Sample
Charter
The Board of Education of ????? School District on this ??th day of
???, 2000, authorizes the establishment of a continuing committee to be known as
"The Citizens Advisory Council." This council is to be organized
and conducted under procedures to be proposed by the superintendent of schools
after receiving advice from the school staff and other suitable consultants and
upon approval by the Board of Education.
The citizens advisory council is not regarded as a substitute for any other
form of citizen participation in school affairs. It is intended to
supplement and stimulate other types of citizen participation.
The purpose of the citizens advisory council will be to server as an arm of
the Board of Education by providing advice and assistance to the board.
The Board of Education reserves the right to dissolve the citizens advisory
council at any time and for any reason.
The citizens advisory council is expected to contribute to the improvement of
the education provided by the school system by:
- Studying and surveying continuously the educational needs of the
district's clientele.
- Reviewing, analyzing, developing and proposing school policies.
- Working with the administrative, instructional and non-instructional
staffs of the school system cooperatively to develop and execute programs
and procedures which implement policies approved by the Board of Education.
- Facilitating communication between the staffs of the school system and the
people of the district.
- Studying the effects of existing and new educational programs in
operation.
- Serving as a "sounding board" of community opinion on items
proposed by the Board of Education.
- Initiating study and proposals on educational issues pertinent to the
school and community.
In authorizing the development of the citizens advisory council, the Board of
Education pledges complete cooperation in the council's work. The citizens
advisory council will be expected to operate within the guidelines set forth.
Sample Operational Guidelines
The following guidelines shall be followed in the organization,
operation, and review of the Citizens Advisory Council, hereinafter referred to
as the Council.
I. Organization of the Council
A. Membership
1. The Council shall consist of ??? members.
2. The members of the Council will be recommended to the Board of
Education by a Selection Committee. The Board retains the right to
disapprove individual nominations by the Selection Committee, but it will not
appoint an individual who is not recommended by the Selection Committee.
B. Selection Committee
1. A Selection Committee will be named by the Board of
Education. The Selection Committee shall consist of ??? members, all lay
citizens except one who shall be a representative of the District's
administrative staff.
2. The members of the Selection Committee will be appointed for a three
year term. At the beginning of each three year period, the Selection
Committee will analyze the school's service area to determine the community's
factions. Based on these factions, a roster of representative individuals
will be identified to serve as members of the Selection Committee may not
serve as members of the Council.
3. The potential members recommended by the Selection Committee shall
possess the following characteristics:
a. Representative of the community's factions.
b. Interest in education.
c. Willingness not to exploit their membership.
d. Have certain personal characteristics essential to the success of the
Council such as personal characteristics essential to the success of the
Council such as personal integrity, responsibility, maturity of thought and
action, the ability to cooperate, constructive attitude, and tolerance of
varying points of view.
4. No one is to be recommended or barred from membership
because of affiliation with any organization or institution.
C. Term of Members
1. The original members of the Council will serve at least
two years. At the end of the first year, the terms of the original members
will be determined by lot. One third of the members will serve for one
additional year, one-third will serve for two additional years, and one-third
will serve for three additional years.
2. When a vacancy occurs, the newly appointed member will serve during the
un-expired term of the member he replaces.
3. A person who has served a term as a member is ineligible for
reappointment until one year has elapsed following the expiration of his term.
4. All members chosen to replace members who have completed regular terms
will be appointed for three year terms.
D. Consultants
1. A member of the administrative staff and the
instructional staff will be appointed to meet regularly with the Council.
2. A member of the Board of Education will be elected to meet regularly
with the Council.
3. Outside consultants will be utilized as needed. Outside
consultants will be approved by the Council, Board of Education, and
administrative staff prior to initial consultation.
II. Operation of the Council
A. The Council will organize itself,
determine it's meeting times, select its officers and subcommittees, make its
rules and formulate its program and meeting agendas provided such do not
conflict with the operational guidelines set forth herein.
B. The Board of Education will submit to the Council the
current policies of the school system and any proposals for the revision of
these policies.
C. The Board will react, orally and in writing, to any
proposals submitted by the Council.
D. Annual meetings of the Board and the Council will be
held. Additional joint meetings will be scheduled when mutually desired.
E. The Council is urged to appoint subcommittees as
needed. Some of these may be continuing committees, some may be temporary
committees to deal with special problems. Sub-committees may include
members of the Council other lay citizens, members of the school staff and
students. A member of the school staff may, with the approval of the
Superintendent of Schools, request the Council to name a special subcommittee t
deal with problems in his field of work.
