Post by title1parent on Jul 19, 2011 7:19:50 GMT -5
Indian Prairie board sets procedures for meetings, communication
By Erika Wurst ewurst@stmedianetwork.com July 18, 2011 10:14PM
Updated: July 18, 2011 10:14PM
The Indian Prairie School Board met on Monday in a special workshop to discuss operating practices that have been put into place to supplement board policy.
The practices are intended to keep the board on track and moving smoothly.
“These are agreements between these seven members on how we’re going to operate,” said President Curt Bradshaw. “(Issues) come up throughout the year, and I think it’s valuable for us to know how we want to operate as a board.”
While several of the board’s nine written operating practices were agreed upon unanimously, there were several practices that elicited much discussion during the three-hour workshop.
One involves individual board members’ authority to add items to the board agenda.
“We all have the right to be heard,” said board member Christine Vickers. Vickers pointed to a board policy which says that any board member can add an item to the agenda so long as it is run past the board president and district superintendent.
“I think it’s clear in the policy that we get the right to add items, and you don’t get to decide,” said board member Dawn DeSart to president Bradshaw. Some members were concerned that an approval process should be in place to avoid unnecessary time and research spent on unwarranted agenda items.
It was suggested that a proposed agenda item be run by and approved by at least three members before it can be placed on the agenda.
The current board procedure says that as long as it is in line with policy or board issues, the agenda item shall be added.
“We’ve never had an issue of someone bringing seven issues to the table at once,” said DeSart. She was responding to other members’ worries about extraneous items taking up time during board meetings.
After nearly 45 minutes of discussion, the board decided that members may add any agenda item they believe is in line with board policy, and that it will be placed on the agenda as the evening’s last discussion item.
Other agreements that were discussed Monday were procedures regarding the flow of information from administrators to board members. The communication between members and administrative figures should be open, and shared. Private conversations between individuals and administrators should be limited, members decided.
It was also agreed that information regarding board items should be given to board members the Tuesday evening before the board meeting so members can make informed decisions.
Bradshaw said the board procedures that are discussed and agreed upon by members are more “handshake” rules rather than enforced policies.
By Erika Wurst ewurst@stmedianetwork.com July 18, 2011 10:14PM
Updated: July 18, 2011 10:14PM
The Indian Prairie School Board met on Monday in a special workshop to discuss operating practices that have been put into place to supplement board policy.
The practices are intended to keep the board on track and moving smoothly.
“These are agreements between these seven members on how we’re going to operate,” said President Curt Bradshaw. “(Issues) come up throughout the year, and I think it’s valuable for us to know how we want to operate as a board.”
While several of the board’s nine written operating practices were agreed upon unanimously, there were several practices that elicited much discussion during the three-hour workshop.
One involves individual board members’ authority to add items to the board agenda.
“We all have the right to be heard,” said board member Christine Vickers. Vickers pointed to a board policy which says that any board member can add an item to the agenda so long as it is run past the board president and district superintendent.
“I think it’s clear in the policy that we get the right to add items, and you don’t get to decide,” said board member Dawn DeSart to president Bradshaw. Some members were concerned that an approval process should be in place to avoid unnecessary time and research spent on unwarranted agenda items.
It was suggested that a proposed agenda item be run by and approved by at least three members before it can be placed on the agenda.
The current board procedure says that as long as it is in line with policy or board issues, the agenda item shall be added.
“We’ve never had an issue of someone bringing seven issues to the table at once,” said DeSart. She was responding to other members’ worries about extraneous items taking up time during board meetings.
After nearly 45 minutes of discussion, the board decided that members may add any agenda item they believe is in line with board policy, and that it will be placed on the agenda as the evening’s last discussion item.
Other agreements that were discussed Monday were procedures regarding the flow of information from administrators to board members. The communication between members and administrative figures should be open, and shared. Private conversations between individuals and administrators should be limited, members decided.
It was also agreed that information regarding board items should be given to board members the Tuesday evening before the board meeting so members can make informed decisions.
Bradshaw said the board procedures that are discussed and agreed upon by members are more “handshake” rules rather than enforced policies.