WHITLEY CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

SBDM

By-Laws & Policies

SBDM Table of Contents
Alternative Models / 3-4
Statement of Ethics / 5
SBDM By Laws / 6-22
Alignment with State Standards / 22
Committees / 23-25
Consultation for Hiring / 26
Principal Selection / 27-28
Curriculum / 29
Discipline, Classroom Management & School Safety / 29-31
Enhancing Student Achievement / 32-33
Extracurricular Programs / 33
Instructional Practices / 34
Homework Policy / 34-37
Writing Plan / 37-39
Instructional/Non-Instructional Staff Time Assignment / 39
Program Appraisal -/ School Day & Week Schedule / 40
School Space Use- / Student Assignment / 41
Parent Request for Homeroom Teacher / 42
Technology Use-/ Wellness Policy / 43
Planning / 44
Budget & Spending / 45
School/Parental Involvement Policy / 45
Performance Evaluation / 45
Textbook / 45
Instructional Materials / 46
Support Services / 46
Learning Environment / 46
Professional Development / 46

Alternative Models (SBDM)

A school may develop an alternate form of SBDM under the
following process.

PROCESS

Alternate models may address membership, organization, duties

and responsibilities of the council. The model shall be developed by a committee composed of representatives of parents, students,

teachers and administrators. “The composition of the committee shall be three (3) parents, three (3) teachers, one (1) student and

one (1) administrator who shall be the Principal of the school. The

parent representatives shall be appointed by the parent teacher organization. If no parent teacher organization exists at the school, then the parent representatives of the committee shall be elected under the procedures set out for electing parents to the school council. The student representative shall be appointed by the student government organization. If no student government organization exists at the school then the Principal shall appoint the student representative. The teacher representatives shall be elected by the teachers of the school.

APPROVAL

Any model developed by this committee must be approved by two-thirds (2/3) of the school faculty. An alternative model shall not eliminate or reduce the proportion of parent representatives on the council.

REVIEW

On recommendation of the Principal or on a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the certified staff, the alternate model may be reviewed by the establishment of a review committee whose membership shall be as described above. The review committee may propose amendments to the alternate model which must be approved by two-thirds (2/3) of the faculty of the school prior to its presentation to the Board.

Approved models or amendments shall be presented to the Board for review and transmitted to the Commissioner of Education and the Kentucky Board of Education.

REFERENCES

KRS 160.345; 701 KAR 005:080; 701 KAR 005:100 OAG 93-52

Adopted/Amended: 10/14/1993

Order # : 5304

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Thanks to the dedication of the SBDM Members and Secretary listed below, this policy was adopted for Whitley City Elementary on February 24, 2010. These policies supersede any previous policies and procedures.

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Foster Jones-Chairperson Judith Hamm-Secretary

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Roger Owens-Parent Linda Collins-Parent

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Eric Corder- Teacher Darlena Barton-Teacher

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Randall Foster-Teacher

STATEMENT OF ETHICS FOR WHITLEY

CITYELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Members of the WhitleyCityElem.School council, while representing teachers, parents and school administrators, have the educational welfare of the students served by the school as its highest priority. We acknowledge that the school belongs to the public it serves, and that our responsibilities require gathering and giving accurate information and making decisions that will be in the best interest of the students. We further acknowledge that we can best meet our responsibility when we work as a team, show respect for one another, show honesty, and demonstrate a commitment to the school and to our responsibilities.

Refraining from discussing information that can be detrimental to a person or a group is a behavioral standard by which the council shall abide.

The responsibilities of the council and these acknowledgments require each council member to maintain standards of exemplary professional behavior.

Each council member and the council as a whole will be observed and appraised by the faculty, students, and community. In the interest of the school and each student served by the school, the council subscribes to the following statements of ethical standards.

Members of the council shall:

Make the well-being of students the fundamental value of all decision

making actions.

Fulfill responsibilities with honesty and integrity.

