School Department Committee

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Contract Language

2.54.1 – Composition The teachers in each school/department and in each of the Special Services Departments shall elect representatives to a school/department committee as
follows:

(a) Elementary – shall elect one teacher from each grade level and one
teacher from special services.
(b) Secondary – shall elect one teacher from each department and one
teacher from special services.
(c) Special Services – shall elect on a ratio of one (1) per ten (10) teachers
or fraction thereof in each department, but not fewer than three (3).

Notwithstanding the foregoing, prior to the formation of the committee for any school year, a majority of all the teachers and the building/program administration may mutually agree to vary the size and composition of the school/department committee for their school/ department, provided that in no event shall the school/department committee have fewer than three (3)
teachers. Absent such mutual agreement for any school year, the composition of the committee shall be as set forth above.

The committee shall elect its chairperson and secretary.

2.54.2 – Scope of Activity – The committee and the administration shall discuss and jointly determine student discipline policies and school safety and the use of the building/special services department budget including but not limited to allocations for supplementary texts, materials, supplies, and equipment to be purchased within the confines of the school/department/special services department budget. Two working days before each committee meeting, administration shall provide the committee with a monthly financial report as provided to the Board of Education, and the regular monthly building/special services department budget update. A staffing report will be given at the February and May meetings of the committee as well as reviews of all appeals as stated in 8.1 Excessive Teaching Loads/Caseloads. When staffing changes are needed during the school year and when staffing plans are made for the upcoming year, the committee will make recommendations to the site administration regarding possible configurations. Supervision duties shall be assigned each year pursuant to a plan jointly determined by the school/department committee and the building administration.

The committee shall discuss with the administration items which will include but not be limited to: issues regarding the organization and procedures within that school or department and issues within that school or department relating to the implementation of this Agreement or district-wide Board policies. The committee and administration will endeavor to make decisions about how their plans and initiatives should be implemented, including the formation of committees for this purpose, through a consensus process. In the spring, a tentative list of committees/events for the next year will be developed and communicated.

The committee shall identify a portion of non-attendance day(s), which shall be dedicated to parent-teacher conferences, parent-teacher meetings and / or programs as set forth in Section 15.22 of this Agreement. After consultation with the SIP team, the identification of which non-attendance day(s) will be dedicated to activities set forth in Section 15.22 of this Agreement shall occur no later than the last School Department’s meeting of the prior school year.

2.54.3 – Functioning – The committee shall meet as needed, but not less frequently than monthly with the administration. The committee will prepare and distribute an agenda to all teachers two (2) days prior to the committee meeting. School/department committee minutes will be distributed to all teachers within two (2) days of a meeting. All members of the school/ department committee shall receive copies of the school/ department budget by November 1 of each school year and the regular monthly update each month thereafter.

2.55 – Teacher Involvement in Building Planning – The planning of all new building educational specifications shall include the active involvement of Association-appointed teachers.

2.56 – Building Policies – Teachers will be advised of building policies and proposed new policies.