAXIMUM). The General Fund Budget of each district is based on a combination of what is known as the Per-ANB Entitlement (based on the previous year's pupil count, with roughly $3,906 per elementary pupil and $5,205 per high school pupil) and the Basic Entitlement ($19,244 per year for each elementary district; $213,819 per year for each high school district). The Legislature has accomplished its goal of reducing spending disparities among school districts below 25% (5th percentile district compared to the 95th percentile district). Unfortunately, it has done so without adequately funding the equalized system as it was contemplated at the time of enactment. If you are serving in a district at or near its MAXIMUM budget, you will find the funding restrictions of state law to be particularly discouraging, in that state law will prevent the local taxpayers from providing additional financial support for your operations, even if the local taxpayers wish to provide the additional support. As a newly-elected trustee, you are subject to significant restrictions on your personal and financial relationships. Montana law provides that it is unlawful for a trustee to: Trustee Orientation Manual Montana School Boards Association X X have any pecuniary interest, either directly or indirectly, in any contract made by the trustee while acting in that official capacity or by the Board of trustees of which the trustee is a member; or be employed in any capacity by the trustee's own school district. In addition to the restrictions on your individual involvement with the district, there are also limitations on the employment of your relatives. The law provides that if anyone related to you by consanguinity in the fourth degree (blood relatives, 151 cousins and closer) or by affinity in the second degree (blood relatives of your spouse, including sibling-in-Iaws, parent-in-Iaws, and children in-laws) cannot be employed by the Board of which you are a member unless: X X X you abstain from the vote; all of the remaining trustees approve the employment unanimously; and the Board advertises the planned employment in a paper of general circulation at least 15 days in advance of the meeting. School boards establish a wide variety of policies and procedures describing what the schools are expected to accomplish in such areas as curriculum, transportation, building maintenance, staff development, student services, labor relations, human rights and community relations. Both state and federal law require adoption of policy in many cases. Many of these policies and standards are routine and the Board can reasonably rely on the judgment of the superintendent and staff. Some are not so routine, however, and produce disagreements in the community or even among the staff. School board members are not experts in all these areas of policy; they must rely on the superintendent to help them. However, the Board member must learn enough in all of these subjects to ask questions, evaluate the answers, and vote with conviction. As a public employer, a board employs a variety of types of employees, each with their specific rights, responsibilities and accompanying technical rules. It is important to become increasingly familiar with employment issues, as the Board has the sole authority and obligation to hire and fire all employees ofthe district. Most ofa board's employment decisions will be made after a recommendation from its superintendent, although there can be instances when such decisions are made upon the recommendation of others (the county superintendent or a trustee in a district without a superintendent, for example). Employees of a school district can generally be classified as follows: The chief executive officer for the school district. The superintendent is hired under a contract for a specified term, which cannot exceed 3 years. When the contract term is complete, the New Trustee Orientation Manual Montana School Boards Association employment expires, as long as the Board provides notice of termination by February 1. Every district in the state employs a district clerk. The clerk is appointed on an annual basis at the organizational meeting following the election in May. The clerk is responsible for fiscal management of the district as well as record-keeping (minutes, etc.) for the Board. Certified staff other than the superintendent include your principals, your teachers, and any other individuals serving in a position that requires certification. Your certified staff (other than the superintendent) are also called "exempt" staff or "nonstatutory" staff, in that they are exempted from many of the laws addressing public employment. Your employment relationship with your certified staffwill depend on your district policy, and/or any collective bargaining agreement. Generally, a district has both tenure teachers, who can be terminated only for "good cause" and nontenure teachers, who can be nonrenewed for any reason following each of the first three years of employment in the district. Classified staff include all of your employees in maintenance, bus drivers, and other individuals who are not certified by the Board of Public Education. Your employment relationship with classified staffwill depend on your district policy, and/or any collective bargaining agreement with the staff. There are certain matters, however (holidays, number of vacation and sick days) that are set by statute for these employees. So What Does it Really Mean to Be a School Board Member? After reviewing the Nuts and Bolts Section above, being a school board member may seem to be far more complex and less gratifying than you originally thought when running for the Board. Keep the nuts and bolts in their proper context, and avoid getting bogged down in the technical details, however, and you will find the reward for your service in the achievement and growth of your community's children. There is no greater honor for a person