Abide by policies set by the council.

Demonstrate willingness to compromise in the interest of the welfare

of students.

Show support of decisions made by the council.

Avoid sharing information that is considered confidential by the council.

Represent their constituency group as accurately as possible.

Demonstrate commitment to the work of the council and the school.

Avoid using positions for personal gain through political, social,

religious, economic, or other influence.

Demonstrate respect for all people regardless of race, national origin,

sex, religion, and political affiliations.

WHITLEYCITYELEMENTARY SCHOOL SBDM BY-LAWS

Article I: Purpose
The purpose of the Whitley City Elementary School SBDM is to address the academic, social and emotional needs of our students in order to set school policy that will enhance student achievement and help each student meet the goals established by the school council, consistent with state law. The school council will assess, monitor, and evaluate the policies and programs of Whitley City Elementary School.
Article II: Mission
WE THE SBDM MEMBERS AND STAFF OF WHITLEY CITY ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL BELIEVE THAT ALL CHILDREN CAN LEARN AT THEIR OWN
RATE THROUGH SUCCESSFUL LEARNING EXPERIENCES. WE WILL WORK
TOGETHER WITH PARENTS AND THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO
PROVIDE A SAFE, HEALTHY, STIMULATING, ENVIRONMENT THAT IS
CONDUCIVE TO LEARNING. OUR STUDENTS WILL WORK TOGETHER TO
FULLFILL THEIR POTENTIAL.
Article III: Membership
A. COMPOSITION
  1. The school council shall consist of the principal, three teacher members, and two parent members. The principal shall serve as the chairperson.
  2. If the school’s total minority enrollment reaches 8 percent or more minority students enrolled as of the preceding October 1, and there was no minority elected in the initial elections, a special election shall be conducted by the principal to elect a minority parent to serve on the school council.
  3. In the event a special election is needed, the teachers shall elect a minority teacher from the school’s staff. If there are no minority teachers on staff at the school, the teachers shall elect a non-minority teacher to represent the interests of the minority students in the school.
  4. If there is a minority teacher on staff and he or she does not wish to serve on the council, the seat shall remain vacant until filled by a minority teacher.
  5. The Whitley City Elementary School SBDM membership shall be as follows:
  • Principal (chairperson)
  • 3 teachers
  • 2 parents
B. REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP
  1. All Members: No one may serve on the school council who has a business interest in the school as designated by KRS 45A.340. New members (those with less than one year of service) must complete six (6) hours of training from a Kentucky Department of Education endorsed trainer. Experienced members (those with more than one year of service) must complete three (3) hours of training from a Kentucky Department of Education endorsed training provider each year, or can meet their training requirement by participating in the new council member training for 3 hours. In the event the council must select a principal, the council is required by law to obtain training in the recruitment and interviewing prior to beginning the principal selection process.
  • New council members will receive the required training.
  • Experienced council members will choose the type of training needed, or can be trained for 3 hours with new council members.
  • The council will prepare a written request for training, and the board will fund required training as needed.
  1. Teacher Members: Teacher council members must possess certification required for their position as a basis for employment in Kentucky public schools. Itinerant teachers may nominate, serve, and vote in our school. Counselors may serve as teacher council members. Principals or assistant principals may not serve as teacher council members, nor vote in teacher elections.
  2. Parent Members:. The legal definition of parent (KRS 160.345 1.c.) allows biological parents, stepparents, foster parents, or persons who have court ordered legal custody to be nominated or to vote. According to the law, parents who are nominated or who wish to vote must have a child “preregistered to attend” the school for next year.
  3. Parent council members cannot be employed in or be related to someone who is employed in the school or in the district administrative offices. An Attorney General's Opinion [OAG 90-102] says that "relative" as used in this section should have the same definition found in KRS 160.180 and KRS 160.380 that applies to school boards. This means that a parent who is a "father, mother, brother, sister, husband, wife, son, daughter, aunt, uncle, son-in-law or daughter-in-law" of someone who works at the school or in the district administrative offices could not be a parent council member. Parent members cannot be a board member or a board member’s spouse, nor can they have a business interest in the school.
