COTSWOLD SCHOOL SCHOOL LEADERSHIP TEAM Bylaws

Transcription

1 COTSWOLD SCHOOL SCHOOL LEADERSHIP TEAM Bylaws

2 COTSWOLD SCHOOL School Leadership Team The School Leadership Team ( SLT ) is comprised of the Cotswold School Principal and selected Cotswold School parents and staff members that are representative of the student body. The Cotswold School SLT is separate from the Cotswold School Parent Teacher Association ( PTA ), although our interests sometimes overlap. The Cotswold School SLT is primarily focused on the following goals: Facilitating the development of the School Improvement Plan ( SIP ); Monitoring, assessing, and amending the SIP; Creating an environment to foster communication and addressing parent and staff concerns; Building capacity of Cotswold School to improve student achievement and provide effective education, superior resources, safe learning environments, and strong parent involvement; Providing oversight and review of the Cotswold School International Baccalaureate ( IB ) program; Monitoring Charlotte Mecklenburg School Board activity and engaging School Board members regarding issues that impact Cotswold School; and Seeking out best practices in student achievement initiatives and programs. By successfully carrying out these goals, the Cotswold School SLT will positively enhance the lives of our stakeholders, particularly our students and families. The Cotswold School SLT meets in the Media Center at 6PM on the third Tuesday of every month during the school year and at least once over the summer. Cotswold School SLT meetings are open to all Cotswold School parents, although any speaking request must be approved in advance by the SLT Chair. Time will be allocated during each SLT meeting for input from Cotswold School parents to communicate their ideas, concerns, and suggestions. Cotswold School parents and members from other groups in the community may also be invited to speak at SLT meetings.

3 I. SLT Membership A. Composition 1. Cotswold School Principal 2. Cotswold School parents, a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 15, having at least one child enrolled at Cotswold School during the school year. The parent membership should seek to reflect the racial, geographical, and socioeconomic status of the Cotswold School student body. 3. The current PTA President(s) will be an Ex Officio member(s) of SLT. 4. Members of the Cotswold School staff, including the Assistant Principal, at least three (3) selected teachers, and the IB coordinator. B. Election Process 1. Potential parent members will be self-nominated by open invitation. Selfnominations for members for an upcoming school year will be requested in writing in March of each school year, such as by notification in student folders and/or the school newsletter (The Growl). Cotswold School parents may submit nominations by notifying the current SLT Chair by phone or . Past SLT members may seek membership for another term after a one-year absence. All nominations should be received by the SLT Chair by the end of March. Not all SLT member positions will be open for nomination. Only those member positions that are open due to current SLT members ending their term or failing to complete their term will be open for nomination and election. 2. The proposed slate of SLT parent member nominees will be presented in writing in April, such as by notification in student folders and/or the school newsletter. Selection of new parent members will be through random selection of all nominees during the April PTA general meeting. Results will be distributed in writing to current and newly elected SLT members within one (1) week of the selection and announced at the May PTA general meeting. Newly selected SLT members have one (1) week after being

4 notified of their selection to decline participation in writing. If the selection is declined, another random selection will occur to replace the declining individual(s). 3. If, after the above described nomination and selection process, there are less than five (5) parent members remaining, the Cotswold School Principal and remaining parent members shall mutually agree upon temporary parent members until the next selection cycle. Such temporary parent members must then be selected by the regular nomination and selection process to continue as SLT parent members following the completion of the temporary cycle. 4. Staff SLT members should be determined by staff recommendations, approved by the Cotswold School Principal, and agreed upon by the staff. 5. All newly elected SLT members shall attend the May SLT meeting and make best efforts to attend any summer SLT meeting in anticipation of the upcoming school year. 6. One (1) SLT parent member will be selected from the pool of incoming kindergarten students ( New SLT Parent member ). Self-nominations for the New SLT Parent member will be requested in writing in September of each school year, such as by notification in student folders and/or the school newsletter (The Growl) and discussed in the September PTA general meeting. Cotswold School parents maysubmit nominations by notifying the current SLT Chair by phone or . All nominations should be received by the SLT Chair by the end of September. The proposed slate of New SLT Parent member nominees will be presented in writing in October, such as by notification in student folders and/or the school newsletter. Selection of the New SLT Parent member will be through random selection of all nominees during the October PTA general meeting. Results will be distributed in writing to the New SLT Parent member and current SLT members within one (1) week of the selection and announced at the November PTA general meeting. The New SLT Parent member has one (1) week after being notified of his/her selection to decline participation in writing. If the selection is declined, another random selection will occur until the New SLT Parent member is seated. The New SLT Parent member