than to be selected by one's community to supervise and control the education of their children. It is, however, an honor that must be earned through constant effort and a strong commitment to learning and serving other people. New Trustee Orientation Manual Montana School Boards Association The term of office for most school board members is three years. Most veteran trustees would state that it takes a year or more for a person to become a knowledgeable and productive board member, so don't be discouraged if you find yourself making mistakes early on. Turn to the other trustees serving with you for support and information, and you will find your knowledge and skills growing exponentially. By the end of your first term, you will undoubtedly find yourself prepared to provide mentorship to newly-elected trustees. By providing such mentorship, you will ensure a continuity in educational leadership on your Board. School Board Leadership can be characterized as the key to keeping our public schools focused on the most important task at hand: Education and growth of each community's children. School boards adopt policies that govern the operation of the district, as well as the budget that determines the priorities and values of the district. Policy and budgets are the most explicit expressions of a school district's priorities and values. It is the adoption of policy and operating budgets, therefore, that provide the Board with its greatest opportunity for creating an educational environment that is conducive to high student achievement. X X X X X Adopt goals and evaluate outcomes Adopt and evaluate policies Hire and evaluate the superintendent and delegate all administrative duties Approve the school district's budget and set the local levies and bond amounts Communicate with the community Perhaps the single most important job of a school board is to employ a superintendent and to hold him or her responsible for managing the schools in accordance with state law and the school board's policies. The Board also should set educational goals for the schools based upon state laws and community values and see that the superintendent and the total staff vigorously pursue those goals. The education and administrative leadership responsibilities of the superintendent are complementary and interdependent with the public leadership, governance, and policymaking responsibilities of the Board. To avoid confusion and provide harmonious and progressive direction for the district, both superintendent and board must strive to keep the distinctions between their respective leadership roles clearly in mind. The following chart highlights some distinct features of these roles: New Trustee Orientation Manual Montana School Boards Association Administration The superintendent is responsible for providing administrative leadership and managing district day-to-day operations. The Board hires the superintendent and delegates responsibility for administrative functions. Policymaking The superintendent is responsible for designing and implementing procedures to effect the requirements of policy. The Board establishes policy for the governance of the school system after considering the superintendent's recommendations. Hiring and Evaluating Personnel The superintendent recommends personnel to be hired; is responsible for performance evaluations; and makes recommendations for renewal, nonrenewal and dismissal of personnel, as provided by policy and/or relevant provision of collective bargaining agreement. The superintendent has authority to make recommendations to the Board regarding the selection, promotion, and retention of all personnel. The Board adopts a policy providing for the employment and duties of district personnel. It is a common practice for the Board to employ professional personnel in accordance with policy and as recommended by the superintendent and to review and act on other personnel recommendations from the superintendent. Program Evaluation The superintendent serves as educational leader for attainment of student performance objectives and submits to the Board reports on the curriculum, keeping the Board informed about the evaluation of school programs. The Board approves courses to be offered and requires periodic reports on the status of the educational program offered by the district, making revisions in policy as they are needed. Planning Goals The superintendent provides administrative leadership and makes recommendations to the Board concerning the development and implementation of and progress toward the educational goals approved by the Board. The Board establishes educational goals for the district, based on the input of district staff and community members, through various planning activities. Budget The Board communicates the district's priorities to the New Trustee Orientation Manual Montana School Boards Association I The superintendent prepares a budl!:et, makes '. superintendent through identified goals, reviews the budget submitted by the superintendent, makes necessary revisions, adopts the budget, and sets local tax rate requests. revisions as requested by the Board, and administers the budget and makes purchasing decisions as defined by board policy. Facilities Planning The Board adopts plans for facilities after considering the recommendations of the superintendent and delegates supervision of the building program to the superintendent. The superintendent leads the administrative effort to plan for, operate, and evaluate facilities and to supervise improvements. Community Relations The Board adopts a program of school-community relations and remains responsive to the community. The superintendent recommends and implements a program of school-community relations and keeps the community informed about district performance, policies, programs, and procedures. School board practices vary widely from place to place. The degree of formality required in conducting