C. ELECTIONS
  1. Parent Members: Parents conduct their own elections as per KRS 160.345. Annual elections shall be conducted by the third Monday in May each year by the school’s largest parent organization that is formed for the purpose of electing two parent council members. Parent elections may be by plurality vote (two parents with the highest number of votes) unless the parent organization requires a majority vote. A representative of the parent organization shall notify the principal in writing of the two parents elected within 24 hours of the final vote, and shall deliver all election materials to the principal the next business day after the election.
  2. Teacher Members: Teachers conduct their own elections as per KRS 160.345. Annual elections shall be conducted by the third Monday in May each year for the purpose of electing three teacher council members. Teacher members must be elected by a simple majority (one half plus one) of the number of teachers assigned to the school. The process that teachers may use to elect their representatives should address the following areas:
  • Nomination
  • Preparation of Ballot
  • Elections
  • Absentee Ballots
  • Procedures after First Round Ballots
  • Delivery of election materials to the principal the next business day after the election
  1. Term Limits: School council members can serve an unlimited number of terms as long as they continue to meet the eligibility requirements.
D. REMOVAL OF MEMBERS
  1. According to KRS 156.132, the commissioner of education may recommend removal of a school council member whom he has reason to believe is guilty of immorality, misconduct in office, incompetence, willful neglect of duty, or nonfeasance.
  2. A member of a school council may be removed from the council for cause, after an opportunity for hearing before the local board, by a vote of 4/5 of the membership of the board of education after the recommendation of the commissioner of education pursuant to KRS 156.132. Written notices setting out the charges for removal shall be spread on the minutes of the board and given to the member of the school council. KRS 160.347
E. FILLING VACANCIES
If a member of the council resigns or is removed from office, another member shall be elected in a special election held not more than one month after the vacancy occurs. The person elected in the special election shall serve the remainder of the term until July 1, and be eligible for re-election
F. TERMS OF OFFICE
The terms of parent and teacher members shall begin on July 1 and end on June 30. Between the date of the elections and July 1, members-elect are expected to attend all council meetings.
Article IV: Duties of Officers and Council Members
A. ELECTION OF OFFICERS
  1. Officers shall include Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary.
  2. The vice chair of the school council shall be elected each July by council members and shall serve for one year. Re-election is permitted.
  3. Except for the office of secretary, if a vice chair resigns his or her position; the council shall conduct a vote at that meeting to fill the position with another council member.
B. CHAIR
The principal shall be the chairperson of the school council. Duties of the chair include:
  1. Conducting school council meetings
  2. Organizing and maintaining council records (maintaining minutes of meetings and forwarding a copy to the superintendent after approval of the minutes by the council)
  3. Stating when a consensus is present for the record.
  4. Coordinating standing and ad hoc committees and monitoring committee progress
  5. Carrying out any additional responsibilities as stated in these by-laws
  6. Maintaining a file of all correspondence addressed to the school council (these records may only be discarded after having been brought to two council meetings)
  7. Other duties as described in these by-laws
C. VICE-CHAIR
  1. Duties of the vice-chair shall include:
  2. Presiding over council meetings in the absence of the chair
  3. Calling a special meeting of the council in the event a principal vacancy occurs
  4. Conducting meetings necessary for the principal hiring process to take place
D. SECRETARY
A council secretary shall be appointed by the principal to keep minutes of all council meetings and to maintain council records.
E. COUNCIL MEMBERS
  1. Duties of council members include:
  • Knowing and adhering to the mission, philosophy, and goals of Whitley City Elementary School.
  • Attending all council meetings, both regular and special
  • Encouraging and requesting opinions from their constituencies
  • Supporting, promoting, and communicating council decisions
  • Seeking information independently and as needed about issues brought before the school council, and bringing that information to the council

