Jackson Site Council Bylaws

 

Our Mission Statement: 

Jackson Middle School provides a rich and challenging academic program focused on the unique needs of adolescents.  Our school encourages and celebrates artful expression in an accepting, safe environment.  We value the diversity of students, staff and community.  We inspire every student to become a passionate life long learner and a responsible global citizen.

 

Purpose

 

The Jackson Site Council (“Council”) exists to stimulate school staff and community participation in the life and functions of Jackson Middle School (“Jackson”), to vest authority in Jackson to determine how it should be organized and how it can improve its school climate, and coordinate the development and implementation of the School Improvement Plan.

 

            The Council’s purposes include, but are not limited to the following:

  1. To promote the Mission Statement;
  2. To improve student achievement in knowledge, skills and attitudes;
  3. To work collaboratively with all members of the school community;
  4. To promote the uses of appropriate educational research and best practices;
  5. To encourage and enhance the professional development and training activities that support school goals and the School Improvement Plan;
  6. To develop and coordinate the implementation of the Oregon Education Act for the 21st Century (Oregon Statute Section 329); and
  7. To recognize the vital connection between Jackson’s Site Council, Foundation, and PTA in sharing common purposes.

 

  1. Membership

 

The Council is comprised of four Jackson teachers, three parents or guardians of Jackson students, one Jackson administrator and one Jackson classified employee, for a total of nine members.  The Council may appoint one community member-at-large, in which event the membership of the Council will be ten.

 

2.      Selection of Site Council Members

 

Though the membership of the council is voluntary, all members, except the administrator, shall be selected though an election process.

 

The basic principle of the selection shall be that Jackson teachers elect teachers, Jackson classified employees elect the classified employee and Jackson parent/guardians elect parent/guardian representation.

 

Parent/guardian nominations shall be solicited by March 1st.  All nominations will be due in the school office by March 20th.  Ballots will be distributed the first week in April.  Ballots will be counted and the results reported one week after being distributed.

 

Teacher representatives to the council will be elected by secret ballot no later than October 15th.  Teacher teams will elect teacher representatives:  Sixth, seventh, eighth and elective teachers will elect representation to the council.

 

Classified employee representation to the council will be elected by secret ballot no later than October 15th.

 

3.      Officers and Duties

 

All officers will serve for two school years and will be elected by and be members of the Council.  Officers may be re-elected.  The officers of the Council are described in this section 3.

 

A.      Chair

 

The CHAIR will conduct all regularly scheduled and special meetings of the Council and may call special meetings.

The CHAIR will start all meetings at their scheduled times.

The CHAIR will check the Council mailbox in the school office for correspondence.

The CHAIR will maintain discussion and voting rights of slated committee members.

The CHAIR will seep to keep the Council on task within the time frame set by the

agenda.

The CHAIR will intervene when Council proceedings require review.

 

B.     Secretary

 

The SECRETARY will record and distribute minutes of all meetings.  Minutes will include an attendance roster.  In addition, the SECRETARY will maintain Council archives, including meeting agendas, minutes, correspondence and other records of Council activities.

 

C.     Process Observer/Timekeeper

 

The Process Observer/Time Keep will conduct and share date on how well the group in functioning.

 

4.      Terms

 

Elected council members will serve on the Council for a term of two years, beginning April 1 of the year elected and ending on the second anniversary thereafter, unless the member earlier resigns or is terminated.  The community-at-large member (if appointed by the Council) will serve a term the length of which is at the discretion of the Council.

 

Elected Council members will serve no more than two consecutive terms.  An elected council member, having served two consecutive terms, must wait two years before again being elected for membership on the Council.

 

5.      Termination

 

A parent or guardian member will not qualify for membership on the Council if her or her child or ward is not enrolled at Jackson; and an administrator, teacher or classified member will not qualify for membership on the Council if he or she is not employed at Jackson.

 

Three unexcused absences from Council meetings occurring during a single calendar year will result in automatic termination from the Council.

 

The Council may suspend or expel a member by an affirmative note of two-thirds of the Council members.

 

6.      Vacancies

 

A vacancy on the Council occurring during the final six months of an elected member’s terms will be filled by appointment of the Council.  Otherwise, such a vacancy on the Council will be filled by a special election of the same voting group that elected the member whose vacancy is being filled.

 

7.      Subcommittees

 

The council may form subcommittees.

 

8.      Meetings

 

Jackson Site Council will meet at regular intervals, as determined by the Council.  The CHAIR or the Council may call Special meetings.

 

Meetings are intended to enhance team building.  The format of each meeting will be as follows:

A.     Approval of the previous meeting’s minutes.

B.      Recognition of guests.

C.     Announcements.

D.     Old items of business.

E.      New items of business.

F.      Process Observer report.

G.     Debriefing.

H.     Adjournment.

Meetings will be open to the general public except when executive sessions are necessary.  Guests may address the Council at appropriate times, but may not participate in discussions or vote.  A guest who wishes to be included on the meeting agenda must submit a request to the CHAIR at least one week prior to the meeting for which the agenda request is made, and a guest requesting an agenda item may speak no more than two minutes on any such requested agenda item that is included in the meeting.  No more than ten minutes will be allotted for consideration of all guest agenda items during any one meeting.

 

9.      Responsibilities of Council Members

 

All members of the Jackson Site Council have the responsibility to:

A.     Read the minutes of the previous meeting before going to each meeting.

B.     Arrive at each meeting on time.

C.     Bring all needed materials.

D.     State opinions or feelings honestly and clearly.

E.      Limit discussion to the agenda item currently before the Council.

F.      Participate actively.

G.     Keep all dissension within the meeting.

H.     See that all problems relating to individuals, or to the group as a whole, are resolved by direct communication by the affected person(s).

 

On a broader scale, members have the responsibility to:

A.     Commit to a process of collaboration to achieve school improvement.

B.     Learn about the specific characteristics of Jackson’s instruction program, curriculum goals and mission, its teaching strategies and student achievement test data, and relevant staff and community issues facing the school.

C.     Become knowledgeable about the goals established by the Board of Education and the expectations for staff and students established by the State of Oregon.

D.     Lead the process of setting annual improvement goals for Jackson and its staff, deciding how best to achieve those goals, and determining how to implement the School Improvement Plan and to insure good communication among all participants in the school. 

 

10.   Decision Making

 

The Council will seek to make decisions by consensus.  In the event consensus cannot be reached, all matters upon which a vote is taken will be decided by the vote of a majority of the members present at a meeting.  Upon request of a member at any time, an issue will be resolved by member vote.

 

All Council members should contribute to discussions.

 

All opinions are encouraged, and differences of opinion will be viewed as stimulation to gather additional information and to clarify issues.

 

All Council members agree to support the decisions of the Council, even though they may not represent an individual member’s first choice.

 

If a Council member cannot agree with a decision, it is the member’s responsibility to offer an alternative, or an opposing viewpoint

 

11.  Communication

 

The CHAIR will give notice of all meetings in the school newsletter or by posting a notice on the parents’ or guardians’ and teachers’ bulletin boards.

 

Lines of communication regarding Council activities will be established and maintained with staff, parents, guardians, the community, as well as any other affected parties.  Appropriate methods of communication include, but are not limited to:   Staff meetings, PTA and LSAC meetings; school, parent, neighborhood and council newsletters; voicemails; bulletin boards; surveys and regional meetings.

 

12.  Review

 

The Council will review these bylaws each January.

 

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11/20/02 Final Bylaws#7

Re-typed on 9/5/08 by Jenny Owen from photocopy with minor corrections included.