School Community CouncilChair and Vice-chair Training

Empowering ParentsTo Lead

• Set the agenda• Meeting Notice, Agenda and Minutes on the Website• Conduct the meetings• Assure minutes are kept• Inform council of resources on School LAND Trust website• Adopt Rules of Order and Procedure• Encourage participation within and outside the council

Chair Responsibilities

• Create a Timeline• Introductions of Council Members• Set the agenda• Meeting Notice, Agenda and Minutes on the Website• Conduct the meetings• Assure minutes are kept• Inform council of resources on School LAND Trust website• Adopt Rules of Order and Procedure• Encourage participation within and outside the council

Chair ResponsibilitiesElect a 2nd year member

Vice-chairs should support the chair

Creating a Yearly Timeline• Eliminates the frustration and anxiety of compliance• Organizes the work• Helps determine what new work the council may consider• Makes your life simpler

Creating a Yearly Timeline• School LAND Trust Timeline – on the website• Other required plans and due dates – approval dates• Assessment discussion – current plan reviews• Rules of Order and Procedure items (election timeline)• Other projects the council assumes• Local board requests• Council training and officer training• School and district calendar• Other tasks• Summary of the SLT Final Report, money received• Statement about opportunities for parents to serve• Meeting dates for the year, members & contact info• SLT website review• Rules of Order and Procedure update

• WHAT ELSE?

Introduction of Council Members

• Recognize the role of each member• Utilize the talents and resources of

each member• Encourage participation – SHARE THE WORK

RECOGNIZE THE ROLE AND EXPERTISEOF EACH COUNCIL MEMBER

• Principals• Access and explain data• Ambassador• Resource to the chair and council

• School Employees• Long-term vision• Academic viewpoint

• Parents• It is about their children• Realistic view• Community members

RECOGNIZE AND UTILIZE SKILLS AND TALENTSOF EACH COUNCIL MEMBER

• Skills and talents unique to each person• Prior experience with councils• Work experience• Community experience

ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATIONWithin and outside the council – ideas

• Appoint a secretary• Appoint a financial liaison• Appoint sub-committees/task forces• Complete requests or address concerns• Include people not on the council• Report back to the council

• Ask council members to be the eyes and earsand bring issues to the council

• District meetings of chairs • WHAT ELSE?

(Name of School) School Community Council MeetingJanuary 12, 2015 – 3:30 PM

(Name of School) Library Conference Room AGENDA

Welcome Chair (2 minutes) Approval of November 17, 2013 Minutes All (2 minutes)

Financial Update Financial Liaison (5 min.) School LAND Trust Plan Discussion Principal and ReadingDue Date is March 16 Specialist (20 minutes)

Data discussion – test scores and assessments District specialist (20 min.) Subcommittee Report on Internet Safety James Smith (10 minutes)Adoption of Recommendations

Assignments

Other

Adjourn

AGENDAInclude the date, time, location

and items to be considered

• Regular chair/principal meeting to discuss the agenda• Items from the last meeting – unfinished or assignments• Yearly timeline – required and regular work

• Encourage council members to request agenda items• Action items must be on the agenda• Consider assigning each agenda item a timeframe

and someone who will lead the discussion

MEETING NOTICE, MINUTES AND AGENDA POSTED ON THE SCHOOL WEBSITE

At least one week in advance

CONDUCT MEETINGS• Manage the meeting• Begin on time• Follow the agenda• Allow enough time for each agenda item• Keep the council on task• Move the agenda along to end on time• Encourage all viewpoints to be heard• Motions for action items – quorum present

• In an ideal world all comments and motions gothrough the chair – it can be more relaxed

• The chair may delegate this assignment – bestto conduct when present

MINUTESPowerPoint on the websiteWho will take and prepare minutes?• Council appoints a “secretary”• Rotate and everyone does minutes for one meeting• Office staffCoordination between the person who takes andprepares minutes and the person who posts them

SCHOOL LAND TRUST WEBSITEwww.schoollandtrust.org

• Review in a meeting• Ask members to review at home• Assignment – council members report back

RULES OF ORDER AND PROCEDURE• What is this?• How can this help the council?• How much time should the council spend on this?• Adopting• On the school website and at each meeting

What to do in case of a tie – in an electionWhat to do if you can’t get a quorum to do businessOutline of election procedure