ACP- Oakland Council Mission Statement

The ACP – O Site Council will assist in strengthening and supporting the school’s educational mission.

BY-LAWS

Purpose

The purpose of the ACP- O Site Council is to:

• Consider issues important to staff, parents, and community at large

• Serve in an advisory capacity to principal

• Raise awareness of critical school issues and loop out to other members of the parent community

to share information

Membership

Section 1: Membership Composition

The composition of the ACP-O Site Council shall consist of an equal number of teachers and parents with each group ranging in numbers as follows:

Certified staff

Parents

Classified staff

Community members/Business partners

Administrator 1

Total number of members shall range from

Section 2: Membership Terms

Membership will be for one year. Members can serve more than one year (maximum of 3 years) if there are no new volunteers. Parent selection to the ACP-Oakland Site Council shall be voluntary. Notification of open positions shall be by special flyer, school newsletter, and/or school web page. A brief overview of Site Council responsibilities shall be presented in the flyer, newsletter article and/or web page.

Nomination Procedures

• Interested parents should submit their name to school secretary the first week of May.

• If there are more interested parents than positions, a lottery will be held. The principal

will notify all the involved participants of the results from the lottery.

• In the event there are no candidates for parent or staff positions, the principal will seek

volunteers that represent the community to fill the open positions.

Responsibilities

Section 1: Roles

Roles for each Site Council Meeting shall be Facilitator, Recorder, Timekeeper, and Group Member.

Section 2: Definition Of Roles

The following are important roles and responsibilities for council meetings:

Facilitator

• Remains neutral during the meeting; does not take sides on issues

• Moves the meeting along according to the agenda

• Focuses the group on the topics at hand and discourages extraneous discussion

• Encourages participation by all members; deliberately elicits opinions from those reluctant to

speak

• Protects individuals from criticism or personal attack

• Suggests strategies and methods to resolve complex issues

• Summarizes what others have said and reviews decisions

Recorder

• Takes minutes of what takes place at the meeting

• Checks for accuracy, occasionally asking the group if what is being recorded clearly

matches the collective memory of what has happened

• Organizes ideas, decisions, and accomplishments

• Copies important material that may have been recorded on charts

• Prepares and submits minutes to the principal for distribution

Timekeeper

• Keeps track of time lines allowed for each agenda item

• Provides reminders to the group when time allotment is about to expire

• Seeks approval from the group to extend beyond the allowed time limit for a specific

item

• Assesses how well the group has kept time limits

Group Member

• Contributes to group discussion

• Maintains focus on agenda items

• Helps facilitator remain neutral during discussion

• Encourages all members to participate

• Actively listens to what others are saying

• Works to achieve consensus

• Maintains a positive productive attitude

Meetings/Agendas

The ACP -Oakland Site Council is committed to making a positive impact on student learning.

Agendas will be realistic. The ACP-O Site Council will compile a tentative agenda for the next Site Council meeting at the conclusion of each meeting. The Site Council meeting notice and agenda items will be posted prior to the meeting. Items for the next meeting agenda should be suggested at the end of each meeting. If an item needs to be added, it will be communicated to the principal at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled meeting. If the agenda is a full agenda, the Site Council members will decide when the item can be addressed and if time allotments for other items need to be adjusted to include the new item.

It is the intention of the ACP-O Site Council to designate time at every meeting to permit guests to address the Council. Guidelines are as follows:

10 minutes total time will be allotted on every agenda to permit community guests to address the Site Council

Speakers must submit a “Request to Address” form/email to the school principal no later than noon the day prior to the scheduled Site Council meeting

Speakers will be limited to 2 minutes for each person to address the Site Council

The Site Council reserves the right to not respond to any new issues not on the agenda

The time allotment on the agenda may be lengthened by vote at a specific meeting if it appears that additional time is needed

There will be four (one per quarter) designated meetings in each school year. The four meetings may focus on:

Review school goals and annual plans

Review school labels and AYP progress

Promoting positive public relations for the school; healthy habits

Review the safety and security of the school campus

Other topics as generated by the membership

Meeting agendas will be posted 48 hours in advance

Attendance

All ACP-O Site Council members are expected to be in attendance at all regular or special scheduled meetings for each academic year.

A ACP-O Site Council member will notify the school office prior to any foreseen absence from regular or special scheduled meetings.

The need to leave early from a regular or special scheduled meeting shall be disclosed at the beginning of the meeting.

ACP-O Site Council members whose absences are in excess of 3 non-consecutive or 2

consecutive meetings may have membership reviewed by the ACP-O Site Council and/or replacement assigned.

The principal will contact any current ACP-O Site Council member whose membership is under question to discuss such, will notify current member of acceptance of their resignation, and will notify any new appointments to the ACP-O Site Council.

Amendments To By-Laws

Amendments may be made by the consensus of ACP-O Site Council. Any community

member may propose a change in By-Laws.

Decision Making Model

Consensus will be used for decision-making. There must be a quorum of the Site Council membership in attendance for decision-making. The fallback in the event a decision cannot be made will be defined up front.

Consensus means a general agreement. It is a decision in which key points of view have been integrated. All members of the group feel that their ideas have been heard. All members must contribute to the formation of a consensus. Differences are clarified and viewed as helpful to the process. Consensus does not require unanimity, but it must consider all relevant ideas pertinent to an issue. Consensus decision-making requires open and honest communication, a high level of trust, and a belief that issues can be resolved by including a wide variety of opinions.

In working toward consensus, all members of the group have an obligation to explain and clarify their perceptions, convey their feelings, listen carefully to others, maintain flexibility, and be willing to negotiate. Achieving consensus does not mean that a vote has been unanimous, but it is decision that everyone in the group can live with. Once a consensus is reached, all members agree to take responsibility for implementing the final decision.