Queen Anne Elementary Building Leadership Team

Purpose

The primary function of the Building Leadership Team is to promote and facilitate the collaborative decision-making process which affects academic achievement. The BLT will be primarily responsible for monitoring, implementing and adjusting the Strategic Plan.

Meetings 

At the start of each meeting we make sure we have a:

1. Note taker who will take and disseminate notes of the meeting to the entire staff within two days via electronic copy and placement in out Google account.
2. Timekeeper who will monitor the time allocations on the agenda and call for a vote for the time extensions when the meeting goes past one hour.
3. Facilitator who will be rotated each meeting. (A member may decline being a facilitator.) 

The BLT builds the agenda together (agenda review), then:

1. Tell stories
2. Prioritize items on the agenda
3. Set timelines for agenda items
4. Include old business and action reports (follow-up of previous meeting)
5. Evaluate each meeting at its conclusion (verbal or written) to debrief and refine the process
6. Read and approve the minutes from the present meeting.
7. Set the agenda and designate a facilitator for the next meeting.

Role of the Facilitator

1. Keep the group on task
2. Make sure everyone has an opportunity for input
3. Collect and clarifies data or opinions
4. Mediate when necessary
5. Enforce timelines
6. Can give input–same as any member after all members have had an opportunity to contribute

Rotation of the facilitator role is critical!

BLT Membership

• There will be 6 BLT members who must represent the views of their constituents at the BLT meetings. The membership will be:

  – Five SEA represented staff members who will serve two-year terms.
  – One principal
  – One or two parents

• Elections will take place in May, so that the BLT can meet in the summer if necessary. Each year two nominees will be elected at large for a two-year term. Their constituencies will be assigned randomly. Nominations will be opened at a designated staff meeting in May. Staff members may nominate themselves or others and are not limited in the number of nominations. The SEA building representatives will collect the nominations and obtain a written consent from the nominees. Nominees may accept or decline the nomination. The SEA building representatives will prepare a written ballot with all nominees, distribute and monitor the return of the ballots, and supervise the count.
• The PTA will determine the means of selecting the parents.

Committee Work

•  Committees serve to support our Academic Achievement Plan for Accelerated Learning

• Committee proposals are brought to the whole staff for approval after committees have researched and reviewed input.
• Committees necessary to accomplish the goals of the BLT will be reviewed annually, and all staff is expected to participate as per the contract.
• Committees need to have a recorder, lead person and a regular meeting time each month.

Decision Making

• Depending on an issue, some final and binding decisions are made by the total staff, and some by the BLT or committees. BLT discretion will be guided by the following :

1. The BLT will be able to act on behalf of the staff because:

   a) Every staff member has elected representation on the BLT.
   b) BLT members will be responsible to communicate and seek input from
   constituents.
   c) It is the responsibility of both the BLT members and the staff to communicate with each other.
   d) The BLT will have agendas a week before the meetings so that they can
   seek input.
   e) Minutes of every BLT meeting will be dispersed to the entire staff within
   two days of the meeting

2. A Decision-making matrix approved by the staff as part of the BLT bylaws
   will guide the BLT.
3. Any BLT member may request that a decision of the BLT be reviewed.

• A Quorum of (3/4) of the BLT must be present before a final and binding decision can be made.

Consensus is the goal. Consensus exists when all members of the BLT are willing to accept a decision. When consensus has been reached, all members agree that they can “live with the decision.” To determine if all group members have reached consensus, the facilitator will ask the following questions:

1. Does everyone accept this decision?
2. Is there any opposition to this decision?
3. Can everyone live with this decision?
4. Does everyone agree not to sabotage this decision?

• When consensus can’t be reached, a 2/3 majority of the votes will pass a proposal at a BLT meeting.

• Abstentions do not count against but are recorded.
• Specific objections are recorded upon request but can’t be anonymous.
• It is the staff’s responsibility to read the minutes when absent.

Amending the Document

Any person may bring a proposal for amendment to the BLT.
The BLT will bring the proposed amendment to the faculty for consideration and approval.
Two-thirds of the staff must vote for approval.

Decision-Matrix for QAE

Draft, December 14, 2011

Group/ Issue	Committee	Building Leadership Team	Staff	Administration	Parents
Academic Achievement (set goals, enrichment, student services models, instructional programs, multi-year building plan)	N/A	Proposes and Approves	Reviews and consents	Sanctions	N/A
Professional Development (staff development, induction, mentoring, in-service days, teacher study groups)	N/A	Proposes Recommends	Approves	Supports	N/A
Assessment (school program, instructional program and student achievement)	N/A	Proposes and Approves	Reviews and consents	Sanctions	N/A
Budget Development and changes	N/A	Proposes and input	Approves	Sanctions	Input
Hiring	Interviews and recommends	N/A	Input	Sanctions	Input
Curriculum materials/ textbook adoption	N/A	N/A	Reviews and Approves	Sanctions	N/A
Public Relations (parent surveys, community input, parent programs, PTA coordination, extra-curricular, calendar, Fundraising)	N/A	Input	Input	Propose and Approve	Propose
Facilities	N/A	N/A	N/A	Responsible	N/A
Schedules (Faculty lounge, out of classroom duties, PCP, lunch/recess duties)	Propose and approve	N/A	Reviews and Consents	Sanctions	N/A
Student-related issues (assemblies, student placement, extra-curricular)	N/A	Propose and Approve	Reviews and Consents	Sanctions	Input
Policies and Procedures (student discipline, discipline policy, safety)	Propose and approve	N/A	Reviews and Consents	Sanctions	N/A