Linwood E. Howe School Site Council
Overview of School Site Council
The council consists of 5 parents, 3 teachers, 1 classified staff member, and the principal. The Site Council and the principal work together to make recommendations about spending the school’s categorical funds. Site Council meets monthly, from 3:20-4:20 pm on a Monday. Everyone is welcome to attend site council meetings.
Role as School Site Council Member
At the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year, the school site council sat down and had a meeting that was devoted to going over both the district safety plan and our current school safety plan. We used the School Board Meeting Staff Report from January 22, 2013, to guide our discussion. As elected members, we looked to see where the district's vision of safety was inlined with our own school safety plan and where there were gaps in our school's safety plan. We also used the district's safety plan to also go to the district with safety needs and concerns, so that the district would use their safety funds to help us address our school's safety concerns and requests.
As an elected member of the site council, I bring up questions, concerns, or requests from teachers at my school site. I act as a representative of the school’s teaching staff when voting on school issues. I also have the responsibility of bringing back site council news and discussion points to the teaching staff. As a two-year member of site council, I helped create a new school safety and emergency plan. Another responsibility that I have is to analyze the school’s budget and brainstorm what teachers see as the needs of the school. This helps the whole school site council make a more informed decision for school purchases. Through may role as a council member, I have been able to use my influence to help the school purchase two laptop carts to address the school’s disparity in technology.
Since the new funding formula for education passed by Governor Brown, I have met several times with the site council to analyze the district’s goals for their Local Control Accountability Plan. We meet to make sure that the district’s goal for parent involvement, student outcomes, course access, implementation of the CCSS, student engagement, student achievement, school climate, and basic services align with our school’s focus.
Reflection
As an elected member of school site council, I have learned that it is very important to have a member of each stakeholder group have representation at council meetings. Every stakeholder group comes to the site council meetings with their own agenda and thought on how to spend the school’s categorical funds. It is important to hear what each stakeholder group values and sees as an educational necessity for their child. It is important for the school leader to hear everyone’s needs and it is also important for teachers and parents to hear each other’s needs before making a decision.
CPSEL Connection
STANDARD 1: A SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR IS AN EDUCATIONAL LEADER WHO PROMOTES THE SUCCESS OF ALL STUDENTS BY FACILITATING THE DEVELOPMENT, ARTICULATION, IMPLEMENTATION, AND STEWARDSHIP OF A VISION OF LEARNING THAT IS SHARED AND SUPPORTED BY THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY.
1.1 Facilitate the development of a shared vision for the achievement of all students based upon data from multiple measures of student learning and relevant qualitative indicators.
1.2:Communicate the shared vision so the entire school community understands and acts on the school’s mission to become a standards-based education system.
1.3: Use the influence of diversity to improve teaching and learning.
1.4: Identify and address any barriers to accomplishing the vision.
1.5: Shape school programs, plans, and activities to ensure that they are integrated, articulated through the grades, and consistent with the vision.
1.6: Leverage and marshal sufficient resources, including technology, to implement and attain the vision for all students and all subgroups of students.
STANDARD 3: ENSURING MANAGEMANT OF THE ORGANIZATION, OPERATIONS, AND RESOURCES FOR A SAFE, EFFICIENT, AND EFFECTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.
3.1: Sustain safe, efficient, clean, well-maintained, and productive school environment that nurtures student learning and supports the professional growth of teachers and support staff.
3.3: Establish school structures and processes that support student learning.
3.4: Utilize effective systems management, organizational development, and problem-solving and decision-making techniques.
3.5: Align fiscal, human, and material resources to support the learning of all subgroups of students.
3.6: Monitor and evaluate the program and staff.
3.7: Manage legal and contractual agreements and records in ways that foster a professional work environment and secure privacy and confidentiality for all students and staff.
STANDARD 4: A SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR IS AN EDUCATIONAL LEADER WHO PROMOTES THE SUCCESS OF ALL STUDENTS BY COLLABORATING WITH FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, RESPONDING TO DIVERSE COMMUNITY INTERESTS AND NEEDS, AND MOBILIZING COMMUNITY RESOURCES.
4.1: Recognize and respect the goals and aspirations of diverse family and community groups.
4.2: Treat diverse community stakeholder groups with fairness and respect.
4.3: Incorporate information about family and community expectations into school decision-making and activities.
4.5: Communicate information about the school on a regular and predictable basis through a variety of media.
