As we aim to maintain a high degree of trust between the Board, the administrative staff, the teaching staff, and the community, agreement on these protocols can support our efforts.

BOARD MEMBER ROLES/AUTHORITY

1. The Board sees itself primarily as a policy-setting body and delegates the administration of schools to the superintendent. In addition, the board provides oversight and represents the desires/expectations of the stakeholders.

2. The Board annually sets goals for the District, taking into account administrative recommendations and the expectations of the stakeholders.

3. Board members have authority as members of the board, but not to take individual action.

4. Board decisions are binding on all board members.

5. The Board semi-annually and annually evaluates the performance of the superintendent or as appropriate.

6. The Board annually evaluates itself, reviews its protocols, and holds itself to standards of best practice.

7. The Board strives to reach decisions through the consensus process rather than simply by majority vote, whenever possible.

SUPERINTENDENT’S ROLE/AUTHORITY

8. The superintendent serves as the chief executive officer, is charged with implementing the policies of the board, and is responsible for the administration of the School District.

9. The superintendent shall have the authority to organize, reorganize and arrange the administrative and supervisory staff, including, without limitation, instruction and business affairs, which, in his/her judgment, best serve the school district, subject to the approval of the Board of Education.

10. The responsibility for the selection, placement and transfer of personnel shall be vested in the Superintendent of Schools; selection shall be subject to the approval of the Board of Education.

11. The superintendent shall suggest regulations, rules, policies and procedures deemed necessary for the effective functioning of the School District.

12. It is the superintendent’s primary responsibility to provide visionary and inspirational leadership that enables the District to continually improve the educational experiences of children.

13. The superintendent is a visible presence in the schools to underscore that the most important interactions that occur are in the classrooms.

14. The superintendent provides the board with the information, analysis, and sound professional advice it needs to formulate policy and monitor operations of the district.

15. The superintendent creates and sustains a climate of collegiality among members of the staff and parent body.

AGENDA SETTING

16. Responsibility is shared by the superintendent, the Board president, and the vice president.

17. Calls to the superintendent or Board president to suggest items prior to the drafting of the agenda will be reflected in the draft.

18. When able, Board members will let the superintendent and Board president know in advance about items not in the draft, which they intend to raise at the Board meeting, and the superintendent will do the same.

CONFIDENTIALITY

19. Rules for confidentiality are those consistent with the Open Meetings Law.

20. Discussions in executive session must remain completely confidential.

21. E-mail should not be used for confidential matters.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

22. Items for executive session must be consistent with the Open Meetings Law.

PARENTAL AND STAFF COMPLAINTS

23. Board members direct parents who call with complaints to work up through the hierarchy – talking to the teacher, the principal, the superintendent before further involving board members.

24. Board members refer other more substantive criticisms, complaints or suggestions to the president and to the superintendent. The president will assure circulation to the full board. The superintendent does the problem solving, with staff assistance as necessary. Board members do not attempt the problem solving including the fact finding.

25. The Board will strive to discourage anonymous complaints.

MEDIA CONTACT

26. All official statements of board positions, as well as responses to media inquiries, come from the Board president and/or superintendent (or their designees).

MEETING DYNAMICS

27. In both public meetings and executive sessions, each Board member has a right to be
heard once on an issue prior to others having a second chance.

28. Members agree to listen to one another and not interrupt.

29. Motions should be used to focus discussion on action items, and any member may “call the question” to test whether the Board is ready to vote.

30. The Board president is authorized to focus discussion toward closure.

31. Board members should address the Board as a whole with their comments, rather than addressing the public.

32. Roberts Rules of Order and applicable NYS Open Meeting Law govern the conduct of the meeting.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN BOARD MEETINGS

33. Public participation follows carefully drawn rules understood by the Board and the public, with an emphasis on civility and mutual respect.

34. Public opportunity to raise an issue or to raise a question about an issue not on the agenda usually occurs at the end of the meeting.

35. Public comments on an agenda item are permitted prior to the opening of new business after the first round of Board discussion of the issue.

36. Each speaker is allowed one comment on an issue until all others have been heard.

37. Interruption of Board discussion is not permitted.

RELATIONSHIP TO STAFF

38. In general, contact with members of the staff occurs through the superintendent when Board members are wearing their “Board hat.” When contacting staff as a parent, it is reassuring to say, “I am calling as a parent.”

INFORMATION – SHARING

39. Share agenda information carefully and consistently across the Board and with the superintendent, in part to maintain a practice of “no surprises,” particularly in public meetings.

40. Depend on the superintendent’s periodic memos and information packet as primary source material.

41. Check e-mail for breaking news of a non-confidential nature.

42. Keep e-mail brief and to the point, with sensitivity to overall volume, recognizing that on the day of a Board meeting it usually is too difficult to respond to questions.

43. Expect that confidential news as well as ‘new news’ relative to previously agreed actions will come through the superintendent’s memo, executive session, or in an emergency through telephone contact.

44. Information requests to the administration should come to the Board president in order to maintain a reasonable balance of volume, content and tone. If the administration deems the information requests overly burdensome in the time requested, the Superintendent will discuss with the Board of Education President and the member possible alternatives to address the member’s information request.

45. The following options may be used to meet the request:

a. An optional information meeting will be scheduled prior to the commencement of the Board meeting at which time the Superintendent will provide the information verbally.
b. The Superintendent will discuss with the Board of Education President and the member possible alternatives to address the member’s information request
c. The item will be placed on a future Board of Education agenda for discussion.

46. Intra-Board communication - by telephone, e-mail, or in person - is essential, but should be consistent with guidelines for public and executive session decision-making.