Educational Excellence School Advisory Council

7791 Booker T. Washington Senior High School

The bylaws for this school were last modified on May. 27, 2008.

The bylaws are as follows:

Booker T. Washington Senior High Council School
Educational Excellence Council
Bylaws


A. Purpose

The purpose of the Booker T. Washington Senior High School Educational Excellence Council, hereafter referred to as the "Council," is to foster an environment of professional collaboration among all education stakeholders to help create a learning environment that will empower students to reach their full academic potential with the skills, abilities, desire and confidence to become productive citizens and employees. The Council will strive to accomplish this purpose by working together with the principal to develop diverse input and focus to the preparation and evaluation of the school improvement plan (SIP) and by supporting Blueprint 2000 and M-DCPS Strategic Planning goals.

B. Council Members

1. Composition

The Booker T. Washington Senior High Council shall be made up of five (5) teachers, four (4) parents, two (2) to five (5) students, one (1) education support employee, one (1) business/community representative, the UTD steward and the principal. With the exception of the principal and the business/ community representatives, all other members shall be elected by their constituent groups. Teachers, parents, students, and education support employees shall also elect an alternate representative. Alternate council members are encouraged to participate in Council meetings and activities. The Council will be representative of the ethnic, racial, gender,linguistic, and economic community served by Booker T. Washington Senior High Council School.

2. Eligibility

All teachers, student services personnel, and the media specialist employed by the school are eligible to be elected teacher representatives to the Council. All other persons employed by the school, including paraprofessional, and those who are not defined as instructional or administrative personnel and whose duties require twenty (20) or more hours in each normal working week are eligible to be elected as the education support employee representative. Any student enrolled at Booker T. Washington Senior High School is eligible to be elected as a student representative. All parents, guardians or significant others responsible for a child enrolled in Booker T. Washington Senior High School are eligible to be elected as a parent representative.



3. Terms

The terms of office for each representative group are as follows:

a. Teacher and education support representatives and alternates will run concurrently with the teacher contract for a 1 year term Should a vacancy occur, prior to the term of office expiring, an election will be held at a posted faculty meeting.
b. Parent representatives and alternates will hold one year terms of office. Elections will be held during the first PTSA meeting of each school year.
c. Student representatives and alternates will have 1 year terms with elections done through the S.G.A. Students will be elected by Student Government Association members.
d. Community/business representatives and alternates will be reviewed and appointed annually by the principal and ESSAC Chairperson.

4. Responsibilities:

Council members are expected to:

a. Any member who has two consecutive unexcused absences from Council Meetings should be considered to have resigned. The member shall be replaced following election/selection procedures as stated in these bylaws.

b. Communicate regularly with respective constituencies to solicit their feedback with data and opinions to facilitate decisions. (PTSA meetings, faculty meetings, EESAC minutes, school newspaper)

c. Consider the needs of all students when making decisions.

d. Develop plans to support and implement M-DCPS Strategic Planning goals.

e. Consolidate and implement the respective waiver policies to State Board Rules, Florida Statutes, School Board Rules and the M-DCPS/UTD Labor Contract, when appropriate.

f. Foster collaboration with other education stakeholders to develop and implement initiatives designed to improve the school and increase student achievement.



C. Elections

1. Process

The Council chairperson shall give proper notice of the election of council members in accordance with the State of Florida’s Sunshine Law. The school shall also make its best effort to hold elections for each constituent group during hours that are convenient for each constituent group.


a. Teacher representatives shall be elected by teachers, counselors, and media specialists during a noticed faculty meeting. The Designated Building Steward will facilitate the election. Nominations for the vacant positions can be taken from the floor. All teachers, media specialists and counselors are eligible to be nominated for the EESAC and to vote on those nominated.

b. Educational support employees shall be elected by educational support employees who work at least twenty (20) hours per week. The Designated Building Steward and principal will conduct and facilitate this election.

c. Students shall be elected by students. Student representatives shall be nominated by the council Chairperson and elected by students through the SGA. In the absences of an available opportunity for SGA elections, students shall be appointed by the council Chairperson and the Principal. All students are eligible to serve on ESSAC.

d. Parents shall be elected by parents at the PTSA meeting. The PTSA President will coordinate the parent electoral process.

2. All newly elected Council members shall assume their duties at the first regular meeting following the last school term.

3. In the event that any member is unable to fulfill the terms of office, the alternate for that position will assume said position for the remainder of the term and a new alternate will be elected.

4. The normal term of office for elected council members is one (1) year. Interim vacancies will be filled by the consensus decision of the Council pending the next annual election or at the discretion of the Chairperson.


D. Meetings - All meetings shall be held at a time that is convenient to parents, students, teachers, and business/community representatives.

1. Regular Meetings

a. All council meetings shall be open to the public and shall not be held in any facility or location which discriminates on the basis of sex, age, race, creed, color, ethnic origin, or economic status or which operates in such a manner as to unreasonably restrict access to such a meeting in any way.

b. Council members should encourage their constituents to attend meetings. Non-council members may address issues they have submitted to the Council Chair for inclusion on the meeting agenda by written notification 5 business days prior to scheduled meetings.

c. Regular Council meetings shall be scheduled once a month as determined at the discretion of the Chairperson and held on the same night with PTSA meetings.

d. Notice of all regular meetings (using the attached form) must be received at the School Board's Citizen Information Office SBAB, room 158 and posted in the school's faculty lounge and main lobby at least five business days in advance.