5 shall serve until the regular selection process in the spring. The New SLT Parent member may then be nominated and selected for a full term according to the selection process as described above. C. Term Cotswold School SLT parent member terms are for three (3) years. Staff SLT members shall serve terms as determined by the Cotswold School Principal. II. SLT Roles and Responsibilities A. Leadership Positions 1. Principal: The instructional and organizational leader of the school. The Principal is ultimately responsible for the effective implementation of the School Improvement Plan, student achievement, and other programs and objectives. 2. SLT Chair: The Chair will facilitate all activities relating to the SLT, including: a. Meeting with the Principal to discuss issues relating to the School Improvement Plan and SLT b. Acting as a liaison between school, Principal and School Board c. Notifying SLT members about meetings d. Developing meeting agenda and distributing agendabefore each meeting e. Leading meetings to preserve agenda and ensure efficiency f. Assisting Principal in completing requests during the year includingschool Improvement Plan reports 3. Vice Chair: The Vice Chair will assist the Chair in all matters and train to hold the Chair position the following year. Other duties include:

6 a. Working closely with the Chair to learn duties and assist as needed b. Runing the meetings when the Chair is absent c. Posting necessary documents regarding nominations and selections in student folders, school newsletters and at PTA meetings as required, such as monthly SLT update, requests for nominations for SLT membership and selection results d. Assuming all responsibilities of the Chair in the event that the Chair is unable to complete the term 4. Secretary: The Secretary shall perform the following duties: a. Taking minutes at all SLT meetings b. Distributing minutes to all SLT members within two (2) weeks of each meeting c. Maintaining copies of minutes, SLT bylaws, and other important documents in an easily accessible notebook or file B. Leadership Position Elections 1. Any SLT member other than a school administrator and the Ex Officio PTA president(s) may serve as Chair or Vice Chair. In addition, an SLT member may hold each of these leadership positions for a maximum of one (1) year unless extended unanimously by all SLT members, including the member in the leadership position. 2. Nominations for the Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary for an upcoming school year will be accepted at the March SLT meeting and voted on by secret ballot at the April SLT meeting. Ballot results will be counted by the Cotswold School Principal and the Secretary. Election results will be announced in writing to current and newly elected members within one (1) week and announced at the May PTA general meeting. An SLT member elected for Chair, Vice Chair, or Secretary shall have one (1) week after being notified of his/her election to decline participation in writing.

7 3. If any ties exist or any position fails to be filled, the Principal shall appoint this position(s). III. SLT Procedures A. Meetings and Agenda 1. Meetings should be held the fourth Tuesday of each month during the school year and at least once during the summer. Meetings will be held in the Media Center and will begin promptly at 6:00PM and will end no later than 8:00PM. Provision amended to fourth Tuesday of each month per approved motion in the December 2012 SLT meeting. 2. Any new matters to be addressed at the next SLT meeting must be sent to the SLT Chair no later than one (1) week before the next meeting in order for new matters to be added to the agenda. Standing items on the agenda should be: a. Review and approve minutes from last meeting b. Follow up items from last meeting c. New business items, including any concerns from the group d. Non-member parent and/or staff input, if any e. Create Next Steps and remind all members of next meeting 3. Meetings shall follow the agenda as closely as possible. Non-agenda items that are brought up may be discussed if time permits. 4. The monthly agenda shall be distributed to SLT members by the SLT Chair at least three (3) business days before each meeting. B. Attendance Active participation is very important by all SLT members. If a member is absent more than three (3) consecutive meetings or four (4) meetings in total during a school year, that member may be asked by the SLT Chair to resign his/her position. If a parent position is vacated, a

8 replacement may be selected utilizing the procedures from Section I.B.3, above. If a staff position is vacated, a replacement may be selected utilizing the procedures from Section I.B.4, above. C. Non-Member Input and Participation 1. SLT strives to bring parent and staff concerns to the attention of the Cotswold School community. Input from non-members is encouraged by contacting any SLT member (parent or administration) by phone, , or other written communication, or via response to any surveys conducted by the SLT. 2. Non-members may attend SLT meetings, but must be approved in advance by the Chair in order to address the group. Any item addressed by the non-member must be related to SLT business; otherwise, the Chair, in his/her discretion, may refer the nonmember to the Principal, PTA president, CMS administration, or other source. The Chair will consult with the Principal on such matters. 3. Non-member comments and input are limited to twelve (12) minutes during each SLT meeting, and each speaker is limited to three (3) minutes. Time may be extended if questions arise from any SLT member. Any SLT action items resulting from nonmember input should be addressed by the Chair in writing to the non-member within three (3) weeks.