LEWIS-PALMER
BOARD OF EDUCATION
OPERATING NORMS
Agreed to by Consensus February 16, 2006
Revised by Consensus July 20, 2006
- Respect for
individuals and the LP culture.
- No
"gotcha" or surprises.
- School
visits: Inform superintendent and principal.
- Chain of
Command: patron comment/letter (direct individual to contact teacher or
building administrator; you contact superintendent; board response to an
"all board" letter comes from president).
- President
is point of contact for press.
- When board
members peak with the press, they should consider what they say carefully
and thoughtfully. Always make it clear, when talking with the press, you are
speaking for yourself, not the entire board.
- Agenda: set
by superintendent and president; the agenda may be amended at a board
meeting by a motion of a board members, a second on the motion, and a vote
of the board to approve the amended agenda.
- Individual
board members may notify the president of items they would like on a future
agenda during board members comments, or debrief. The proposed agenda item
is placed on a future agenda as indicated by two head nods from board
members during board comments or debrief.
- Discussion
of possible board goals will take place at the June Retreat. June/July board
goals for the upcoming school year will be written and adopted. A strategic
calendar will be developed for the monthly board meetings during the
upcoming school year based on the adopted board goals.
- United
support of decisions reached by consensus or vote, even if you disagree
(notate consensus decisions for purpose of recall).
- Individual
board members do not contact contracted service providers unless requested
by the superintendent or board for a specific task.
- Have fun
and find humor with board service.
- Expectations
of participation: all board meetings; special sessions; convocation; new
teacher luncheon; end of year celebration; graduation; retreats; state and
national conferences.
- Notify
board and superintendent of travel dates.
- Invitations
to school functions: RSVP to school; FYI to BOE.
- Event
follow-up with quick email to BOE.
- Independent
research on topic: FYI to BOE.
- Do not
conduct board business by email.
- The Board
of Education, upon majority agreement (3/5) will direct the superintendent
to direct staff. This process will avoid individual board members directing
staff on personal interest issues.
- The Board
of Education, through discussion, will determine committee assignments
ensuring every member has input and there is consensus to the selection.
LEWIS-PALMER
BOARD OF EDUCATION
PROCESS NORMS
Agreed to by Consensus February 16, 2006
- To foster respect,
consideration and courtesy by being open, honest and truthful in all
situations and settings.
-
To
respect confidentiality, yet keep all appropriate audiences informed about
pertinent matters.
-
To
realize effective communication involves active sharing, listening and
understanding of the views, feelings and needs of others.
-
To
criticize, correct or reprimand in private.
-
To
address issues, concerns and questions (directly) with the appropriate
person/people.
-
To
protect the integrity and promote the positive image of one another with the
presumption of good will.
-
To
stay focused on the needs of the District, rather than personal concerns.
-
No
"gotcha" in public or private.
-
Members
check to make sure they know what a speaker means by a contribution before
they agree or disagree with it.
-
Each
member speaks only for himself and lets others speak for themselves.
-
All
members participate but in different and complementary ways.
-
Whenever
the group sense it is having trouble getting work done, it tries to find out
why.
-
The
group brings conflict into the open and deals with it. Conflict is
unavoidable but group can decide to deal with it openly (and subject to
group control) or disguised (and out of our control).
-
The
group will "stay with the person." A caring group can offer the
opportunity for an individual to concentrate on an issue important to
him/her. The group agrees to focus on an individual and help that person
work through an issue rather than allow skipping about and changing the
subject.
-
Win-win.
Members agree to relate in a mutually constructive way, rather than in a
competitive way. The intent is for every member to be enriched.
-
The
group recognizes that whatever it does is what it has chosen to do. An
effective group makes decisions openly rather than by default.
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