2. Special Meetings

In addition to regularly scheduled monthly meetings, the Council Chair may call a special meeting following the same notification procedures as with regular meetings.

3. Cancellations With the unanimous agreement of the Council officers, the chairperson may reschedule a meeting provided at least three (3) days advance notice is given to all Council members.

E. Quorum

In order for the chairperson to conduct official business, a quorum must be present. A quorum is defined as one half of the Council members plus one member. Additionally, at least one (1) parent or one (1) community representative and one (1) teacher must be present to constitute a quorum.



F. Agenda

1. All ESSAC members must receive at least three (3) days advance notice in writing of any matter that is scheduled to come before the Council for a vote.

2. Council members may add items to any regular meeting agenda by contacting the chairperson typed written communication at least five (5) days in advance of regularly scheduled meetings.

3. Non-council members of any constituency may add agenda items by typed written communication to any member of the Council following the above guidelines.

4. Emergency items may be added to an agenda under new business.

5. Budget requests submitted outside of the regularly scheduled budget subcommittee meetings shall be submitted in accordance with the Budget Requests Procedures Document, which have been voted on and approved by the council.


G. Consensus Decision-making

1. All Council decisions to initiate action will be made using the consensus management approach in which all stakeholders involved (i.e., school board, students, parents, teachers, support staff, administrators, and community) will identify priorities, make recommendations, and find solutions that will address the improvement of student achievement in a collaborative manner.


2. For this Council, majority is defined as one half of those members present at a scheduled meeting plus one (1). It is understood that the most essential ingredient of successful consensus decision-making is the orally expressed willingness of the minority to support the majority decision, (i.e., "I can live with and support the majority decision.")

H. Minutes

1. Written minutes of each regular and special meeting shall be maintained as an open, permanent record of the Council's activities.

2. At a minimum, the minutes shall include the names of those present for the meeting and any decisions made or actions taken by the Council.

3. Minutes of each meeting will be read and approved at the next subsequent meeting.

4. The most current copy of the Council minutes will be maintained on the bulletin board in the faculty lounge and in the office lobby.

5. Official copies of all Council minutes will be maintained in binders in the principal's office.


I. Input from non-council members

Those who are in attendance at the Council meetings shall be provided an opportunity to address an issue once all items have been completed for a maximum of three (3) minutes provided time allows.

J. Council officers

Officers will be selected by the Council at the first regular meeting following the scheduled annual elections. The Council members will elect a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, and a secretary to serve one (1) year terms. At least one parent and one teacher must be selected to serve as officers; the other positions are at large.



K. Committees

1. Any committee formed will operate as a subcommittee of the Council. All committees must operate in the "Sunshine" unless they are only fact-finding or gathering information.

2. A committee of officers will be selected by the Council at the first regular meeting following the scheduled annual elections. The Council members will elect a chairperson, one vice chairperson, and a secretary to serve for one (1) year periods.

3. The Council may create standing sub-committees (i.e. curriculum, budget, discipline, and professional development.) Members of standing committees do not have to be Council members.

4. Ad hoc committees may be formed from Council or non-council members to develop specific recommendations for any area which falls within the purview of the Council purpose statement.

5. The UTD designated steward, EESAC Chairperson, and the principal are members of all committees by virtue of their positions.

6. A budget committee shall be established in accordance with the procedures now in place as per the DCPS/UTD Contract. The Budget Committee shall develop plans for the expenditures of school budgeted funds. To this end, the Council shall be provided a copy of the present school budget, as well as proposed budgets, and receive appropriate budget orientation/training from the Principal or designee. County guidelines shall be followed in expending these funds. Responses to questions from the Council about the school’s budget, it’s structure, and implementation shall be provided to the council in a timely fashion by the principal or designee. A timely fasion is defined as no more than five (5) business days from the initial receipt of the budget by the Principal. The Budget committee shall help formulate the school budget along with the principal or designee, and present proposed budget for council approval.

7. A Discipline Committee shall be established with membership open to all constituent groups. The purpose of the committee will be to review all current discipline procedures including: classroom management, student case management referrals, detentions, indoor and outdoor suspensions, and to make recommendations for the improvement of discipline and procedures, and to implement programs or strategies that will promote discipline and a safe school environment.

8. A Curriculum Committee shall be established with membership open to all constituent groups. The purpose of the committee will be to offer consistent, comprehensive strategies to staff for the implementation of the Competency Bases Curriculum (CBC) instruction. The committee will also be responsible for, but not be limited to, creating a schedule for any practice tests the school may administer as well as the mid-term and final exam schedules.

9. Council members serving on each subcommittee will be responsible for providing typed-written minutes of subcommittee activities to all ESSAC members at regularly scheduled monthly ESSAC Meetings.

10. PUrsuant to these bylaws, an Executive Committee is hereby established. The Executive Committee shall consist of at least one (1) community representative, the UTD representative, the council Chairperson, and the Principal.

L. Amendments

1. Proposals

Proposed amendments to these bylaws must be made to the chairperson, in writing, and will be placed on the agenda for a regular meeting. At the appointed meeting, the proposed amendment(s) will be presented (first reading), discussed and must receive a simple majority vote of the Council for further consideration.

2. Adopting

At the next subsequent Council meeting, proposed amendments will be read again (second reading), discussed, and a vote will be taken. Amendments will become part of the bylaws only by a two thirds vote
of all Council members present following the second reading.

3. Reviews

Council bylaws will be reviewed annually at the first meeting following the last school term each year to familiarize the new members and to identify possible needed revisions.