John D. O'Bryant School of Math & Science

The School Parent Council is the independently established “voice” of ALL the parents in the school community.

The School Parent Council meets regularly to address parental issues and concerns, advocate for school improvement and equitable outcomes for students, and promote an environment of understanding and common purpose among parents and school staff. It is the School Parent Council that elects representatives to sit on the School Site Council.

School communities elect representatives to the school site council; the faculty senate elects teacher/school staff representatives, the school parent council elects parent representatives, and the student government elects the student representatives. All elected representatives are responsible for ensuring that their groups get information and have an opportunity to give feedback on SSC proposals and decisions. The School Site Council is responsible for reviewing and approving policy such as the schools family engagement plan, the Whole School Improvement Plan, and the school budget. In addition, the SSC is responsible for convening a personnel subcommittee that participates in the hiring of BTU staff.

The Principal/Headmaster is automatically a member of the SSC. Community representatives are chosen by the SSC and typically do not have voting rights. The graphic on the next page illustrates the representatives from the school community are chosen for School Site Council.

School Site Councils are an excellent way to build strong partnerships between the school and the home. By bringing educators and families together in a shared decision-making process, all stakeholders have an opportunity to have their concerns heard while working towards solutions that lead to student achievement and school improvement.

The following are the characteristics of the most effective School Site Councils and therefore, the standard toward which all councils should strive:

 

 All elections are completed by October 15th each year – BTU members elected by their Faculty Senate and parents elected by the School Parent Council. At the high school level, students are elected by the student government.

 The first School Site Council meeting is held by October 31st.

 The number of professional educators (school leader, teachers and paraprofessionals) is equal to the number of parents on the council.

 Length of terms is clearly spelled out in the bylaws.

 A complete SSC roster is submitted to the OFSE.

 The membership reflects the diversity of the school.

 

 Items for the agenda are brought to the table by all stakeholders.

 Opportunities for the general school community to add to the agenda are available.

 Each meeting has an agenda that is set prior to the meeting date.

 

 All members agree to a schedule of meetings that occur at a time that is convenient to all.

 Meeting times and locations are posted according to the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law.

 A quorum is present for each meeting.

 Minutes/Notes are taken by a designated member of the council and kept in the school office, with a copy sent to OFSE.

 

 The minutes of all meetings are readily available to all members of the school community.

 School Site Council members provide opportunities for the groups they represent to provide feedback and input for agendas and policies that the council develops.

 

 School Site Council completes a self-evaluation on a yearly basis to determine how it can continue to improve.

 Membership on the School Site Council by teachers and parents is promoted by everyone in the school community as a means for continuous school improvement

 School Site Council works with the OFSE specialist assigned to the school to support their effectiveness.

 

 School Site Council has a process to review the schools budget and approve the discretionary funds ensuring alignment with Whole School Improvement Plan.

 School Site Council has an active personnel subcommittee as described in the Collective Bargaining agreement.

 

The establishment and oversight of the School Site Councils is detailed in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Boston Teachers Union and the Boston School Committee (the Teachers’ Union Contract).

Files:

•  OFSE SSC _ SPC Basics booklet.doc