Effective School Councils 5.1

1. Effective School Councils 5.1 “focus on student learning and the best interest of all students”

2. Characteristics of EffectiveCatholic School Councils • Effective school councils are those that: focus on student learningand the best interests of all students; are actively involved in setting school priorities for improving student achievement; promote meaningful parental and community involvement and actively seek the views of their school communities; have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities; include members who represent the diverse views of their school communities; keep well informed about school and board policies and procedures; have clear and consistent processes for decision making; communicate with the community about their activities; maintain high ethical standards; have members who have developed mutual trust and respect for one another.

3. To be effective, your school council must involve the parents of the school community, and must keep them involved. School council meetings that are punctual, interesting, productive, and efficient will help achieve this, as will making parents feel that their contributions are valued. Offering parents a chance to learn something new at meetings will ensure that meetings remain interesting. If time permits, • guest speakers, panel discussions, debates, videos, or even an occasional field trip may be included in the school council meeting schedule to maintain a high level of interest and participation.

4. Team Building To different degrees, every group goes through the following four stages, although the length of each and the sequence will vary. It is helpful to be aware of these stages when you and your fellow members are feeling stuck, frustrated, or unproductive. • Forming. Group members are polite, • impersonal, watchful, and guarded. • Storming. Some group members are • trying to avoid conflict, while others • are confronting people, • opting out, having difficulty, or feeling • stuck.

5. Norming. Group members are developing skills in • such areas as conflict resolution, listening to and • evaluating other points of view, and giving feedback. • They are also establishing procedures to • deal with issues. Performing. Group members are becoming resourceful, flexible, open, effective, close, and supportive.

6. School Council Code of Ethics • Your school council may find it useful to establish a • code of ethics that outlines the council’s expectations • of its members and guides their behaviour. The code • may address matters such as the boundaries of the • role and responsibilities of the school council, conflict • of interest, and the manner in which members • are expected to interact, in the interests of preserving • democratic principles and minimizing and/or • managing conflict.

7. Roles and Responsibilities of Catholic School Council Members-5.6 • The Chair/Co-Chair – voting member • Parent Representatives – voting member • School Principal – not a voting member • Student Representative(s) – voting member • School Staff Representatives (one teaching/one non-teaching) – voting members • Community Representative – voting member

8. Staying Focused on the Mandate • While school councils play a significant role, it is important that they act within the scope of the duties that are outlined in the provincial regulations and policies. These regulations and policies should be a part of every council member’s package and should be reviewed carefully during the orientation of all new council members. It is important that all members clearly understand the regulations and policies so that they know where the boundaries lie in terms of what is – and what is not – within the scope of their duties. For example, there is an important distinction to be made between providing advice and acting as an advocate on a specific issue.