Article V: Committees
A. PURPOSE
  1. Standing and ad hoc committees are established to gain input from all stakeholders including certified and classified staff parents, students, and community members.
  2. Standing and ad hoc committees shall serve as a council resource for gathering data and information and making recommendations to the school council.
  3. Standing committees will be as follows:
1. Professional Development Committee /Assessment Committee/Consolidated Plan
2. Curriculum Committee/Instructional Materials Committee/Consolidated Plan
3. School Technology Committee/Consolidated Plan
4. Student Support Services Committee/Extracurricular Committee/Consolidated Plan
5. Discipline Committee/Safety Committee/ Consolidated Plan
6. Attendance Committee/Consolidated Plan
B. DECISION MAKING
Committee decisions shall be made by consensus. In the event that consensus is not possible, a majority of the committee may decide that an issue shall be decided by majority vote.
Standing committees shall be formed to aid the council. Each standing committee shall consist of at least 5 members. Parents are encouraged to serve on all standing committees. Standing committees shall make recommendations to the council and the council shall have final authority. The council shall determine the number, type, and representation. All standing committees shall be formed by the council chairperson and approved by the council. Titles and responsibilities of all standing committees members shall be disseminated to all parents, faculty and staff members (certified and classified) with a form for them to record their interests in committee assignments.
Ad Hoc Committees
Ad hoc committees shall be formed to complete specific tasks not completed by standing committees. Once the task is completed, the committee shall be abolished. The chairperson of the council shall form ad hoc committees with approval from the council. The council shall determine the size of committees and representation. The principal may serve on all Ad hoc committees. All committees shall operate by agenda. The chairperson shall form the agenda with input from committee members. The agenda shall be disseminated to committee members at leas 24 hours before the meeting. The principal within the means available to the principal must approve professional, technical and financial resources needed by committees to perform their tasks. Requests for resources shall be made in writing to the principal. The council shall describe in written policies the responsibilities of each committee an s shall develop and communicate to the committees a general time line for all major tasks. Standing committees shall serve for one year beginning July 1 and ending June 30. Ad hoc committees shall serve until they are abolished, not to exceed one year. All committee members may serve unlimited number of consecutive terms. All committees shall use consensus as the method of making decisions. Two-thirds of the members of the committee must be present for the committee to make a decision. All committees shall be open the public except as authorized by KRS 61.810 and 61.815. All committees shall keep minutes of all official meeting s and shall file such minutes in a minute book made available to the public in the school’s administrative offices. Each committee shall approve it's own minutes.
Operating rules for all committees
All committees established under this and other Council policies are public agencies subject to Kentucky’s Open Meetings Law. To comply with that law, each committee must:
  1. Establish a regular meeting schedule at its first meeting of each school year.
  2. Make that schedule available to the public by posting it on the school Council bulletin board and providing a copy to each person responsible for answering phone calls to the school.
  3. Hold meetings that are not on that schedule only after following these procedures:
  4. The committee chair or a majority of members decide the date, time, place, and agenda.
  5. Those who make that decision put the date, time, place, and agenda in a written notice.
  6. They post that written notice on the school Council bulletin board at least 24 hours before the meeting.
  7. They hand-deliver copies of the written notice to all members of the committee or fax or e-mail it, sending it early enough so that it will arrive 24 hours before the meeting.
  8. If any media organization has asked for notice of special meetings, hand-deliver copies of the written notice to that media organization or fax or mail / e-mail it, sending it early enough so that it will arrive 24 hours before the meeting.
  9. The committee takes minutes of the motions and actions at every meeting.
  10. The committee reviews the minutes of each meeting and approves them at the very next meeting, after deciding on any needed corrections.
  11. The committee makes its minutes for each meeting available to any interested party starting at the end of the next meeting.