meetings, for example, may depend upon whether the Board meets before a large audience, a small one, or no audience at all! There are some characteristics, however, which are common to good school boards everywhere. X Good school boards know the difference between governance (which is their job) and management (which is the administration's job) and place a high priority on respecting that difference. X Good school boards make every effort to operate openly by encouraging public attendance at their meetings and keeping constituents informed of the district's progress. Good school boards enact major policies only after all sides of the matter have been studied and all persons or groups affected have been consulted. X X Good boards are efficient. This means that their procedures for conducting business are appropriate to their needs and designed to keep the district on course toward accomplishment of goals and objectives. New Trustee Orientation Manual Montana School Boards Association X Good boards know they are in the business of education. They talk about education, study the needs of students and society, and base their decisions on what is best for the children served. Board members come from all walks of life. The ability to function as one member of a multiplemember governing board is not determined by sex, occupation, race, income, or social standing. Effective school board members, however, are characterized by the following: X The ability to work as a member of a team, including an open mind and an ability to engage in give-and-take and to arrive at a group consensus. X The willingness to spend the time required to become informed and to do the homework needed to take part in effective school board meetings. X A desire to serve children and the community and a strong belief in the value of public education. X Respect for the needs and feelings of other people and a well-developed sense of fair play. X Recognition that the school district is probably the largest business in town and that the Board is responsible for seeing that the business is run by a skilled management team. X Effective board members often are persons who have proved successful in their particular vocations or avocations and who have demonstrated a genuine concern for community improvement. The Code of Conduct presented below is one sample among many that are available from a variety of sources. Your own district may have adopted a separate Code of Conduct of which you should be aware. The Code below provides some good advice for all trustees, which, if followed, will foster a greater sense of mutual respect and efficiency among the trustees serving on your Board. As a trustee of my local school board, I shall do my utmost to represent the public interest in education by adhering to the following commitments: Trustee Orientation Manual Montana School Boards Association X I shall represent all school district constituents honestly and equally and refuse to surrender my responsibilities to special interest or partisan political groups. X I shall avoid any conflict of interest or the appearance of impropriety which could result from my position, and shall not use my board membership for personal gain or publicity. X I shall recognize that a board member has no legal authority as an individual and that decisions can be made only by a majority vote at a board meeting. X I shall take no private action that might compromise the Board or administration and shall respect the confidentiality of privileged information. X I shall abide by majority decisions of the Board, while retaining the right to seek changes in such decisions through ethical and constructive channels. X I shall encourage and respect the free expression of opinion by my fellow board members and others who seek a hearing before the Board. X I shall be involved and knowledgeable about not only local educational concerns, but also about state and national issues. X The development of educational programs which meet the individual needs of every student, regardless of ability, race, sex, creed, or social standing. X The development of procedures for the regular and systematic evaluation of programs, staff performance, and board operations to ensure progress toward educational and fiscal goals. The development of effective school board policies which provide direction for the operation of the schools and delegate authority to the superintendent for their administration. X X The development of systematic communications which ensure that the school board, administration, staff, students, and community are fully informed and that the staff understands the community's aspirations for its schools. X The development of sound business practices which ensure that every dollar spent produces maximum benefits. Trustee Orientation Manual Montana School Boards Association Trustee Orientation Manual Montana School Boards Association Trustee Orientation Manual Montana School Boards Association o o o Employment record information and/or application materials making references to family problems, health problems, past· and present employers' criticisms and observations, military records, scores from IQ tests and performance tests, prison records, drug or alcohol problems, and other matters, many of which most individuals would not willingly disclose publicly; Discussion of teacher performance renewals; for purposes of teacher contract Student information, including but not limited to student records, health problems, disciplinary problems, and other matters of a private or personal nature. Trustee Orientation Manual Montana School Boards Association Trustee Orientation Manual Montana School Boards Association Trustee Orientation Manual Montana School Boards Association Trustee Orientation Manual Montana School Boards Association Trustee Orientation Manual Montana School Boards Association Trustee Orientation Manual Montana School Boards Association