F. The Council or any of its subcommittees may request
information and counsel from the Superintendent of Schools or from any employee
of the Board of Education on matters clearly related to the problems on which
the subcommittees are working.
G. Minutes of the meetings of the Council will be sent
forth to the members of the Board of education and to the members of the
administrative, teaching and nonprofessional staffs.
H. The school will provide the Council and its
subcommittees with the consulting and clerical services that are desirable and
feasible. An appropriation of $??? will be made for the use of the Council
in providing consultants, making studies, preparing and publishing reports, and
for other items the Council deems appropriate.
I. Publicity regarding the work of the Council and
reports of the Council or its subcommittees will be released only after approval
by the Board of Education or its authorized agent.
J. The Council will obtain approval on all proposed
studies prior to inception by the Board of Education or its authorized agent.
K. The Council as a group, or members representing the
Council, will never recommend, support, or campaign for or against candidates
for election to the Board of Education; take action regarding the employment,
dismissal, promotion, or transfer of individual school employees, or encroach
upon the prerogative of the administrative, instructional, or non-instructional
staffs.
III. Review of Procedures
A. The preceding operational guidelines will be reviewed
annually by the Council with the before-mentioned consultants.
Recommendations for change will be conveyed to the Board of Education for
perusal and action.
Sample ByLaws
I. Officers
The officers will consist of a chairman, vice chairman and a
secretary. These officers will be elected annually by the Council.
These officers will together constitute an Executive Committee.
II. Subcommittees
A. Affiliated and subcommittees may be established and
discharged by a majority of the Council.
B. Subcommittees may be ad hoc or continuous in nature
depending on the subject of concern.
C. Each subcommittee shall elect its won chairman and
secretary.
D. The subject of field of activity will be specified by
the Council.
E. The subcommittee may be of any size appropriate to its
function. Membership may consist of students, lay citizens, and school
employees. One member of the subcommittee shall also be a member of the
Council.
F. A consultant from the school system shall be appointed
by the school administration at the request of the Council to meet regularly
with the subcommittee. Special consultants may be enlisted pending
approval by the Council.
G. Subcommittees shall report regularly to the Council.
III. Program
A. The Council will plan and operate under an annual
program and agenda of the year's meetings. Plans, topics, and goals will
be included in the program.
B. A program for each ensuing year will be discussed
during the final (month) meeting of each year.
C. Proposals by the members will be considered by the
Executive Committee, who will formulate a proposed annual program to be
presented to the Council during the (month) meeting for its action.
IV. Meetings
A. The annual program will indicate the regular meetings
to be held each year.
B. At least nine meetings will be held each year.
C. Special meetings may be called, or regular meetings may
be cancelled, by a majority vote of the Council or by action of the Executive
Committee.
D. The Executive Committee, in consultation with the
School Superintendent, will be responsible for planning the agenda of individual
meetings.
E. Each meeting will begin at the announced time and will
continue for no more than two hours.
F. Discussion leading toward a consensus of the members
will be the prevailing procedure in Council meetings. Parliamentary
Procedure will be used when a decision of the Council is to be recorded or
transmitted.
V. Responsibilities of Members
A. Each member is expected to attend meetings regularly,
participate in Council discussions, and serve on affiliated and subcommittees
when requested to serve.
B. Each member is expected to study carefully any problem
which comes before the Council before committing himself to a final conclusion.
C. Each member is expected to respect the rights of fellow
Council members by not reporting or discussing the opinions of other members
outside the Council. The opinions and conclusions of the Council as a
whole may be discussed. The opinions and conclusions of the Council as a
whole maybe discussed.
VI. Loss of Membership
Members who fail to attend three consecutive meetings
automatically lose their membership unless they present reasons for their
absences acceptable to the Council.
VII. Use of Consultants
The Council recognizes the need of additional knowledge and
assistance and will make extensive use of regular and special consultants from
within and without the local school.
Sample Selection Committee Resolution
The Board of Education of ????? herby authorizes the
establishment of a Selection Committee to develop a slate of prospective
Citizens Advisory Council members for approval by the Board. Action of the
Selection Committee will be in accord with the designated Operational
Guidelines.
The Board Secretary is instructed to contact the following
??(number) of people to explain the purposes of the Council and the Selection
Committee, to solicit their service on the Selection Committee, to receive their
individual responses, and to invite their presence at the next Board of
Education meeting to receive more extensive instructions.
The people requested to serve on the Selection Committee are
?????, ?????, and ?????. The latter will be representing the school
system.
The University of Arizona
